GENEVA, Switzerland – December 2019: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the scheduling recommendations on psychoactive substances reviewed at the 42nd Meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) held in Geneva from 21 to 25 October 2019. In total, thirteen substances were critically reviewed by the ECDD and twelve substances were recommended for scheduling:

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol:
Crotonylfentanyl – Schedule I
Valerylfentanyl – Schedule I 

Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971:
DOC (2,5-Dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine) – Schedule I
AB-FUBINACA – Schedule II
5F-AMB-PINACA (5F-AMB, 5F-MMB-PINACA) – Schedule II
5F-MDMB-PICA (5F-MDMB-2201) – Schedule II
4F-MDMB-BINACA (4F-ADB) – Schedule II
4-CMC (4-chloromethcathinone; clefedrone) – Schedule II
N-ethylhexedrone (NEH, Hexen, Ethyl-Hex) – Schedule II
Alpha-PHP (PV-7, α-pyrrolidinohexanophenone) – Schedule II
Flualprazolam - Schedule IV
Etizolam - Schedule IV

The WHO recommended that APINACA (AKB-48) should be kept under surveillance. Further, the WHO recommended proceeding with a critical review for the preparations of acetyldihydrocodeine, codeine, dihydrocodeine, ethylmorphine, nicocodine, nicodicodine, norcodeine and pholcodine; which are listed in Schedule III of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

For more information, please see:

Recommendations of the 42nd Expert Committee on Drug Dependence

Annex 1: Summary of the rationale for the recommendations of the 42nd Expert Committee on Drug Dependence