Legal status in China

Per-substance legal status for China, from sourced statutes where available. Legal information, not legal advice; drug laws change, so confirm with the destination’s embassy or drug authority before you travel.

40 confirmed substances48 not individually verifiedLast updated September 21, 2026

Confirmed legal status

2-FDCK

Legal status: Controlled substance, China placed 2-FDCK under national control in 2021, adding the ketamine analogue to its list of controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for non-medical use. Mechanism: named national listing (part of China's scheduling of ketamine analogues).
Consequences if caught: Offences involving 2-FDCK are prosecuted under China's narcotics laws, which carry severe penalties; large-scale trafficking of controlled drugs is capital-eligible.
If prescribed / medical: No medical or prescription use, 2-FDCK is listed as a substance controlled for non-medical use.
Documentation: Possession, purchase and import are prohibited; forensic and wastewater data recorded a decline in use after the 2021 control. 2-FDCK is also a Schedule II psychotropic under the 1971 Convention (from 3 December 2024).

cdn.who.int · Updated July 14, 2026

2-FDCK in China, full detail →

25I-NBOMe

Legal status: 25I-NBOMe is controlled in China: the NBOMe phenethylamines were placed on the supplementary list of controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for non-medical use effective 1 October 2015, and China, a 1971 party, is bound by the March 2015 Schedule I listing of 25I-NBOMe.
Consequences if caught: Production, trafficking, transport and possession are offences under the Criminal Law; serious trafficking can attract the death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: No approved medical use; not available on prescription.
Documentation: Supplementary List of Controlled Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances for Non-medical Use (effective 1 October 2015); 1971 Convention Schedule I.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

25I-NBOMe in China, full detail →

2C-I

Legal status: 2C-I is a controlled substance in China, named in Annex 2 of the supplementary list of controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances announced by the China Food and Drug Administration on 11 November 2013 and in force since 1 January 2014.
Consequences if caught: Manufacture, trafficking and possession are prosecuted under the Criminal Law and narcotics-control rules; large-quantity trafficking can carry the death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: Classed among non-medical controlled substances with no approved therapeutic use.
Documentation: 2013 supplementary catalogue of controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (China FDA), effective 1 January 2014; UNODC Legal Systems announcement.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-I in China, full detail →

3-MMC

Legal status: 3-MMC (3-methylmethcathinone) is controlled by name since 1 Oct 2015, when it was included in China's supplementary list of 116 non-medical narcotic/psychotropic substances, making China the earliest jurisdiction to schedule 3-MMC, years before any EU or UN measure.
Consequences if caught: Controlled-psychotropic offences carry imprisonment; capital exposure exists only via the Criminal Law art. 347 large-quantity catch-all, which cathinones rarely reach in practice, treat as not-typically-capital.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled psychotropic.

gov.cn · Updated July 14, 2026

3-MMC in China, full detail →

5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad)

Legal status: 5-MeO-DMT is individually scheduled in China, listed by name (N,N-二甲基-5-甲氧基色胺) in the Supplementary Catalogue to the control list of Non-pharmaceutical Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, in force from 1 October 2015 and retained in the current consolidated catalogue.
Consequences if caught: Manufacture, trafficking, sale and possession are prohibited under the Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances; drug-trafficking offences carry severe penalties up to life imprisonment or death for large quantities.
If prescribed / medical: A non-pharmaceutical controlled substance with no approved medical use in China, not prescribable.
Documentation: Added to the 2015 non-pharmaceutical NPS supplementary control catalogue jointly issued by the Ministry of Public Security, NHFPC and CFDA; 5-MeO-DMT among five 5-methoxytryptamines then scheduled.

mps.gov.cn · Updated July 14, 2026

5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad) in China, full detail →

6-APB

Legal status: 6-APB is a controlled substance in China, individually named on the supplementary controlled-NPS list effective 1 Jul 2024 (state decree on controlled narcotic and psychotropic substances). It is controlled as a psychotropic with no established quantity threshold, so capital exposure for 6-APB is not confirmable.
Consequences if caught: Controlled psychotropic: possession, supply and trafficking penalties up to lengthy imprisonment. There is no established quantity threshold for 6-APB, so while Article 347's 'other narcotic drugs in large quantity' catch-all could in theory apply, capital exposure for this specific substance is not confirmable.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: Controlled since 1 Jul 2024; no lawful personal-import route.

