§ 54.1-3443. Board to administer article
A. The Board shall administer this article and may add substances to or deschedule or reschedule all substances enumerated in the schedules in this article pursuant to the procedures of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.). In making a determination regarding a substance, the Board shall consider the following:
1. The actual or relative potential for abuse;
2. The scientific evidence of its pharmacological effect, if known;
3. The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the substance;
4. The history and current pattern of abuse;
5. The scope, duration, and significance of abuse;
6. The risk to the public health;
7. The potential of the substance to produce psychic or physical dependence; and
8. Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under this article.
B. After considering the factors enumerated in subsection A, the Board shall make findings and issue a regulation controlling the substance if it finds the substance has a potential for abuse.
C. If the Board designates a substance as an immediate precursor, substances which are precursors of the controlled precursor shall not be subject to control solely because they are precursors of the controlled precursor.
D. If any substance is designated, rescheduled, or descheduled as a controlled substance under federal law and notice of such action is given to the Board, the Board may similarly control the substance under this chapter after the expiration of 120 days from publication in the Federal Register of the final order designating a substance as a controlled substance or rescheduling or descheduling a substance without following the provisions specified in subsections A and B of this section.
E. Authority to control under this section does not extend to distilled spirits, wine, malt beverages, or tobacco as those terms are defined or used in Title 4.1.
F. The Board shall exempt any nonnarcotic substance from a schedule if such substance may, under the provisions of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.) or state law, be lawfully sold over the counter without a prescription.
(1972, c. 798, § 54-524.84:1; 1976, c. 614; 1988, c. 765; 1993, c. 866; 1996, c. 408.)
Sections: Previous 54.1-3437 54.1-3437.1 54.1-3438 54.1-3439 54.1-3440 54.1-3441 54.1-3442 54.1-3443 54.1-3444 54.1-3445 54.1-3446 54.1-3447 54.1-3448 54.1-3449 54.1-3450 NextLast modified: April 16, 2009