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Methadone
Legal Status
by Erowid
U.S. FEDERAL LAW #
Caution :   All legal information should be verified through other sources. [see below]
U.S. FEDERAL LEGAL SUMMARY
Methadone
REGULATED
Yes
STATUS
Scheduled
SCHEDULE
Schedule II
CLASSIFICATION
Opiate
Methadone is Schedule II in the United States. This means it is illegal to sell without a DEA license and illegal to buy or possess without a license or prescription.

Methadone may be prescribed for pain in the U.S. as well as a treatment for drug addiction. Methadone used for detoxification can only be prescribed and administered by licensed clinics where patients are usually given methadone in liquid to be taken while watched by the dispensing nurse.

Starting January 2008, at the DEA's request, manufacturers of 40 mg methadone tablets will only sell to faclities registered to do drug detoxification and maintenance. See DEA Advisory.

On May 22, 2008, the DEA issued a Final Rule in the Federal Register increasing the number of patients a clinic can prescribe controlled substances (such as methadone or buprenorphine) to for the purposes of "maintenance or detoxification". Prior to this new rule, the maximum number of patients was 30 and has been raised to 100. Drug treatment practitioners must notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services in order to qualify under this rule. See Federal Register: May 22, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 100).

INTERNATIONAL LAW #
Canada #
Methadone is Schedule II in Canada. This means it is illegal to sell without a license and illegal to buy or possess without a license or prescription. Methadone prescriptions can only be obtained by from a licensed doctor in a "Methadone Clinic". The "Clinic" and very few other Pharmacies can dispense Methadone. You must drink your "Juice" in front of a pharmacist and talk to him/her after you drink to make sure you've swallowed it. It is very hard to get Methadone from "dealers" on the street as most people on Methadone need it to help with the withdrawal and are very reluctant to give it up. (unconfirmed) (thanks SP)
France #
Methadone is an Annexe I medication in France. This means it is illegal to sell without a license and illegal to buy or possess without a license or prescription. Prescription methadone is strictly controlled. (thanks Mat)
Germany #
Methadone is BTM Anlage 3 in Germany making it illegal to possess without a BTM prescription. (unconfirmed) (thanks PM)
Italy (Italia) #
Listed in Tabella I of "Tabelle delle sostanze stupefacenti e psicotrope", making it illegal to possess, purchase, or sell. (see Tabelle delle sostanze stupefacenti e psicotrope. (thanks a) (last updated Dec 16, 2015)
Portugal #
Effective July 2001, personal use of methadone 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)
United Kingdom #
Methadone is a Class A controlled substance in the UK, making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess. It may be legally prescribed for opiate dependency. An Erowid reader reports that methadone is readily available on the illicit market in London. (thanks KC)
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.