gov.cn · Updated July 14, 2026

6-APB in China, full detail →

Adderall

Legal status: Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) has no separate legal identity, it is regulated AS amphetamine: category I psychotropic substance under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs; sentencing under Criminal Law art. 347 + the 2016 SPC interpretation (amphetamine 'large quantity' = 100 g).
Consequences if caught: Personal use handled administratively; trafficking scales by quantity up to life or, at a 'large quantity' (amphetamine ≥100 g), the DEATH PENALTY (Criminal Law art. 347). Amphetamine carries capital exposure.
If prescribed / medical: Prescription stimulant via strictly controlled medical channels; carrying it without a local permit/prescription risks arrest.
Documentation: Written documentation from a medical institution proving the medicine is necessary; customs verifies the amount against the original prescription and retains a copy (one prescription = one inspection). Psychotropic-drug allowances can be as short as a 3-7 day supply.

Criminal Law art. 347 · 2016 SPC interpretation (amphetamine ≥100 g capital-eligible) · english.court.gov.cn · The power that moves this list is the catalogue and joint announcement route under the 2007 Narcotics Control Law, by which the State adds named substances, and this project's China substance dossier checked on 18 September 2026 records the class control of synthetic cannabinoid substances in force from 1 July 2021 while naming no edition of the narcotic and psychotropic catalogues themselves. No catalogue version was recorded when this cell was authored on 13 July 2026, and that does not rule out a later amendment made or commenced since. · Updated September 21, 2026

Adderall in China, full detail →

Alcohol

Legal status: Legal, alcohol (ethanol) is a freely-sold, lightly-regulated beverage, not a controlled drug; nominal minimum age 18 with limited enforcement.
Consequences if caught: No penalty for adult consumption; drink-driving is criminalised and strictly enforced.
If prescribed / medical: n/a, a beverage, not a medicine.
Documentation: Openly sold in shops, supermarkets and restaurants; no traveller permit required.

who.int · The power that moves this list is the catalogue and joint announcement route under the 2007 Narcotics Control Law, by which the State adds named substances, and this project's China substance dossier checked on 18 September 2026 records the class control of synthetic cannabinoid substances in force from 1 July 2021 while naming no edition of the narcotic and psychotropic catalogues themselves. No catalogue version was recorded when this cell was authored on 14 July 2026, and that does not rule out a later amendment made or commenced since. · Updated September 21, 2026

Alcohol in China, full detail →

Amphetamine

Legal status: Category I psychotropic substance under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs; sentencing under Criminal Law art. 347 + the 2016 SPC interpretation (amphetamine 'large quantity' = 100 g).
Consequences if caught: Personal use handled administratively; trafficking scales by quantity up to life or, at a 'large quantity' (amphetamine ≥100 g), the DEATH PENALTY (Criminal Law art. 347). Amphetamine carries capital exposure.
If prescribed / medical: Prescription stimulant via strictly controlled medical channels; carrying it without a local permit/prescription risks arrest.
Documentation: Written documentation from a medical institution proving the medicine is necessary; customs verifies the amount against the original prescription and retains a copy (one prescription = one inspection). Psychotropic-drug allowances can be as short as a 3-7 day supply.

Criminal Law art. 347 · 2016 SPC interpretation (amphetamine ≥100 g capital-eligible) · english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Amphetamine in China, full detail →

Benzodiazepines

Legal status: Controlled, benzodiazepines scheduled (further additions effective 1 July 2024)
Consequences if caught: Zero-tolerance regime: under Criminal Law Article 347, smuggling, selling, transporting, or manufacturing drugs is punished regardless of quantity. Importing narcotics/psychotropics requires an Import/Export License from the State Council's drug regulatory department. Benzodiazepines are controlled, with further benzodiazepine substances added 1 July 2024 (UNODC).
If prescribed / medical: Importable only as a psychotropic with the required license and medical documentation; allowances may be limited to a 3-7 day supply.
Documentation: Written documentation from a medical institution proving the medicine is necessary; customs verifies the amount against the original prescription and retains a copy (one prescription = one inspection). Psychotropic-drug allowances can be as short as a 3-7 day supply.

