Committee approves annual controlled-substances schedule update including designer opioids and ethylphenidate

The Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to give a due-pass recommendation on the annual controlled substances schedule update, House Bill 473, which would add several designer and synthetic drugs to the state’s controlled-substances schedules.

Chairman Stevens, presenting the measure, said the update names an ‘‘opioid designer drug,’’ a ‘‘synthetic, mushroom type drug,’’ ethylphenidate and a ‘‘sports doping drug,’’ alongside routine prescription items. ‘‘This is our annual update for controlled substances and for regular drugs that are just our prescription items,’’ he said.

The bill places the first four listed substances in schedule I, committee members were told, meaning they are deemed to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. ‘‘These first ones, under section 1, 2, 3, and 4 are all control 1, class 1 drugs. These are drugs that are highly addictive and have no medical use,’’ Stevens said, adding that some of the substances are chemically altered versions of otherwise legal medications. Stevens used ethylphenidate as an example: ‘‘Ethylphenidate has no medical use, but methylphenidate is used for kids as a stimulant for ADD.’’

Committee members did not request substantive changes and a member moved the bill with a second; the motion carried without recorded opposition. The committee chair recorded the unanimous ‘‘aye’’ vote and announced the bill would be carried by the chairman to the next legislative stage.

The committee did not provide a vote roll-call in the transcript and did not specify implementation details beyond the statutory schedule changes in the bill text.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 473 — committee recommendation: do pass (unanimous).

Sources and provenance: The presentation and vote appear in the committee transcript where Chairman Stevens introduced the annual update and the committee recorded the motion and unanimous approval.