Is Cathinone legal in Iran?
- Legal status
- Illegal — cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and is on Iran's psychotropics schedule incorporating the 1971 Convention. Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT ('gat', prohibited) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone etc., scheduled by Iran) that derive from it; cathinone is the named Sch-I alkaloid, cathine the milder metabolite (1971 Schedule III). Capital reach is left to confirmation: the 2017 Anti-Narcotics amendment restricts death to large quantities of enumerated drugs (heroin, cocaine, meth, morphine) and cathinone is not among them (lean below-tier).
- Consequences if caught
- Controlled substance: heavy penalties for the alkaloid; capital reserved for enumerated drugs, not cathinone. High risk.
- If prescribed or medical
- 1971 Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route for the isolated alkaloid.
- Documentation
- No licit personal-import route for a controlled substance.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Iran’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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