Is Barbiturates legal in Mexico?
- Legal status
- Barbiturates are psychotropics under Article 245 of the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud) — classed by compound (secobarbital/amobarbital/pentobarbital in the higher fracción, phenobarbital lower) — with Article 251 retaining a prescription requirement.
- Consequences if caught
- Sale, supply or possession without a prescription is punishable; personal use with a valid prescription is lawful.
- If prescribed or medical
- Phenobarbital is prescribed as an antiepileptic (a WHO Essential Medicine); the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates are tightly controlled and rarely used.
- Documentation
- Personal use is allowed with a valid prescription or medical letter; no COFEPRIS permit is needed for reasonable quantities.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Mexico’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →