Bipartisan legislation seeks to classify illicit xylazine use under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act

A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently introduced the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which seeks to classify the drug under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.

U.S. Reps. August Pfluger (R-TX), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Ken Buck (R-CO), and Chris Pappas (D-NH) recently joined U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in detailing the measure.

“The drug crisis in our country is becoming more tragic by the day, with drug traffickers turning to veterinary tranquilizers to make drugs more addictive—and more deadly,” Pfluger said. “I am proud to work with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to crack down on illicit uses of Xylazine while protecting its critical purpose in agriculture and veterinary medicine.”

Per officials, Xylazine, also known as tranq, is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer used as a low-cost cutting agent, with lawmakers citing a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) report determining it contained 23 percent of fentanyl powder in 2022, causing depressed breathing and heart rate; unconsciousness; necrosis and death.

Bill proponents indicated it would enabling the DEA to track its manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market; require a report on prevalence, risks and recommendations to best regulate illicit use of xylazine; ensure all salts and isomers of xylazine are covered when restricting its illicit use; declare xylazine an emerging drug threat.

“The recent rise in the illicit use of the combination of xylazine and fentanyl threatens the health and safety of every community,” Panetta said. “This toxic brew of drugs makes fentanyl, which has taken thousands of lives in California and around the country each year, not just cheaper but deadlier and more addictive. Although xylazine has legitimate uses in agriculture, we need to prevent it from being misused on the streets.”