New psychoactive substances

Amendment to the Opium Act adding a third list to counter the production of and trade in new psychoactive substances and certain other amendments

This Bill amends the Opium Act [Opiumwet] by adding a list IA to existing lists I and II. This list IA contains some of the most common substance groups whose chemical structure is derived from drugs appearing on List I of the Opium Act. As a result of this Bill, it is prohibited for anyone to move substances on list IA into or out of the territory of the Netherlands, or to prepare, work, process, sell, deliver, supply, transport, possess or produce them. The ban is subject to several exceptions.

The ban applies to groups of substances that are already banned in our neighbouring countries, to enable compliance with international requests for mutual assistance.
A ban on the trade in or use or consumption of a product, as set out in this Bill, is regarded as a technical regulation within the meaning of Directive 2015/1535.