North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S444 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 444
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS35183-NI-90B
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Controlled Substances Act - Updates. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senator Hanig (Primary Sponsor).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 25, 2025~~
11		-	~~S444 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS35183 -NI-90B
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO UPDATE THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT. 2
14	15		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
15	16		SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 90-89(1) reads as rewritten: 4
16	17		"(1) Opiates. – Any of the following opiates or opioids, including the isomers, 5
17	18		esters, ethers, salts and salts of isomers, esters, and ethers, unless specifically 6
18	19		excepted, or listed in another schedule, whenever the existence of such 7
19	20		isomers, esters, ethers, and salts is possible within the specific chemical 8
20	21		designation: 9
21	22		… 10
22	23		sss. AP-237. 11
23	24		ttt. 2-methyl AP-237. 12
24	25		uuu. (ortho, meta, or para)-methyl AP-237. 13
25	26		vvv. AP-238. 14
26	27		www. (ortho, meta, or para)-hydroxy 2-methyl AP-237. 15
27	28		xxx. 2-Naphthyl U-47700. 16
28	29		yyy. 1-Naphthyl U-47700. 17
29	30		zzz. 4-(Trifluoromethyl) U-47700. 18
30	31		aaaa. Methoxy U-47700. 19
31	32		bbbb. Furanyl UF-17. 20
32	33		cccc. Cyclopropyl U-47700. 21
33	34		dddd. Phenyl U-47700. 22
34	35		eeee. Ethyl U-47700. 23
35	36		ffff. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro-N,N-didesmethyl U-47700. 24
36	37		gggg. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro U-49900. 25
37	38		hhhh. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro-N-desmethyl U-47700. 26
38	39		iiii. 4-fluoro U-47931E. 27
39	40		jjjj. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro U-51754. 28
40	41		kkkk. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro Isopropyl U-47700. 29
41	42		llll. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro Propyl U-47700. 30
42	43		mmmm. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro U-50488. 31
43	44		nnnn. (2,3- or 3,4)-difluoro U-48800. 32
44	45		oooo. (2,3- or 3,4 or 2,4)-difluoro U-47700. 33
45	46		pppp. UF-17. 34
46	47		qqqq. U-47109. 35
47		-	rrrr. U-48520. 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
48		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 444-First Edition
	48	+	rrrr. U-48520. 36
	49	+	FILED SENATE
	50	+	Mar 24, 2025
	51	+	S.B. 444
	52	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	53	+	Page 2 DRS35183-NI-90B
49	54		ssss. N,N-didesmethyl U-47700. 1
50	55		tttt. U-62066. 2
51	56		uuuu. Propyl U-47700. 3
52	57		vvvv. (2,3- or 3,4)-Ethylenedioxy U-51754. 4
53	58		wwww. 4-phenyl U-51754. 5
54	59		xxxx. N-desmethyl U-47700. 6
55	60		yyyy. (2,3- or 3,4)-Ethylenedioxy U-47700. 7
56	61		zzzz. N-methyl U-47931E. 8
57	62		aaaaa. (2,3- or 3,4)-Methylenedioxy U-47700. 9
58	63		bbbbb. U-69593. 10
59	64		ccccc. U-50488. 11
60	65		ddddd. U-48753E. 12
61	66		eeeee. U-47931E." 13
62	67		SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 90-89(1a) reads as rewritten: 14
63	68		"(1a) Fentanyl derivatives. – Unless specifically excepted, listed in another 15
64	69		schedule, or contained within a pharmaceutical product approved by the 16
65	70		United States Food and Drug Administration, any compound structurally 17
66	71		derived from N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide 18
67	72		(Fentanyl) by any substitution on or replacement of the phenethyl group, any 19
68	73		substitution on the piperidine ring, any substitution on or replacement of the 20
69	74		propanamide group, any substitution on the anilido phenyl group, or any 21
70	75		combination of the above unless specifically excepted or listed in another 22
71	76		schedule to include their salts, isomers, and salts of isomers. Fentanyl 23
72	77		derivatives include, but are not limited to, the following: 24
73	78		… 25
74	79		f.26
75	80		N-(2-fluorophenyl)-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-propana27
76	81		mide (also known as 2-fluorofentanyl).(also known as 28
77	82		ortho-fluorofentanyl). 29
78	83		g.30
79	84		N-(3-fluorophenyl)-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-propana31
80	85		mide (also known as 3-fluorofentanyl).(also known as 32
81	86		meta-fluorofentanyl). 33
82	87		… 34
83	88		i.35
84	89		N-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl]36
85	90		-propanamide (also known as 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, 37
86	91		4-FIBF).(also known as 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl). 38
87	92		j. N-(4-fluorophenyl)-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-butanamide 39
88	93		(also known as 4-fluorobutyryl fentanyl, 4-FBF).(also known as 40
