GBL - The Law

The Law

On February 18, 2000, GHB became a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. Schedule I drugs are among the most dangerous drugs known. At the same time, GBL became a List I chemical. This GBL/GHB legislation was called the Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 2000. It was named for two young women who were fatally poisoned with GHB. (For more information on the Farias and Reid cases, see the entry on GHB in this encyclopedia.) Giving GBL or GHB to others with or without their knowledge or consent may result in criminal charges of sexual assault, rape, manslaughter, or poisoning. These crimes are punishable by fines and imprisonment.

Being a "List I" chemical, GBL cannot be sold to any individual in huge quantities. The substance is subject to certain additional restrictions, some of which are extremely hard to enforce. For instance, GBL cannot be sold to anyone intending to use it as a drug. It is available for purchase only as a cleaning product. GBL has not been banned by the U.S. government because it has many legitimate industrial uses. As of 2005, it was still available for sale on the Internet.