unodc.org · Updated June 25, 2026

Benzodiazepines in China, full detail →

Buprenorphine

Legal status: Buprenorphine is a scheduled controlled opioid in China, internationally a 1971 Schedule III drug, a lighter tier than methadone; at therapeutic quantities it sits below the large-quantity capital tier, confirmed.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised supply is prosecuted under Criminal Law art. 347 (graduated by quantity); the capital 'large quantity' tier is keyed to opium (≥1,000 g), heroin/methamphetamine (≥50 g) and morphine (~100 g), therapeutic buprenorphine is below the death-eligible tier, confirmed.
If prescribed / medical: Controlled and prescription-only (used for opioid substitution).
Documentation: Declare controlled medicines and carry a prescription; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Buprenorphine in China, full detail →

Cathinone

Legal status: Controlled, cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and is a controlled psychotropic on China's non-medical narcotic/psychotropic catalogue. Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT (Catha edulis / 恰特草, separately added to the controlled catalogue in 2013/2014) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone, a Category I psychotropic since 2010) that derive from it; cathinone is the named controlled alkaloid, cathine the milder metabolite (1971 Schedule III). Capital reach is left to confirmation: art. 347 permits death for 'large quantities of other drugs' with no published cathinone-specific gram threshold, so capital is not excluded in principle.
Consequences if caught: Controlled psychotropic: trafficking of the alkaloid is severely penalised and capital is not excluded at scale via the art. 347 catch-all. Extreme risk.
If prescribed / medical: 1971 Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route for the isolated alkaloid.
Documentation: No licit personal-carry or import route for a controlled psychotropic.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Cathinone in China, full detail →

CBD

Legal status: CBD (cannabidiol) is not approved for any consumer use, the NMPA removed CBD from permitted cosmetic ingredients in 2021 and CBD in food is banned; cannabis and its extracts remain scheduled narcotics, and any THC content makes a CBD product cannabis.
Consequences if caught: CBD consumer products are seized as banned ingredients, and if any THC is present the product is treated as cannabis under Criminal Law Article 347 (trafficking), which carries up to life and the death penalty for large quantities.
If prescribed / medical: There is no consumer or prescription CBD route; only licensed research/pharmaceutical use under supervision.
Documentation: No documentation legalises consumer CBD; it is a banned ingredient and, with any THC, treated as cannabis, and foreign prescriptions are not recognised.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

CBD in China, full detail →

Codeine

Legal status: Codeine is a scheduled narcotic in China; low-dose codeine sits below the large-quantity capital tier of Criminal Law Art. 347 (which reaches death for morphine 100 g or more, or opium 1,000 g or more). Codeine-containing cough preparations are controlled and were tightened after widespread misuse.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised supply is prosecuted under Art. 347 (graduated by quantity); large-quantity narcotic trafficking is death-eligible, but low-dose codeine is below that tier.
If prescribed / medical: Dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine; codeine cough preparations are restricted.
Documentation: Declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling - carry a prescription in original packaging.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Codeine in China, full detail →

Crack Cocaine

Legal status: Crack is the freebase (base) form of cocaine and has no separate legal identity in China: it is controlled AS cocaine, a listed narcotic under the Narcotics Control Law and Criminal Law Art 347, whose narcotics catalogue covers cocaine and any preparation containing it and thus reaches the base/freebase form. The capital trafficking regime for cocaine is measured by weight of the narcotic and carries over to crack, so smuggling, trafficking or manufacturing large quantities is death-eligible whether powder or base.
Consequences if caught: Trafficking, smuggling, transporting or manufacturing crack (as cocaine) is criminal under Criminal Law Art 347, with penalties escalating by weight up to the death penalty for large quantities; possession is separately punishable.
If prescribed / medical: Cocaine has no recognised therapeutic use in general practice in China; the crack/freebase base has no medicinal preparation and cannot be prescribed.
Documentation: No prescription documentation exists for crack/freebase cocaine.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Crack Cocaine in China, full detail →