89	94		para-fluorobutyryl fentanyl)." 41
90	95		SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 90-89 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 42
91	96		"(1b) Nitazene derivatives. – The N-substituted benzimidazole structural class, 43
92	97		including any of the following derivatives, their salts, isomers, or salts of 44
93	98		isomers unless specifically utilized as part of the manufacturing process by a 45
94	99		commercial industry of a substance or material not intended for human 46
95	100		ingestion or consumption, as a prescription administered under medical 47
96	101		supervision, or for research at a recognized institution, whenever the existence 48
97	102		of these salts, isomers, or salts of isomers is possible within the specific 49
98	103		chemical designation or unless specifically excepted or listed in this or another 50
99	104		schedule, structurally derived from benzimidazole by substitution at the 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
100		-	~~Senate Bill 444-First Edition~~ Page 3
	105	+	DRS35183-NI-90B Page 3
101	106		1-position nitrogen with an ethylamine group, and by substitution at the 1
102	107		2-position carbon with a benzyl group, whether or not the compound is further 2
103	108		modified in any of the following ways: 3
104	109		a. By monoalkyl or dialkyl substitution on the 1'-nitrogen of the 4
105	110		1-position ethylamine group, or by inclusion of the nitrogen in a cyclic 5
106	111		structure. 6
107	112		b. By substitution on the 2'-methylene carbon of the benzyl group by 7
108	113		alkyl or carboxamide groups. 8
109	114		c. By replacement of the 2'-methylene carbon group with an ethylbenzyl, 9
110	115		thiophenol, or methoxybenzene group, which may be further 10
111	116		substituted with alkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxy, acetoxy, halide, or sulfide 11
112	117		groups. 12
113	118		d. By substitution at the 2'-position, 3'-position, or 4'-position of the 13
114	119		benzyl group, or both, with alkyl, hydroxyl, alkoxy, acetoxy, halide, 14
115	120		or sulfide groups. 15
116	121		e. By replacement of a phenyl hydrogen atom at either the 5-position or 16
117	122		6-position of the benzimidazole core with a nitro, or primary amine 17
118	123		group." 18
119	124		SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 90-89(3)mm. reads as rewritten: 19
120	125		"mm. 5-methoxy-N-methyl-N-propyltryptamine 20
121	126		(5-MeO-MiPT).5-methoxy-N-methyl-N-isopropyltryptamine 21
122	127		(5-MeO-MiPT)." 22
123	128		SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 90-89(4) is amended by adding a new sub-subdivision to read: 23
124	129		"j. Bromazolam." 24
125	130		SECTION 1.(f) G.S. 90-89(5)j. reads as rewritten: 25
126	131		"j. Substituted cathinones. A compound, other than bupropion, that is 26
127	132		structurally derived from 2-amino-1-phenyl-1-propanone by 27
128	133		modification in any of the following ways: (i) by substitution in the 28
129	134		phenyl ring to any extent with alkyl, alkoxy, alkylenedioxy, haloalkyl, 29
130	135		or halide substituents, whether or not further substituted in the phenyl 30
131	136		ring by one or more other univalent substituents; (ii) by substitution at 31
132	137		the 3-position to any extent; or (iii) by substitution at the nitrogen atom 32
133	138		with alkyl, dialkyl, benzyl, cycloalkyl, or methoxybenzyl groups or by 33
134	139		inclusion of the nitrogen atom in a cyclic structure. For the purpose of 34
135	140		this paragraph, the term "isomer" includes the optical, positional, or 35
136	141		geometric isomer." 36
137	142		SECTION 1.(g) G.S. 90-89(7) reads as rewritten: 37
138	143		"(7) Synthetic cannabinoids. – Any quantity of any synthetic chemical compound 38
139	144		that (i) is a cannabinoid receptor agonist and mimics the pharmacological 39
140	145		effect of naturally occurring substances or (ii) has a stimulant, depressant, or 40
141	146		hallucinogenic effect on the central nervous system that is not listed as a 41
142	147		controlled substance in Schedules I through V, and is not an FDA-approved 42
143	148		drug. Synthetic cannabinoids include, but are not limited to, the substances 43
144	149		listed in sub-subdivisions a. through p. v. of this subdivision and any substance 44
145	150		that contains any quantity of their salts, isomers (whether optical, positional, 45
146	151		or geometric), homologues, and salts of isomers and homologues, unless 46
147	152		specifically excepted, whenever the existence of these salts, isomers, 47
148	153		homologues, and salts of isomers and homologues is possible within the 48
149	154		specific chemical designation. The following substances are examples of 49
150	155		synthetic cannabinoids and are not intended to be inclusive of the substances 50
151	156		included in this Schedule: 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
