Are Barbiturates legal in Tanzania?

Legal status

Controlled, member by member, for the six barbiturates the First Schedule names. The dossier row, citing the First Schedule of the Drug Control and Enforcement Act Cap 95 R.E. 2023, reads: 'The First Schedule names "Amobarbital", "Butalbital", "Cyclobarbital", "Pentobarbital", "Phenobarbital" and "Secbutabarbital".' Each named member is a scheduled substance in its own right, so the class answer is the range across those six, and a barbiturate outside them needs its own check against the First Schedule.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. The dossier records that no death penalty is stated in Cap 95. For every one of the six named members the bands are the same: trafficking above 200 g attracts mandatory life imprisonment under section 15, and 200 g or below attracts at least 30 years under section 16. The record this cell rests on states no separate band for import, export, sale or manufacture, and none is given here.

If prescribed or medical

The source this cell rests on, the Cap 95 First Schedule as quoted in the dossier, does not state a prescription route for any of the six named barbiturates.

Documentation

The dossier row was checked on 20 September 2026 against the official 2023 Revised Edition at the Office of the Solicitor General eLibrary, and resolves the class member by member rather than from one entry. Section 14(2) lets the Minister amend the First Schedule by notice in the Gazette, and the dossier records that the 2023 Revised Edition does not certify that no later Gazette notice exists. The record does not state a traveller permit or import document rule for barbiturates.

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