What Is GBL and How Is It Used?
GBL is gamma-butyrolactone, an important industrial chemical. It is also a List I chemical used in the illicit production of gamma- hydroxybutric acid (GHB), a Schedule I controlled substance (21 U.S.C. 812(c)). GBL is produced domestically in tens of thousands of tons per year. The legitimate manufacturers of GBL consume most of it for conversion into other industrial chemicals. The remaining amount is used in other industries with application to agriculture, electronics, textiles, coatings, and various other areas. Pure GBL has no household uses and is not available for sale at the retail level. However, it may be a component in some products sold at the retail level such as paint strippers. How and Why Is GBL Regulated by DEA? GBL has been identified as the principal precursor used in the clandestine manufacture of the Schedule I controlled substance GHB. Public Law 106-172, the “Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Drug Prohibition Act of 1999,” amended 21 U.S.C. 802(34)
