Is Crack Cocaine legal in United Kingdom?
- Legal status
- Crack is the freebase (base) form of cocaine and has no separate legal identity in the United Kingdom: it is controlled AS cocaine, a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, whose Schedule 2 entry covers cocaine together with 'any salt of cocaine' and any preparation or product containing it, which reaches the base/freebase form. Crack is therefore a Class A controlled drug in identical terms to powder cocaine.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession of crack (as cocaine) carries up to 7 years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine; supply, production or possession-with-intent carries up to life imprisonment (Class A maxima).
- If prescribed or medical
- Medical cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) remains a Schedule 2 controlled medicine usable as a topical ENT anaesthetic under licence; the crack/freebase base has no pharmaceutical form and is never prescribed.
- Documentation
- No patient or prescription documentation exists for crack/freebase cocaine; it is not a licensed medicine in any form.
Court records
We have applied to The National Archives for the licence required to analyse Find Case Law records, and will publish outcomes once it is determined.
Source checked Find Case Law, The National Archives · 2026-08-26
Crack Cocaine in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in United Kingdom
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with United Kingdom’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
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