Following recommendations by the Advisory Council on the on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to which Home Office Ministers agreed , the scheduling of the following two substances under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 will change in England, Wales and Scotland so that industrial users will need a licence::
• gamma Butyrolactone (GBL)
• 1,4-Butanediol (1,4 BD / BDO)
These substances will be placed in schedule 1, resulting in the current exemption that allows them to be imported, exported, produced, supplied or possessed without a licence in defined circumstances will be abolished. The amending legislation has been laid before Parliament on the 15 December 2015 and, subject to Parliamentary processes, will come into force on the 15 June 2022.
This short clinic is designed to explain:
• The background
• The process involved
• Timeline for compliance
The clinic will be followed later in the month to provide further information and an insight into the licence application process “Do’s and Don’t’s” from representatives from the Home Office Controlled Drugs licencing unit (DCLU)

This is the latest in our ongoing series of “Online Clinics” and “Best Practice Workshops”, part of our new initiative to increase the value of membership. Watch out for other such events going forward.