Delta-8-THC

Legal status: Controlled, delta-8-THC (Δ8-THC) is caught as a tetrahydrocannabinol under China's list of controlled narcotic/psychotropic substances, which schedules THC and its isomers; delta-8 is controlled as an isomer of THC (and synthetically produced delta-8 also intersects China's 2021 class-wide synthetic-cannabinoid scheduling). Distinct from plant cannabis. Capital exposure runs via the Criminal Law Art. 347 large-quantity catch-all, but no delta-8-specific capital threshold is published (left to confirmation).
Consequences if caught: Zero tolerance; Art. 347 large-quantity trafficking can be capital and reaches scheduled psychotropics, but no delta-8-specific capital-conversion quantity is published.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; delta-8-THC is not a prescribable medicine.
Documentation: No lawful personal import; large-quantity trafficking can be capital.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Delta-8-THC in China, full detail →

DOM

Legal status: DOM (STP) is a Category I psychotropic drug in China's Catalogue of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (listed as STP/DOM), China's transposition of DOM's individual Schedule I listing under the 1971 UN Convention.
Consequences if caught: Possession and trafficking are criminal offences under the Criminal Law and the Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs; large quantities can attract the death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: Category I psychotropic with no medical use; not prescribable.
Documentation: Catalogue of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (jingshen yaopin pinzhong mulu), Category I.

nmpa.gov.cn · Updated July 14, 2026

DOM in China, full detail →

Ephedrine

Legal status: Regulated as a chemical PRECURSOR (1988 UN Convention Table I, a methamphetamine precursor), NOT as a scheduled narcotic; a precursor (1988 Table I) under the Regulations on Precursor Chemicals; illegal manufacture/traffic/transport = Criminal Law art. 350 (SEPARATE from art. 347 drug trafficking). Prescription medicine.
Consequences if caught: No capital exposure, art. 350 is non-capital (large amount ~3-10 years); the death penalty (art. 347) attaches to the finished narcotic (meth), not the precursor. (Knowingly supplying a drug maker can flip to art. 347 accomplice liability.)
If prescribed / medical: Also a pharmacy/prescription decongestant-bronchodilator medicine subject to sales limits; carry documentation for a personal supply.
Documentation: Written documentation from a medical institution proving the medicine is necessary; customs verifies the amount against the original prescription and retains a copy (one prescription = one inspection). Psychotropic-drug allowances can be as short as a 3-7 day supply.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Ephedrine in China, full detail →

Etizolam

Legal status: Etizolam is a controlled Class II psychotropic in China, reclassified as a pharmaceutical psychotropic by NMPA/MPS/NHC Announcement 55 of 2025 (effective July 2025), after being placed on the NPS catalogue in March 2021; it is prescription-only.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession or use is handled administratively; supply is prosecuted under Criminal Law Art. 347 (graduated by quantity). Art. 347 can in theory reach the death penalty for large-quantity trafficking of psychotropics, but there is no established capital threshold for Class II psychotropics such as etizolam, and it is not applied to them in practice.
If prescribed / medical: Controlled as a Class II psychotropic; prescription-only.
Documentation: Declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.

nmpa.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Etizolam in China, full detail →

Heroin

Legal status: Prohibited, on China Customs' prohibited-to-enter list (with opium and morphine)
Consequences if caught: Zero-tolerance regime: under Criminal Law Article 347, smuggling, selling, transporting, or manufacturing drugs is punished regardless of quantity. Importing narcotics/psychotropics requires an Import/Export License from the State Council's drug regulatory department. Heroin is among the drugs prohibited from entering the country.
If prescribed / medical: Not importable, on the prohibited-to-enter customs list.
Documentation: None, prohibited from entering.

customs.gov.cn · npc.gov.cn · Updated June 25, 2026

Heroin in China, full detail →

Hydrocodone

Legal status: Hydrocodone is a controlled narcotic under China's drug schedules; it is not marketed in China but sits in the strong-opioid tier, and trafficking is death-eligible via the Criminal Law art. 347 'other narcotic drugs in large quantities' catch-all, no separate gram figure is published for hydrocodone, so the drug-specific capital weight is left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Trafficking of narcotics 'in large quantities' can draw 15 years, life or death under art. 347; unauthorised possession is otherwise penalised, and unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.
If prescribed / medical: No marketed Chinese hydrocodone product; a controlled narcotic is dispensed only under narcotic control.
Documentation: Declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Hydrocodone in China, full detail →

Ketamine

Legal status: Category I psychotropic substance (氯胺酮) under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs; sentencing under Criminal Law art. 347 and the 2016 Supreme People's Court Drug Crimes Interpretation (ketamine ≥100 g = 'relatively large'; ≥500 g = 'large quantity').
Consequences if caught: Penalties scale sharply with quantity, from detention or short terms up to life imprisonment or, at a 'large quantity' (ketamine ≥500 g) under Criminal Law art. 347(2), the DEATH PENALTY, ketamine carries capital exposure at high trafficking quantities. Personal possession is also criminal.
If prescribed / medical: Available only through strictly controlled medical channels.
Documentation: Written documentation from a medical institution proving the medicine is necessary; customs verifies the amount against the original prescription and retains a copy (one prescription = one inspection). Psychotropic-drug allowances can be as short as a 3-7 day supply.

