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Committee backs scheduling gabapentin as controlled substance to aid DUI, toxicology work
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill 41 and later concurred with the bill to classify gabapentin as a Schedule V controlled substance, testimony said the change will improve tracking and toxicology reporting in DUI and postmortem cases while retaining lawful patient access.
House Bill 41, which would list gabapentin as a Schedule V controlled substance, drew testimony from law enforcement, prosecutors and forensic toxicologists who said the change would improve detection and reporting in DUI and other investigations.
Curtis Schomer, the bill sponsor and a Republican representative from House District 48, opened the hearing saying, “House bill 41 makes gabapentin a schedule 5 drug.” Schomer told the committee gabapentin has been used to cut illicit drugs and appears frequently in DUI toxicology reports but currently is not regulated in Montana.
Beth Smalley, lead scientist and supervisor of the toxicology and…
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