In
UK drug law, controlled drugs are put into one of three classes: A,
B and
C. Class A is the most serious:
Possession of a Class A drug can potentially lead to a
prison sentence of
up to seven years, while the maximum penalty for
supplying or
trafficking is
life imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Most
illegal drugs are in Class A. Most forms of
amphetamine are
Class B, and for the time being so is
cannabis - however
the Home Secretary recently announced plans to re-classify it as
Class C, alongside
steroids,
anti-depressants and so on.
It is quite common to find people at festivals and raves wandering around saying things like "Has anyone got any Class A's?"
Class A drugs include heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and MDMA. Here is the list of Class A drugs as it appears in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971* (which may omit a number of drugs which now fall into this class):
-
- Acetorphine
- Allylprodine
- Alphacetylmethadol
- Alphameprodine
- Alphamethaclol
- Alphaprodine
- Ani Ieridine
- Benzethidine
- Benzylmorphine (3-benzylmor-phine)
- Betacetylmethadol
- Betameprodine
- Betamethadol
- Betaprodine
- Bezitramide
- Bufotenine
- Cannabinol, except where contained in cannabis or cannabis resin
- Cannabinol derivatives
- Clonitazene
- Coca leaf
- Cocaine
- Desomorphine
- Dextromoramide
- Diamorphine
- Diampromide
- Diethylthiambutene
- Dihydrocodeinone O-carboxymethyloxime
- Dihydromorphine
- Dimenoxadole
- Dimepheptanol
- Dimethylthiambutene
- Dioxaphetyl butyrate
- Diphenoxylate
- Dipipanone
- Ecgonine, and any derivative of ecgonine which is convertible to ecgonine or to cocaine
- Ethylmethylthiambutene
- Etonitazene
- Etorphine
- Etoxeridine
- Fentanyl
- Furethidine
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphinol
- Hydromorphone
- Hydroxypethidine
- Isomethadone
- Ketobemidone
- Levomethorphan
- Levomoramide
- Levophenacylmorphan
- Levorphanol
- Lysergamide
- Lysergide and other N-alkyl derivatives of lysergamide
- Mescaline
- Metazocine
- Methadone
- Methadyl acetate
- Methyldesorphine
- Methyldihydromorphine (6-methyldihydromorphine)
- Metopon
- Morpheridine
- Morphine
- Morphine methobromide, morphine N-oxide and other pentavalent nitrogen morphine derivatives
- Myrophine
- Nicodicodine (6-nicotinoyldi-hydrocodeine)
- Nicomorphine (3,6-dinicotinoyl-morphine)
- Noracyinethadol
- Norlevorphanol
- Normethadone
- Normorphine
- Norpipanone
- Opium, whether raw, prepared or medicinal
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Pethidine
- Phenadoxone
- Phenampromide
- Phenazocine
- Phenomorphan
- Phenoperidine
- Piminodine
- Piritramide
- Poppy-straw and concentrate of poppy-straw
- Proheptazine
- Properidine (1-methyl-4-phenyl- piperidine-4-carboxylic acid isopropyl ester)
- Psilocin
- Racemcthorphan
- Racemoramide
- Racemorphan
- Thebacon
- Thebaine
- Trimeperidine
- 4-Cyano-2-dimethylamino-4, 4-diphenylbutane
- 4-Cyano-1-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine
- N,N-Diethyltryptamine
- N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
- 2,5-Dimethoxy-a,4-dimethyl-phenethylaniine
- 1-Methyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid
- 2-Methyl-3-morpholino-1, 1-diphenylpropanecarboxylic acid
- 4-Phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl ester
- Any stereoisomeric form of a substance for the time being specified in paragraph 1 above not being dextromethorphan or dextrorphan
- Any ester or ether of a substance for the time being specified in paragraph 1 or 2 above.
- Any salt of a substance for the time being specified in any of paragraphs 1 to 3 above.
- Any preparation or other product containing a substance or product for the time being specified in any of paragraphs 1 to 4 above.
- Any preparation designed for administration by injection which includes a substance or product for the time being specified in any of paragraphs 1 to 3 of Part II of this Schedule.
* From http://www.ukcia.org/pollaw/lawlibrary/misuseofdrugsact1971.html