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<section article="gcr" article_name="Criminal Law" number="5-202" title_number="5" title_name="Controlled Dangerous Substances, Prescriptions, and Other Substances" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Powers and Responsibilities of Department">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Department shall control all substances listed in Subtitle 4 of this title.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, the Department may add a substance as a controlled dangerous substance on its own initiative or on the petition of an interested party.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>To determine whether to add a substance as a controlled dangerous substance, the Department shall consider:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the actual or relative potential for abuse of the substance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>if known, scientific evidence of the pharmacological effect of the substance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the state of current scientific knowledge regarding the substance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the history and current pattern of abuse of the substance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>the scope, duration, and significance of abuse of the substance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>any risk that the substance poses to the public health;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>the ability of the substance to cause psychological or physiological dependence; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a controlled dangerous substance.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>After considering the factors listed in subsection (c) of this section, the Department shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>make findings with respect to those factors; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>issue an order to control the substance if the Department finds that the substance has a potential for abuse.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>If the Department designates a substance as an immediate precursor of a controlled dangerous substance, a substance that is a precursor of the immediate precursor is not subject to control solely because it is a precursor of the immediate precursor.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A new substance that is designated as a controlled substance under federal law is a similarly controlled dangerous substance under this title unless the Department objects to the inclusion.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the Department objects, it shall publish the reasons for the objection and give each interested party an opportunity to be heard.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>After the hearing, the Department shall publish its decision, which is final.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>An action for judicial review of a final decision made in accordance with this section does not stay the effect of the decision.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>The Department annually shall update and republish a schedule.</text>
  </level>
</section>
