Is Barbiturates legal in United States?

Legal status

Controlled, and the class spans three schedules, with the same compound appearing in two of them depending on its form. Amobarbital, pentobarbital and secobarbital are Schedule II at 21 CFR 1308.12(e)(1), (e)(3) and (e)(5), and the same three are Schedule III at 21 CFR 1308.13(c)(1) and (c)(2) when they are in a compound, mixture or preparation, or in a suppository dosage form. Barbital, phenobarbital and mephobarbital are Schedule IV at 21 CFR 1308.14(c)(3), (c)(49) and (c)(40). This cell states federal law only. Every state has its own controlled substances act and several differ from the federal schedules, so check the law of the state you are in.

Consequences if caught

There is no entry for the class, and the form of the preparation can move a member between schedules. Paragraph 1308.13(c)(3) also reaches 'Any substance which contains any quantity of a derivative of barbituric acid or any salt thereof' as Schedule III, so an unnamed barbiturate is scheduled without appearing anywhere. For a Schedule II member, supply falls to 21 USC 841(b)(1)(C) at up to 20 years, since no barbiturate is in the weight tables. Schedule III is up to 10 years under 841(b)(1)(E)(i) and Schedule IV is up to 5 years under 841(b)(2). Simple possession is 21 USC 844(a), up to 1 year and a fine of at least 1,000 dollars on a first offence, with higher figures after a prior conviction. The section excepts a substance 'obtained directly, or pursuant to a valid prescription or order, from a practitioner, while acting in the course of his professional practice'.

If prescribed or medical

Prescription supply through the licensed channel is lawful. 21 USC 844(a) excepts a substance obtained on a valid prescription from a practitioner acting in the course of professional practice, and handling outside that channel is an offence under 21 USC 841 and the registration provisions at 21 USC 822 and 823.

Documentation

Carry any prescribed medicine in its original labelled container with the prescription. Federal law and the law of the state you are entering can differ, so confirm both before travel.

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