Campus researchers who are using the drug Xylazine in their research protocols should be aware that xylazine is increasingly being used as illicitly, and recent communication from Boulder County Public Health indicates that it is present in the local illicit drug supply.
In order to prevent improper use of xylazine, the IACUC and Controlled Substances program at CU Boulder is recommending that Xylazine be stored and its use documented as if it was a controlled substance. This means storing Xylazine in your locked controlled substances storage and tracking its use as you do for your current controlled substances.
Note that this is a recommendation and not a requirement. It is highly likely that the DEA will classify xylazine as a controlled substance in the near future, but until that happens, the IACUC will not be enforcing controlled substances rules for Xylazine.
Please read 4 things everyone should know about xylazine (tranq) from the campus's Health & Wellness Services office for more information.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your plan for managing your xylazine stocks, please reach out to Tom Heddleston, head of CU Boulder’s controlled substances use for research program (thomas.heddleston@colorado.edu).