VIENNA, Austria – December 2018: At the reconvened sixty-first session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 5 to 7 December 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the scheduling recommendations on new psychoactive substances reviewed at the 41st meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) held in Geneva from 12 to 16 November 2018. In total, thirteen substances were critically reviewed by the ECDD and nine substances were recommended for scheduling:

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol:
Cyclopropylfentanyl - Schedule I
Methoxyacetylfentanyl - Schedule I
Ortho‐fluorofentanyl (2-Fluorofentanyl) - Schedule I
Parafluoro butyrfentanyl (4-Fluorobutyrfentanyl) - Schedule I

Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971:
ADB-FUBINACA - Schedule II
FUB‐AMB (MMB‐FUBINACA, AMB‐FUBINACA) - Schedule II
ADB‐CHMINACA  - Schedule II
CUMYL‐4CNBINACA - Schedule II
N‐ethylnorpentylone (Ephylone) - Schedule II


The WHO recommended pregabalin, tramadol and Paramethoxybutyrfentanyl (4-Methoxybutyrfentanyl) for surveillance. Further the WHO indicated that for the recommendation on cannabis and cannabis-related substances, more time was needed to review the available information and that the recommendation will be communicated in due course.

For more information, please see:

 Critical reviews of psychoactive substances reviewed by the 41st Expert Committee on Drug Dependence: https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/ecdd_41_meeting/en/