Import and Export Restrictions Proposed on Two Substances

The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a notice of intent to publish a temporary order to add the following to schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act.

– 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, including their isomers, esters, ethers, salts, and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers, when either substance alone, or their combined amount if both are present, is above a specified threshold

The temporary order will impose the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (import, export, manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis with, or possess) or propose to handle these substances above the specified threshold.

DEA states that while the proposed threshold would permit certain products to remain in the marketplace without being subject to schedule I controls, it has not made a finding that these substances are safe to use at below-threshold levels.