Criminal Law art. 347 · 2016 SPC Drug Crimes Interpretation (ketamine ≥500 g = capital-eligible 'large quantity') · loc.gov · Updated July 13, 2026

Ketamine in China, full detail →

Khat

Legal status: Controlled, BOTH named. The PLANT khat (恰特草 / Catha edulis) was added to the controlled non-medical narcotic/psychotropic catalogue in 2013 (eff. 1 Jan 2014) and cathinone is a controlled psychotropic. Mechanism: NAMED (plant + alkaloid, 2013/2014). Below tier: Criminal Law art. 347 sets capital weight thresholds only for opium (1000g) and heroin/meth (50g); khat/cathinone are 'other drugs' with no fixed capital threshold, so the leaf will not realistically reach capital.
Consequences if caught: The plant is explicitly banned; expect confiscation and prosecution, not capital, for khat quantities.
If prescribed / medical: Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route; the plant itself is named on China's controlled catalogue and seized on import.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Khat in China, full detail →

Kratom

Legal status: Controlled, kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) was placed under national control in the Supplementary Catalogue of Controlled Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances for Non-medical Use, effective 1 July 2024. It was one of 46 substances jointly announced on 16 June 2024 by the Ministry of Public Security, the National Health Commission and the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The listing is a firm named scheduling of the plant material.
Consequences if caught: Handled under China's narcotics-control framework: unauthorised possession, sale, transport or manufacture is punishable under the Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Criminal Law arts. 347-357, with penalties ranging from administrative detention to lengthy imprisonment for trafficking/production.
If prescribed / medical: Listed in the non-medical-use catalogue; kratom has no recognised medical or prescription use in China, so there is no lawful therapeutic supply pathway.
Documentation: Scheduled via the Supplementary Catalogue of Controlled Varieties of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances for Non-medical Use (announcement of the Ministry of Public Security, National Health Commission and NMPA, 16 June 2024; in force 1 July 2024). Reflected in the UNODC national legislation listing for China.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Kratom in China, full detail →

MDA

Legal status: Controlled, MDA is a listed controlled psychotropic in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Catalogue (all 1971 Schedule I substances controlled). NAMED mechanism. CAPITAL by catch-all: Criminal Law art. 347 permits death for trafficking large quantities of 'other drugs', MDA can reach capital exposure in aggravated large-scale cases, with no fixed MDA weight threshold (court-determined).
Consequences if caught: Trafficking severe (long prison to death); large-scale ATS cases can be capital under art. 347.
If prescribed / medical: Scheduled psychotropic with no recognised medical use; no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No lawful personal import; large-scale trafficking is death-eligible.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

MDA in China, full detail →

MDPV

Legal status: Controlled. MDPV was placed under national control by name on the Supplementary List of Controlled NPS (Measures for the Control of NPS), effective 1 Oct 2015 in the batch of 116 NPS. Capital reach is left to confirmation: there is no MDPV-specific capital quantity, and the Criminal Law art. 347 large-quantity catch-all is applied in practice to named drugs (heroin/methamphetamine/opium) rather than confirmably to MDPV.
Consequences if caught: Illegal; possession and trafficking carry severe imprisonment. A drug-specific capital threshold for MDPV is left to confirmation. Do NOT carry.
If prescribed / medical: MDPV has no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in China.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled NPS; severe penalties, do not carry.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

MDPV in China, full detail →

Mephedrone (4-MMC)

