UK Act of Parliament 1971 United Kingdom

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

An Act to make new provision with respect to dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs and related matters, and for purposes connected therewith.

Read the Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Enforced by
MHRA, Home Office, Police
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Imprisonment 5 of 20 obligations carry imprisonment (14 years). 12 carry different penalties and 3 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person14 Occupier2 Director or Officer1

Plus 3 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Occupier — also bound by 235 other Acts
Highways Act 1980 23 duties
Director or Officer — also bound by 429 other Acts
Companies Act 2006 126 duties

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

s.002 Orders under section 2A: role of Advisory Council etc Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must consult before placing drugs under temporary controlCrown / Minister / Government department
s.004 Restriction of production and supply of controlled drugs. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Produce or supply controlled drugs without authorisationAny Person
s.005 Restriction of possession of controlled drugs. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Unlawful possession or intent to supply controlled drugsAny Person
s.008 Occupiers etc. of premises to be punishable for permitting certain activities to take place there. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Permitting illegal drug activity on business premisesOccupier
s.009 Prohibition of certain activities etc. relating to opium. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Possess or allow use of opium-related smoking equipmentAny Person
s.009 Prohibition of supply etc. of articles for administering or preparing controlled drugs. Imprisonment
  • Supply articles used for preparing or taking illegal drugsAny Person
s.011 Power to direct special precautions for safe custody of controlled drugs to be taken at certain premises. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Fail to comply with drug security and storage directionsOccupier
s.012 Directions prohibiting prescribing, supply etc. of controlled drugs by practitioners etc. convicted of certain offences. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Contravene a direction prohibiting prescribing or supply of controlled drugsAny Person
s.013 Directions prohibiting prescribing, supply etc. of controlled drugs by practitioners in other cases. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Breach a direction prohibiting the handling of controlled drugsAny Person
s.014 Investigation where grounds for a direction under s. 13 are considered to exist. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must notify practitioners of drug investigation outcomesCrown / Minister / Government department
s.015 Temporary directions under s. 13(2). (opens in a new tab) Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State may issue temporary bans on prescribing controlled drugsCrown / Minister / Government department
s.017 Power to obtain information from doctors, pharmacists etc. in certain circumstances. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Fail to comply with information request under Misuse of Drugs ActAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.018 Miscellaneous offences. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Breach drug regulations, licence conditions or give false informationAny Person
s.019 Attempts etc. to commit offences. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Attempt or incite a drug-related offenceAny Person
s.020 Assisting in or inducing commission outside United Kingdom of offence punishable under a corresponding law. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Assist or induce a drug-related offence outside the UKAny Person
s.021 Offences by corporations. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Personal liability for company drug offencesDirector or Officer
s.023 Powers to search and obtain evidence. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Obstructing search powers or failing to produce drug recordsAny Person
s.023 Temporary class drugs: further power to search, seize and detain Imprisonment
  • Obstruct a search for temporary class drugsAny Person
s.025 Prosecution and punishment of offences. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Violate drug control regulations (Class A, B, C, or temporary)Any Person
s.027 Forfeiture. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Forfeiture of assets and equipment following drug-related offencesAny Person

Unlimited fine

26 other provisions — procedural and definitional
s.001 The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Controlled drugs and their classification for purposes of this Act. (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Temporary class drug orders
s.003 Restriction of importation and exportation of controlled drugs. (opens in a new tab)
s.004 Aggravation of offence of supply of controlled drug
s.006 Restriction of cultivation of cannabis plant. (opens in a new tab)
s.007 Authorisation of activities otherwise unlawful under foregoing provisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.007 Temporary class drug orders: power to make further provision
s.010 Power to make regulations for preventing misuse of controlled drugs. (opens in a new tab)
s.016 Provisions supplementary to ss. 14 and 15. (opens in a new tab)
s.022 Further powers to make regulations. (opens in a new tab)
s.024 Power of arrest (opens in a new tab)
s.026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. (opens in a new tab)
s.028 Proof of lack of knowledge etc. to be a defence in proceedings for certain offences. (opens in a new tab)
s.029 Service of documents. (opens in a new tab)
s.030 Licences and authorities. (opens in a new tab)
s.031 General provisions as to regulations. (opens in a new tab)
s.032 Research. (opens in a new tab)
s.033 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. (opens in a new tab)
s.034 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. (opens in a new tab)
s.035 Financial provisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.036 Meaning of “corresponding law”, and evidence of certain matters by certificate. (opens in a new tab)
s.037 Interpretation. (opens in a new tab)
s.038 Special provisions as to Northern Ireland. (opens in a new tab)
s.039 Savings and transitional provisions, repeals, and power to amend local enactments. (opens in a new tab)
s.040 Short title, extent and commencement. (opens in a new tab)
Schedules

Schedules

0 of 40 shown
40 other schedules
s.001 Constitution etc. of Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Controlled Drugs (opens in a new tab)
s.003 Tribunals, Advisory Bodies and Professional Panels (opens in a new tab)
s.006 Repeals. (opens in a new tab)
s.sch001 (1) The members of the Advisory Council, of whom there...
s.sch001 The Advisory Council may appoint committees, which may consist in...
s.sch001 At meetings of the Advisory Council the quorum shall be...
s.sch001 The Secretary of State may pay to the members of...
s.sch001 Any expenses incurred by the Advisory Council with the approval...
s.sch002 Any ester or ether of cannabinol or of a cannabinol...
s.sch002 Any preparation or other product containing a substance or product...
s.sch002 Any preparation designed for administration by injection which includes a...
s.sch003 (1) A tribunal shall consist of five persons of whom—...
s.sch003 If a tribunal recommends to the Secretary of State that...
s.sch003 Any expenses incurred by a tribunal with the approval of...
s.sch003 The Secretary of State shall make available to a tribunal...
s.sch003 (1) An advisory body shall consist of three persons of...
s.sch003 The respondent shall be entitled to appear before and be...
s.sch003 Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Schedule,...
s.sch003 Paragraphs 3, 7, 8 and 10 to 12 of this...
s.sch003 A professional panel shall consist of a chairman and two...
s.sch003 The respondent shall be entitled to appear before, and be...
s.sch003 Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Schedule,...
s.sch003 The quorum of a tribunal shall be the chairman and...
s.sch003 Paragraphs 3, 7 and 8 of this Schedule shall apply...
s.sch003 In the application of Parts I to III of this...
s.sch003 Proceedings before a tribunal shall be held in private unless...
s.sch003 (1) Subject to paragraph 5 below, the Lord Chancellor may...
s.sch003 (1) For the purpose of any proceedings before a tribunal...
s.sch003 Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Schedule, a tribunal...
s.sch003 The validity of the proceedings of a tribunal shall not...
s.sch003 The Secretary of State may pay to any member of...
s.sch003 The Secretary of State may pay to any person who...
s.sch005 (1) Any addiction regulations which could have been made under...
s.sch005 As from the coming into operation of section 3 of...
s.sch005 (1) The Secretary of State may at any time before...
s.sch005 Subject to paragraphs 1 to 3 above, and without prejudice...
s.sch005 For purposes of the enforcement of the enactments repealed by...
s.sch005 The mention of particular matters in this Schedule shall not...
s.schedule/2/part/iv/paragraph/wrapper1n2 For the purposes of this Schedule the following expressions (which...

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

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Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.