Is Ephedrine legal in Iraq?

Legal status

Regulated as a chemical PRECURSOR (1988 UN Convention Table I — a methamphetamine precursor), NOT as a scheduled narcotic; ephedrine/pseudoephedrine are explicitly controlled as PRECURSORS (import/export licences) under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017.

Consequences if caught

No capital exposure for the precursor — precursor breaches draw ~1–3 years + fine; the death penalty attaches to narcotic-substance trafficking, not the licensed precursor.

If prescribed or medical

Also a pharmacy/prescription decongestant-bronchodilator medicine subject to sales limits; carry documentation for a personal supply.

Documentation

In Iraq (Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017), importing, exporting, producing, cultivating or trafficking narcotic substances is punishable by DEATH or life imprisonment (Art 27/First, Art 28); operating a drug den draws life (Penal Code Art 288). Possession for personal use draws 1–3 years plus a 5–10 million IQD fine (up to 15 years per the US State Department). The death penalty keys on the ACT, not a fixed statutory quantity — there is no fixed gram threshold; there is no medical cannabis. [retained and actively enforced] Iraq actively enforces the drug death penalty — 144 drug-trafficking death sentences were issued in 2024 (per the US State Department and Iraqi court statements reported by 964media and The New Region). Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

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