Legal status: Controlled, NAMED. Mephedrone is individually listed as a Category I psychotropic in the national controlled-substances list, effective 1 Sep 2010 (pre-dating the international listing). Capital reach is left to confirmation: art. 347 permits the death penalty for 'large quantities of other drugs' but there is no published mephedrone-specific gram threshold, so capital is not excluded in principle.
Consequences if caught: Category I psychotropic: trafficking severely penalised and capital not excluded at scale via the art. 347 catch-all (no confirmable threshold). Extreme risk.
If prescribed / medical: Category I psychotropic with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No licit personal-carry or import route for a Category I psychotropic.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Mephedrone (4-MMC) in China, full detail →

Methadone

Legal status: Methadone is a scheduled narcotic in China; 347, but no methadone-specific gram figure is published, the capital weight is left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Capital exposure: not established for this substance. China retains the death penalty for drug offences, under Criminal Law article 347, for trafficking a large quantity, and that much is established here. What is not established is this substance's own position under it: the source read here gives neither the article that would carry it nor any quantity at which it would apply. No threshold is stated in this cell because none was established. Do not read the absence of a figure as a safe amount. The country level position is the one to act on, and the substance specific position has to be settled against the current instrument.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed for methadone-maintenance OST (a large national MMT programme) as a controlled narcotic.
Documentation: Declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated September 20, 2026

Methadone in China, full detail →

Methaqualone (Quaaludes)

Legal status: Methaqualone (甲喹酮/安眠酮) is a Category I psychotropic substance in China's Catalogue of Medicinal Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs (药用类精神药品目录, 2025 edition, NMPA/MPS/NHC), the named transposition of its 1971 Convention Schedule II status; clinical use ended in the 1980s and it is no longer marketed.
Consequences if caught: Production, trafficking and possession are penalised under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs and the Criminal Law, with sentencing graded by quantity.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use / withdrawn, methaqualone is not marketed as a medicine in China.
Documentation: No medical or traveller route; there is no lawful prescription supply.

nmpa.gov.cn · Updated July 14, 2026

Methaqualone (Quaaludes) in China, full detail →

Methylone

Legal status: Controlled, methylone was placed under control effective 1 Jan 2014 (NNCC/FDA NPS addition), individually NAMED in the Catalogue of Controlled Non-medical Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances; this diverges from China's 2010 mephedrone control. Capital exposure runs via the Art. 347 'large quantity' catch-all, but the capital threshold for methylone is left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Zero tolerance. Art. 347 large-quantity trafficking can be capital and reaches scheduled psychotropics, but no methylone-specific capital-conversion quantity is published (threshold left to confirmation); China executes for methamphetamine-type trafficking.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; non-medical catalogue listing, no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No lawful personal import; large-quantity trafficking can be capital.

unodc.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Methylone in China, full detail →

Methylphenidate

Legal status: Category I psychotropic substance under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs; sentencing under Criminal Law art. 347.
Consequences if caught: Trafficking scales by quantity; art. 347's 'large quantity' capital tier in principle reaches Category-I psychotropics, but methylphenidate is a licit ADHD medicine and capital enforcement targets illicit ATS, not licit prescriptions. Carry a prescription/import authorisation.
If prescribed / medical: Prescription ADHD/narcolepsy medicine (e.g. Ritalin/Concerta) via controlled channels; carry the original prescription and any required import permit.

Category I psychotropic · Criminal Law art. 347 · english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Methylphenidate in China, full detail →

Modafinil

Legal status: Category II psychotropic (reclassified 2023) under the controlled-psychotropic catalogue; a controlled drug requiring NMPA authorisation.
Consequences if caught: Trafficking/unauthorised import scales by quantity (small up to ~3 years; larger up to 7 years/life). No established death-eligible threshold for modafinil, but importing without NMPA authorisation is serious.
If prescribed / medical: Import requires NMPA authorisation; carry the prescription.
Documentation: Written documentation from a medical institution proving the medicine is necessary; customs verifies the amount against the original prescription and retains a copy (one prescription = one inspection). Psychotropic-drug allowances can be as short as a 3-7 day supply.

