Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
Legal Status
U.S. FEDERAL LAW #
Caution : All legal information should be verified through other sources. [see below]
U.S. FEDERAL LEGAL SUMMARY | |
Methylphenidate | |
REGULATED | Yes |
STATUS | Scheduled |
SCHEDULE | Schedule II |
CLASSIFICATION | Stimulant |
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) 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.
INTERNATIONAL LAW #
Australia #
Controlled, requires prescription or license. Prescriptions recorded by central government. Illegal to buy or possess Methylphenidate without prescription. Illegal to sell or give without a license.
Canada #
Methylphenidate is Schedule II in Canada (see List of Schedule II substances). (Note: Canadian schedules are very different than U.S. schedules)
Germany #
Methylphenidate is BTMG Anlage 3 in Germany making it illegal to possess without a BTM prescription. It is sold as Ritalin, Concerta, and Equasym and widely used for children suffering from ADD. (thanks AliceD, PM)
Norway #
Methylphenidate is Schedule II in Norway, making it illegal to buy or possess without a prescription and illegal to distribute without a license. Commonly prescribed for ADHD-treatment. The penalty for possessing methylphenidate illegally varies from case to case, but first time offenders are unlikely to receive jail time. See "Narkotikalisten" (English; "The Drug List"), by the Norwegian
government: http://www.lovdata.no/cgi-wift/ldles?doc=/sf/sf/sf-19780630-0008.html#map001. (thanks VA)
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.