Heroin
Legal Status
U.S. FEDERAL LAW #
Caution : All legal information should be verified through other sources. [see below]
U.S. FEDERAL LEGAL SUMMARY | |
Heroin | |
REGULATED | Yes |
STATUS | Scheduled |
SCHEDULE | Schedule I |
CLASSIFICATION | Opium Derivative |
Heroin is Schedule I in the United States. This means it is illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, or distribute (sell, trade or give) without a DEA license.
INTERNATIONAL LAW #
Australia #
Heroin is controlled in Australa, but we have found conflicting information about its exact legal status. Heroin was listed in Schedule I of the Narcotic Drugs Act of 1967, but we are unclear whether the control system has changed since then.
Brazil #
Heroin is listed as a controlled substance, making production, distribution, or possession illegal. (thanks P)
Canada #
Heroin is Schedule I in Canada.
Germany (Deutschland) #
in May 2009, Germany made it legal to prescribe heroin to addicts who are over 23 years old, been addicted for at least 5 years, and have tried 2 other therapies to get off heroin. See HanfJournal.de. (thanks t) (last updated may 31, 2009)
New Zealand #
Heroin is Class A in New Zealand. (thanks MM)
Norway #
Heroin is Schedule I in Norway and illegal to buy or possess without a special license. There have been some projects to establish "needle rooms" in Norway by the government where heroin addicts are allowed to get fresh needles for injecting heroin, but the chemical is still Schedule I. See Norway Law. (thanks Y)
Portugal #
Effective July 2001, personal use of heroin was decriminalized by Law 30/2000 (see text of law). Possession of less than 1 g is not regarded as a criminal offense, though the substance is liable to be seized and the possessor can be referred to mandatory treatment. Sale, or possession of quantities greater than the personal possession limit, are criminal offenses punishable by jail time. (thanks P)
Switzerland
Heroin is legally available for addicts under an ongoing
experiment. (see Switzerland's Liberal Drug Policy Seems To Work, Study Says)
U.K. #
Heroin is Schedule II/Class A in the U.K. It is illegal to buy, sell or possess without a license.
If you have information about the legal status of this substance in any other country, please let us know.
CAUTION & DISCLAIMER #
Erowid legal information is a summary of data gathered from site visitors, government documents, websites, and other resources. We are not lawyers and can not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided here. We do our best to keep this information correct and up-to-date, but laws are complex and constantly changing. Laws may also vary from one jurisdiction to another (county, state, country, etc)...this list is not comprehensive.