Category II psychotropic catalogue · Criminal Law art. 347 · english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Modafinil in China, full detail →

Morphine

Legal status: Morphine is a controlled narcotic under Criminal Law Article 347 and is death-eligible: the Supreme People's Court treats 100 g or more of morphine as a 'large quantity', which carries 15 years, life or death for trafficking, manufacture or transport.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession is handled administratively at small amounts; trafficking, manufacturing or transporting 100 g or more of morphine is death-eligible under Article 347.
If prescribed / medical: Available on prescription as a controlled narcotic for severe and cancer pain under strict hospital records.
Documentation: Declare controlled narcotics on entry and carry a prescription in original packaging; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Morphine in China, full detail →

Nitrous Oxide

Legal status: Nitrous oxide is regulated in China as a hazardous chemical under the State Council Regulations on the Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals and as a permitted food additive, not as a narcotic under the Narcotics Control Law; per the Law Library of Congress review, controls target its production and circulation to curb recreational use.
Consequences if caught: Breaches are handled under hazardous-chemicals and market-supervision rules; because nitrous oxide is not a scheduled narcotic, it is NOT death-eligible, unlike China's capital-eligible narcotic drugs.
If prescribed / medical: Nitrous oxide is a lawful medical/anaesthetic gas and food additive (E942); medical and food-industry use is standard.
Documentation: Food and medical nitrous oxide are lawful; unlicensed sale of cylinders for inhalation is restricted under hazardous-chemical rules.

tile.loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026

Nitrous Oxide in China, full detail →

Oxycodone

Legal status: Oxycodone is a controlled narcotic drug in China (a prescription-only strong opioid); 347 catch-all for trafficking 'other narcotic drugs in large quantities,' though no oxycodone-specific gram figure is published, the capital weight is left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Capital exposure: not established for this substance. China retains the death penalty for drug offences, under Criminal Law article 347, for trafficking a large quantity, and that much is established here. What is not established is this substance's own position under it: the source read here gives neither the article that would carry it nor any quantity at which it would apply. No threshold is stated in this cell because none was established. Do not read the absence of a figure as a safe amount. The country level position is the one to act on, and the substance specific position has to be settled against the current instrument.
If prescribed / medical: Dispensed as a controlled narcotic analgesic on prescription; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.
Documentation: Carry a prescription and declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.

english.court.gov.cn · Updated September 20, 2026

Oxycodone in China, full detail →

Pink Cocaine / Tusi

Legal status: Pink cocaine (tusi) is not scheduled as such; it is a variable mixture (typically ketamine + MDMA) prosecuted through its constituents, China controls ketamine (氯胺酮) as a Category I psychotropic substance and MDMA as a controlled narcotic, and the Criminal Law reaches any mixture containing a controlled drug. Because the blend varies batch to batch, exposure follows the most-severely-controlled component; ketamine is itself capital-eligible at high quantity (≥500 g under the 2016 SPC Drug Crimes Interpretation), so tusi carries capital exposure through either constituent.
Consequences if caught: Trafficking is sentenced under Criminal Law art. 347 with quantity-graded penalties up to death; ketamine at or above roughly 500 g is death-eligible, and an MDMA-containing sample likewise engages capital thresholds.
If prescribed / medical: No lawful supply of the mixture; ketamine is a Category I psychotropic medicine used as an anaesthetic under strict control, while MDMA has no accepted medical use.
Documentation: Sold as a party powder of unknown makeup; because the blend varies batch to batch, buyers cannot know the quantity or identity of the death-eligible constituent present, so capital-level legal exposure is unknowable at purchase.

gov.cn · The power that moves this list is the catalogue and joint announcement route under the 2007 Narcotics Control Law, by which the State adds named substances, and this project's China substance dossier checked on 18 September 2026 records the class control of synthetic cannabinoid substances in force from 1 July 2021 while naming no edition of the narcotic and psychotropic catalogues themselves. No catalogue version was recorded when this cell was authored on 14 July 2026, and that does not rule out a later amendment made or commenced since. · Updated September 21, 2026

Pink Cocaine / Tusi in China, full detail →

Pregabalin

Legal status: Pregabalin is a prescription (Rx) medicine in China and is NOT listed in the national narcotic-drug or psychotropic-substance control catalogues (NMPA/NNCC), so, unlike scheduled psychotropics, it sits outside the Criminal Law drug-trafficking tiers and is dispensed as an ordinary prescription medicine, as is gabapentin.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised supply is handled as a medicines-administration matter; pregabalin is not within the scheduled substances that carry capital trafficking exposure.
If prescribed / medical: Dispensed as a prescription-only medicine.
Documentation: Bring a reasonable personal supply with a prescription or doctor's letter and declare medicines on entry.

