Class a (MDA 1971)
Definition
The highest-penalty class under the UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Includes heroin, cocaine, MDMA, LSD, fentanyl and magic mushrooms. Maximum: life imprisonment for supply.
- Statute
- UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
- Examples
- Heroin, cocaine, MDMA, LSD, fentanyl, magic mushrooms
- Maximum penalty (supply)
- Life imprisonment
- Rank
- Highest of the three MDA classes (A, B, C)
Common questions
Why are magic mushrooms Class A alongside heroin and cocaine?+
Under UK law, fresh magic mushrooms are treated as containing a controlled substance (psilocin) in a form that falls under Class A regardless of the plant's naturally low overall harm profile compared to other drugs in the same class.
Does Class A classification affect possession penalties the same way as supply?+
No, simple possession of a Class A drug carries a lower maximum penalty than supply or production, since UK sentencing distinguishes an individual user from someone dealing or manufacturing the substance.
How does Class A under the MDA relate to CITES or NDPS classifications elsewhere?+
It does not relate directly; the MDA classes (A, B, C) are a UK domestic drug-control ranking by harm, separate from India's NDPS schedules or the US CSA schedules, so a substance's class or schedule differs by jurisdiction even for the same drug.
Related terms
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- Federal Analogue Act (US)
- 1986 legislation extending Schedule I controls to substances substantially similar in structure or pharmacological effect to a Schedule I or II drug...
- Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (UK)
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- Reitox Network
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- Schedule I (CSA)
- The highest-control tier under the US Controlled Substances Act: high abuse potential, no accepted medical use in the US. Examples: heroin, cannabis,...
- Schedule II (CSA)
- High abuse potential but with accepted medical use under severe restrictions. Examples: cocaine (topical anaesthetic), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), fentanyl, oxycodone.
- Small Quantity (NDPS)
- The lower quantity threshold under India's NDPS Act 1985; possession below this level triggers reduced sentencing exposure. Example: 5 g for heroin,...
- SWGDRUG
- Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs, established in 1997 by the US DEA and the Office of National Drug...