WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence: forty-eighth report

Overview

The forty-eighth meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) was convened from 20 to 22 October 2025 and was coordinated from WHO headquarters in Geneva. The forty-eighth WHO ECDD critically reviewed four substances, comprising one plant-based substance (coca leaf), one synthetic cannabinoid (MDMB-FUBINACA), and two novel synthetic opioids (N-pyrrolidino isotonitazene and N-desethyl etonitazene). A critical review to consider international scheduling measures was undertaken for each substance so that the Expert Committee could consider whether information about these substances may justify the scheduling or a change in scheduling of a substance under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This report summarizes the findings of the forty-eighth meeting of the WHO ECDD.