Is Cathinone legal in Spain?
- Legal status
- Controlled — cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and sits in Spain's most-restricted controlled-substances list (Lista I of psychotropics, RD 2829/1977 as amended). Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT (Catha edulis leaf, not scheduled by name and caught only via its cathinone content) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone etc., separately listed) that derive from it; cathinone is the named Sch-I alkaloid, cathine the milder Schedule-III metabolite.
- Consequences if caught
- Lista I psychotropic: trafficking of the pure alkaloid under Código Penal art. 368; personal use/possession in public an administrative sanction. No death penalty in Spain.
- If prescribed or medical
- 1971 Schedule I psychotropic with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route for the isolated alkaloid.
- Documentation
- No licit personal-import route for a Lista I psychotropic.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Spain’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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