152		-	Page 4 ~~Senate Bill 444-First Edition~~
	157	+	Page 4 DRS35183-NI-90B
153	158		… 1
154	159		l. Indole carboxamides. Any compound structurally derived from 2
155	160		1H-indole-3-carboxamide or 1H-indole-2-carboxamide substituted in 3
156	161		one or both of the following ways: 4
157	162		1. At the nitrogen atom of the indole ring by an alkyl, haloalkyl, 5
158	163		cyanoalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkylmethyl, cycloalkylethyl, 6
159	164		1-(N-methyl-2-piperidinyl)methyl, 2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl, 7
160	165		1-(N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl, 8
161	166		1-(N-methyl-3-morpholinyl)methyl, tetrahydropyranylmethyl, 9
162	167		benzyl, or halo benzyl group; andor 10
163	168		2. At the nitrogen of the carboxamide by a phenyl, benzyl, 11
164	169		naphthyl, adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde 12
165	170		group;group, or methyl 3,3-dimethyl-butanoate group; 13
166	171		whether or not the compound is further modified to any extent 14
167	172		in the following ways: (i) substitution to the indole ring to any 15
168	173		extent, (ii) substitution to the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 16
169	174		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group to any 17
170	175		extent, (iii) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the indole ring, or 18
171	176		(iv) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the phenyl, benzyl, 19
172	177		naphthyl, adamantyl, or cyclopropyl ring. Substances in this 20
173	178		class include, but are not limited to: SDB-001 and 21
174	179		STS-135.STS-135 and MDMB-ICA. 22
175	180		… 23
176	181		n. Indazole carboxaldehydes. Any compound structurally derived from 24
177	182		1H-indazole-3-carboxaldehyde or 1H-indazole-2-carboxaldehyde 25
178	183		substituted in both of the following ways: 26
179	184		… 27
180	185		2. At the carbon of the carboxaldehyde by a phenyl, benzyl, 28
181	186		naphthyl, adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group; 29
182	187		whether or not the compound is further modified to any extent 30
183	188		in the following ways: (i) substitution to the indazole ring to 31
184	189		any extent, (ii) substitution to the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 32
185	190		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group to any 33
186	191		extent, (iii) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the indazole ring, 34
187	192		or (iv) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the phenyl, benzyl, 35
188	193		naphthyl, adamantyl, or cyclopropyl ring. 36
189	194		o. Indazole carboxamides. Any compound structurally derived from 37
190	195		1H-indazole-3-carboxamide or 1H -indazole-2-carboxamide 38
191	196		substituted in one or both of the following ways: 39
192	197		1. At the nitrogen atom of the indazole ring by an alkyl, haloalkyl, 40
193	198		cyanoalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkylmethyl, cycloalkylethyl, 41
194	199		1-(N-methyl-2-piperidinyl)methyl, 2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl, 42
195	200		1-(N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl, 43
196	201		1-(N-methyl-3-morpholinyl)methyl, tetrahydropyranylmethyl, 44
197	202		benzyl, or halo benzyl group; andor 45
198	203		2. At the nitrogen of the carboxamide by a phenyl, benzyl, 46
199	204		naphthyl, adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde 47
200	205		group;group, or methyl 3,3-dimethyl-butanoate group; 48
201	206		whether or not the compound is further modified to any extent 49
202	207		in the following ways: (i) substitution to the indazole ring to 50
203	208		any extent, (ii) substitution to the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
204		-	~~Senate Bill 444-First Edition~~ Page 5
	209	+	DRS35183-NI-90B Page 5
205	210		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group to any 1
206	211		extent, (iii) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the indazole ring, 2
207	212		or (iv) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the phenyl, benzyl, 3
208	213		naphthyl, adamantyl, or cyclopropyl ring. Substances in this 4
209	214		class include, but are not limited to: AKB-48, fluoro-AKB-48, 5
210	215		APINCACA, AB-PINACA, AB -FUBINACA, 6
211	216		ADB-FUBINACA, and ADB-PINACA.ADB-PINACA, 7
212	217		ADB-INACA, MDMB-INACA, MDMB-5Me-INACA, and 8
213	218		MDMB-5Br-INACA. 9
214	219		… 10
215	220		s. Oxindoles. Any compound structurally derived from 11
216	221		3-hydrazonoindolin-2-one substituted in one or both of the following 12
217	222		ways: 13
218	223		1. At the nitrogen atom of the oxoindole ring by an alkyl, 14
219	224		haloalkyl, cyanoalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkylmethyl, 15
220	225		cycloalkylethyl; or 16
221	226		2. At the nitrogen of the hydrazide by a phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 17
