Health Law Daily Wrap Up, CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES—FINAL RULES: DEA finalizes schedule I placement for synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4en-PINACA, (Apr 28, 2026)

By WK Editorial Staff

The DEA issued a final rule permanently placing the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4en-PINACA and its salts and isomers in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, subjecting it to the strictest federal controls.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a final rule permanently placing the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4en-PINACA, including its salts and isomers, in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The action is intended, in part, to bring the United States into compliance with its obligations under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. As a Schedule I substance, MDMB-4en-PINACA is subject to the most restrictive regulatory controls and to administrative, civil, and criminal penalties. These controls apply to the manufacture, distribution, import, export, research, analysis, and possession of the substance. The rule takes effect April 27, 2026 (Final Rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 21958 (Apr. 24, 2026)).

Dates. Effective April 27, 2026.

FederalRegisterIssuances: FinalRules ControlledNews DrugBiologicNews