Is Cathinone legal in Italy?
- Legal status
- Controlled — cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and is listed in Tabella I (stupefacenti) of the narcotics schedules under D.P.R. 309/1990. Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT ('Catha edulis (pianta)', itself named in Tabella I) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone etc., separately in Tabella I) that derive from it; cathinone is the named Sch-I alkaloid, cathine the milder Schedule-III metabolite.
- Consequences if caught
- Tabella I: personal possession an administrative matter, dealing/trafficking of the alkaloid under art. 73 DPR 309/90. No death penalty in Italy.
- If prescribed or medical
- 1971 Schedule I stupefacente with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route for the isolated alkaloid.
- Documentation
- No licit personal-import route for a Tabella I substance.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Italy’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
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