Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 961 - Uniform controlled substances act.
961.11 - Authority to control.

961.11 Authority to control.
(1) The controlled substances board shall administer this subchapter and may add substances to or delete or reschedule all substances listed in the schedules in ss. 961.14, 961.16, 961.18, 961.20 and 961.22 pursuant to the rule-making procedures of ch. 227.
(1m) In making a determination regarding a substance, the board shall consider the following:
(a) The actual or relative potential for abuse;
(b) The scientific evidence of its pharmacological effect, if known;
(c) The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the substance;
(d) The history and current pattern of abuse;
(e) The scope, duration and significance of abuse;
(f) The risk to the public health;
(g) The potential of the substance to produce psychological or physical dependence liability; and
(h) Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under this chapter.
(1r) The controlled substances board may consider findings of the federal food and drug administration or the drug enforcement administration as prima facie evidence relating to one or more of the determinative factors.
(2) After considering the factors enumerated in sub. (1m), the controlled substances board shall make findings with respect to them and promulgate a rule controlling the substance upon finding that the substance has a potential for abuse.
(3) The controlled substances board, without regard to the findings required by sub. (2) or ss. 961.13, 961.15, 961.17, 961.19 and 961.21 or the procedures prescribed by subs. (1), (1m), (1r) and (2), may add an immediate precursor to the same schedule in which the controlled substance of which it is an immediate precursor is included or to any other schedule. If the board designates a substance as an immediate precursor, substances which are precursors of the controlled precursor shall not be subject to control solely because they are precursors of the controlled precursor.
(4) If a substance is designated, rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law and notice thereof is given to the controlled substances board, the board by affirmative action shall similarly treat the substance under this chapter after the expiration of 30 days from the date of publication in the federal register of a final order designating the substance as a controlled substance or rescheduling or deleting the substance or from the date of issuance of an order of temporary scheduling under 21 USC 811 (h), unless within that 30-day period, the board or an interested party objects to the treatment of the substance. If no objection is made, the board shall promulgate, without making the determinations or findings required by subs. (1), (1m), (1r) and (2) or s. 961.13, 961.15, 961.17, 961.19 or 961.21, a final rule, for which notice of proposed rule making is omitted, designating, rescheduling, temporarily scheduling or deleting the substance. If an objection is made the board shall publish notice of receipt of the objection and the reasons for objection and afford all interested parties an opportunity to be heard. At the conclusion of the hearing, the board shall make a determination with respect to the treatment of the substance as provided in subs. (1), (1m), (1r) and (2) and shall publish its decision, which shall be final unless altered by statute. Upon publication of an objection to the treatment by the board, action by the board under this chapter is stayed until the board promulgates a rule under sub. (2).
(4g) Notwithstanding sub. (4), if cannabidiol or nabiximols is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, the controlled substances board shall similarly treat cannabidiol or nabiximols under this chapter as soon as practically possible but no later than 30 days from the date of publication in the federal register of a final order rescheduling or deleting cannabidiol or nabiximols or from the date of issuance of an order of temporary scheduling under 21 USC 811 (h). The board shall promulgate, without making the determinations or findings required by subs. (1), (1m), (1r), and (2) or s. 961.13, 961.15, 961.17, 961.19, or 961.21, a final rule, for which notice of proposed rule making is omitted, rescheduling or deleting cannabidiol or nabiximols.
(4m) The controlled substances board, by rule and without regard to the requirements of sub. (1m), may schedule a controlled substance analog as a substance in schedule I regardless of whether the substance is substantially similar to a controlled substance in schedule I or II, if the board finds that scheduling of the substance on an emergency basis is necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety and the substance is not included in any other schedule or no exemption or approval is in effect for the substance under 21 USC 355. Upon receipt of notice under s. 961.25, the board shall initiate scheduling of the controlled substance analog on an emergency basis under this subsection. The scheduling of a controlled substance analog under this subsection expires one year after the adoption of the scheduling rule. With respect to the finding of an imminent hazard to the public safety, the board shall consider whether the substance has been scheduled on a temporary basis under federal law or factors under sub. (1m) (d), (e) and (f), and may also consider clandestine importation, manufacture or distribution, and, if available, information concerning the other factors under sub. (1m). The board may not promulgate a rule under this subsection until it initiates a rule-making proceeding under subs. (1), (1m), (1r) and (2) with respect to the controlled substance analog. A rule promulgated under this subsection lapses upon the conclusion of the rule-making proceeding initiated under subs. (1), (1m), (1r) and (2) with respect to the substance.
(5) The authority of the controlled substances board to control under this section does not extend to intoxicating liquors, as defined in s. 139.01 (3), to fermented malt beverages as defined in s. 125.02, or to tobacco.
(6)
(a) The controlled substances board shall not have authority to control a nonnarcotic substance if the substance may, under the federal food, drug and cosmetic act and the laws of this state, be lawfully sold over the counter without a prescription. This paragraph does not apply to the promulgation of rules by the controlled substances board under s. 961.01 (20c).
(b) If the board finds that any nonnarcotic substance barred from control under this chapter by par. (a) is dangerous to or is being so used as to endanger the public health and welfare, it may request the department of justice in the name of the state to seek a temporary restraining order or temporary injunction under ch. 813 to either ban or regulate the sale and possession of the substance. The order or injunction shall continue until the adjournment of the legislature convened next following its issuance. In making its findings as to nonnarcotic substances under this paragraph, the board shall consider the items specified in sub. (1m).
History: 1971 c. 219, 307; Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 774 (1975); 1981 c. 79 s. 18; 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (13); 1995 a. 448 ss. 145 to 152, 469, 470; Stats. 1995 s. 961.11; 2005 a. 14; 2017 a. 4; 2019 a. 68.

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