222	227		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group; whether or 18
223	228		not the compound is further modified to any extent in the 19
224	229		following ways: (i) substitution to the oxoindole ring to any 20
225	230		extent or (ii) substitution to the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 21
226	231		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group to any 22
227	232		extent. Substances in this class include, but are not limited to: 23
228	233		BZO-POXIZID, BZO-HEXOXIZIDE, 5F-BZO-POXIZIDE. 24
229	234		t. Indole acetamides. Any compound structurally derived from 25
230	235		1H-indole-3-acetamide or 1H-indole-2-acetamide substituted in one or 26
231	236		both of the following ways: 27
232	237		1. At the nitrogen atom of the indole ring by an alkyl, haloalkyl, 28
233	238		cyanoalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkylmethyl, cycloalkylethyl, 29
234	239		1-(N-methyl-2-piperidinyl)methyl, 2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl, 30
235	240		1-(N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl, 31
236	241		1-(N-methyl-3-morpholinyl)methyl, tetrahydropyranylmethyl, 32
237	242		benzyl, or halo benzyl group; or 33
238	243		2. At the nitrogen of the acetamide by a phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 34
239	244		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group; whether or 35
240	245		not the compound is further modified to any extent in the 36
241	246		following ways: (i) substitution to the indole ring to any extent, 37
242	247		(ii) substitution to the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, adamantyl, 38
243	248		cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group to any extent, (iii) a 39
244	249		nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the indole ring, or (iv) a 40
245	250		nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 41
246	251		adamantyl, or cyclopropyl ring. Substances in this class 42
247	252		include, but are not limited to: AFUBIATA, CH-PIATA, 43
248	253		AB-CHMIATA, ADB-FUBIATA. 44
249	254		u. Indazole acetaldehydes. Any compound structurally derived from 45
250	255		1H-indazol-3-ylacetaldehyde or 1H-indazol-2-ylacetaldehyde 46
251	256		substituted in one or both of the following ways: 47
252	257		1. At the nitrogen atom of the indazole ring by an alkyl, haloalkyl, 48
253	258		cyanoalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkylmethyl, cycloalkylethyl, 49
254	259		1-(N-methyl-2-piperidinyl)methyl, 2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl, 50
255	260		1-(N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)methyl, 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
256		-	Page 6 ~~Senate Bill 444-First Edition~~
	261	+	Page 6 DRS35183-NI-90B
257	262		1-(N-methyl-3-morpholinyl)methyl, tetrahydropyranylmethyl, 1
258	263		benzyl, or halo benzyl group; or 2
259	264		2. At the nitrogen of the carboxamide by a phenyl, benzyl, 3
260	265		naphthyl, adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group; 4
261	266		whether or not the compound is further modified to any extent 5
262	267		in the following ways: (i) substitution to the indazole ring to 6
263	268		any extent, (ii) substitution to the phenyl, benzyl, naphthyl, 7
264	269		adamantyl, cyclopropyl, or propionaldehyde group to any 8
265	270		extent, (iii) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the indazole ring, 9
266	271		or (iv) a nitrogen heterocyclic analog of the phenyl, benzyl, 10
267	272		naphthyl, adamantyl, or cyclopropyl ring. Substances in this 11
268	273		class include, but are not limited to: ADB-BUTINAATA, 12
269	274		ADB-FUBINAATA. 13
270	275		v. Pyrazoles. Any compound structurally derived from 1H-pyrazole 14
271	276		substituted in all of the following ways: 15
272	277		1. At the 1 position of the pyrazole ring by an alkyl, haloalkyl, or 16
273	278		alkenyl group. 17
274	279		2. At the 3 position of the pyrazole ring by a halo benzyl or 18
275	280		propionaldehyde group. 19
276	281		3. At the 5 position of the pyrazole ring by a halo benzyl or 20
277	282		propionaldehyde group; whether or not the compound is 21
278	283		further modified by a substitution to the propionaldehyde 22
279	284		group to any extent. Substances in this class include, but are 23
280	285		not limited to: 3,5 -ADB-4en-PFUPPYCA, 24
281	286		5-fluoro-3,5-AB-PFUPPYCA." 25
282	287		SECTION 1.(h) G.S. 90-90(2)h1. reads as rewritten: 26
283	288		"h1. Fentanyl immediate precursor chemical, 27
284	289		4-anilino-N-phenethyl-4-piperidine 28
285	290		(ANPP).4-anilino-N-phenethylpiperdine (ANPP)." 29
286	291		SECTION 1.(i) G.S. 90-91(k)11. reads as rewritten: 30
287	292		"11. Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone,Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone," 31
288	293		SECTION 1.(j) G.S. 90-91(k)16. reads as rewritten: 32
289	294		"16. Mesterolene,Mesterolone," 33
290	295		SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 34