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New substances to be classified as narcotics

4.12.2025 | Published in English on 8.12.2025 at 13.26

The Government Decree on Substances, Preparations and Plants Considered as Narcotics (543/2008) will be amended by adding eight new substances. At the same time, the other decree issued based on the Narcotics Act, that is, the Government Decree on Psychoactive Substances Prohibited from the Consumer Market (1130/2014), will be amended by removing four substances that will now be classified as narcotics and by adding 27 new substances used as designer drugs identified in Europe. The amendments to the Decree on Narcotics (543/2008) and the Decree on Psychoactive Substances Prohibited from the Consumer Market (1130/2014) will take effect on 29 December 2025.

The following designer drugs or medicinal substances will be classified as narcotics:

hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)
carisoprodol
gidazepam
clobromazolam
MDPHP
protodesnitazene
cyclorphine and
zuranolone.

The properties of two new narcotics were assessed by a WHO expert group, and the decision to add them to the 1971 UN Convention was made by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). These substances are the semisynthetic cannabinoid hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and carisoprodol, which has previously been in medicinal use also in Finland. Carisoprodol is no longer on the market in Finland.

Under the Narcotics Act, it is also possible to assess the properties of new psychoactive substances and medicinal substances nationally, in which case the decision on the classification to a narcotic drug is made by the Government. At national level, the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea is responsible for assessing the properties of these substances together with the police, Customs and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Six substances are now scheduled as narcotics nationally and four of these substances are so-called new psychoactive substances with no licit uses, one is gidazepam which is also in medicinal use outside Finland, and one is a new active pharmaceutical ingredient, zuranolone. Zuranolone will be controlled as a narcotic substance and in medicinal use also as a so-called PKV medicine.

New substances will be added to control as psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market

At the national level new psychoactive substances can also be included to a decree for the psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market. In fact, some new psychoactive substances are initially controlled as substances prohibited from the consumer market, and later on, as information and abuse increase, they may be controlled as narcotics.

The Decree on Psychoactive Substances Prohibited from the Consumer Market is now amended by adding 27 new substances. At the same time, four of the previously mentioned substances are removed from the decree, and will now be classified as narcotics (HHC, clobromazolam, MDPHP and cyclorphine).

A majority of the new substances added to the decree have been reported for the first time in the early warning system and monitoring maintained by the European Drugs Agency (EUDA) in the current year 2025. Not all of the substances to be classified have been observed in Finland. These substances do not have known industrial or pharmaceutical uses.

The new psychoactive substances prohibited from the consumer market are listed in the table (pdf, in Finnish and Swedish).

Licences under the Narcotics Act are granted by Fimea

The objective of the Narcotics Act is to prevent the illegal import, export, manufacture, distribution and use of narcotics in Finland and to reduce the health risks caused by the abused substances.

When a substance is classified as a narcotic, its manufacture, import, export, transport, transit, distribution, trade, handling, possession and use are prohibited. These will only be permitted in specific cases and subject to a licence.

Licences and permits under the Narcotics Act and the decrees on drug precursors are granted by Fimea. The manufacture, import into Finland, storage, marketing and giving of substances prohibited from the consumer market are all prohibited.