Is 4-HO-MET legal in Germany?

Also known as: metocin

Legal status

4-HO-MET is prohibited in Germany as a member of the indole-3-alkylamine group, placed at Anlage 1 Nr. 5.1 of the Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz and not under any named narcotics entry. The group placement delivers a prohibition, and a penalty only where the conduct also appears on the offence list. The amine limb reads „R1 und R2: Wasserstoff, Alkyl- (bis C6)“ and notes that the indole ring system may carry a „Hydroxy-“ group at position four. The methyl and ethyl substituents on the nitrogen fall inside the printed alkyl allowance, and the hydroxy group at position four is expressly listed for the ring, so both halves of the molecule are accounted for by separate printed limbs. Entry into the Act is through § 2 Nr. 1 Buchst. a, the Anlage 1 group route, which is distinct from the Anlage 2 lines under Buchst. b and from anything in BtMG Anlage I, II or III.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. There is no death penalty in Germany and no limb of this statute approaches one. The distinction that governs this row is between what is forbidden and what is punished. NpSG § 3 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 forbids a list of handlings that includes acquisition and possession; NpSG § 4 Abs. 1 punishes a shorter list, trading, placing on the market and administering to another, together with manufacture or import for the purpose of placing on the market. The group placement therefore delivers a prohibition, and a penalty only where the conduct also appears on the offence list. The dossier records the ceiling as § 4 Abs. 3, „Freiheitsstrafe von einem Jahr bis zu zehn Jahren“, which applies to the aggravated forms rather than to the ordinary offence, and the ordinary offence carries up to three years or a fine. The sections were read at gesetze-im-internet.de on 21 September 2026.

If prescribed or medical

There is no prescribing route to attach anything to. The substance holds no BtMG placement, so the marketable and prescribable tier does not arise, and the NpSG exemptions are for recognised commercial, industrial and scientific use rather than for treatment. The dossier records no German prescription or traveller rule for this row, so the cell says so and defers rather than supplying one.

Documentation

Paperwork does not resolve a structure-group question. What decides this one is whether the sample carries a hydroxy group at ring position four and alkyl groups within the six-carbon limit on the amine, which is an analytical finding. The placement was read on 20 September 2026.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Germany’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.