nmpa.gov.cn · The power that moves this list is the catalogue and joint announcement route under the 2007 Narcotics Control Law, by which the State adds named substances, and this project's China substance dossier checked on 18 September 2026 records the class control of synthetic cannabinoid substances in force from 1 July 2021 while naming no edition of the narcotic and psychotropic catalogues themselves. No catalogue version was recorded when this cell was authored on 14 July 2026, and that does not rule out a later amendment made or commenced since. · Updated September 21, 2026

Pregabalin in China, full detail →

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice)

Legal status: Controlled class-wide, the headline. On 11 May 2021 China's National Narcotics Control Commission placed the ENTIRE class of synthetic cannabinoids under national control via a generic class definition (built on seven core ring systems, indole, indazole, pyrrole, carbazole and others bonded to a carbonyl group), in force 1 July 2021, making China the first country in the world to schedule the whole class at once (18 further compounds were also individually listed). This intersects Criminal Law art. no synthetic-cannabinoid-specific capital quantity has been published, so the exact capital threshold is left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Capital exposure: not established for this substance. China retains the death penalty for drug offences, under Criminal Law article 347, for trafficking a large quantity, and that much is established here. What is not established is this substance's own position under it: the source read here gives neither the article that would carry it nor any quantity at which it would apply. No threshold is stated in this cell because none was established. Do not read the absence of a figure as a safe amount. The country level position is the one to act on, and the substance specific position has to be settled against the current instrument.
If prescribed / medical: These synthetic cannabinoids have no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in China.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for the class-wide-controlled synthetic cannabinoids; severe penalties, do not carry.

unodc.org · Updated September 20, 2026

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice) in China, full detail →

Tramadol

Legal status: Tramadol is a Category II Psychotropic Controlled Substance in China (single-ingredient since 2007; combination preparations added in 2023, NMPA) and is prescription-only; China retains capital drug penalties chiefly for large-scale narcotic trafficking, and no capital tier specific to tramadol is established, left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession is handled administratively; supply is prosecuted under Criminal Law Art. 347 by quantity, but there is no established tramadol-specific capital threshold.
If prescribed / medical: Dispensed as a Category II psychotropic prescription medicine.
Documentation: Bring a reasonable personal supply with a prescription or doctor's letter and declare controlled/psychotropic medicines; larger unauthorised quantities risk prosecution.

nmpa.gov.cn · Updated July 13, 2026

Tramadol in China, full detail →

Zolpidem

Legal status: Zolpidem is a Class II (second-category) psychotropic drug in China, transposing its 1971 Convention Schedule IV status; it is prescription-only and among the most-used Class II psychotropics clinically.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised supply or possession of this Class II psychotropic is an offence under China's narcotic-drug and psychotropic-substance control regulations.
If prescribed / medical: Zolpidem is prescribed short-term for insomnia as a Class II psychotropic, with prescriptions generally limited to about a seven-day supply.
Documentation: A traveller should carry prescribed zolpidem with a prescription; Class II psychotropic personal-import controls apply.

incb.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Zolpidem in China, full detail →

Not individually verified

48 substances are not individually verified for China

For these the governing national drug law is cited, but we have not verified that the substance specifically is scheduled under it. Treat them as unanswered, not as legal. Confirm with China’s drug authority or your embassy.

Substance	What we found
1P-LSD	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
2C-B	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
2C-E	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
2C-T-7	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
4-AcO-DMT	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
4-HO-MET	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Amanita muscaria	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Amyl Nitrite	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Ayahuasca	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Barbiturates	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Caffeine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Cannabinol	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Cannabis / THC	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Clonazepam	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Cocaine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Diazepam	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
DMT	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
DXM	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Fentanyl	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Gabapentin	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
GBL	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
GHB	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
HHC	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Lorazepam	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
LSA (Morning Glory)	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
LSD	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
MDMA	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Memantine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Mescaline	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Methamphetamine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Mitragynine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
MXE	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Nicotine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Nimetazepam	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Opium	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
PCP	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Peyote	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Phenibut	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Poppers	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Psilocybin	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Quetiapine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Salvia divinorum	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Scopolamine (Devil's Breath)	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
THC-P	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Tobacco	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Xanax (Alprazolam)	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy
Xylazine	Not confirmed, verify with Chinese embassy

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

Before you travel

Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.

If you’re detained or arrested abroad

Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately, not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →

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