Is Cathinone legal in France?
- Legal status
- Controlled — cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and is listed by name as a stupéfiant on the consolidated French narcotics list under the Code de la santé publique. Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT (Catha edulis, itself named as a stupéfiant) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone and a generic cathinone-derivatives definition) that derive from it; cathinone is the named Sch-I alkaloid, cathine the milder Schedule-III metabolite.
- Consequences if caught
- Stupéfiant: personal use/possession of the alkaloid up to 1 year, trafficking up to 10 years plus heavy fines. No death penalty in France.
- If prescribed or medical
- 1971 Schedule I stupéfiant with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route for the isolated alkaloid.
- Documentation
- No licit personal-carry or import route for a scheduled stupéfiant.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with France’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
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