Is Ketamine legal in Cambodia?
- Legal status
- Controlled substance listed in Table 3 (psychotropic substances) of the Law on Drug Control (2012), administered by the NACD.
- Consequences if caught
- Unlawful use or possession is criminalised; trafficking of controlled substances carries severe penalties up to life imprisonment.
- If prescribed or medical
- Limited legitimate medical/veterinary use; otherwise controlled.
- Documentation
- Cambodia ABOLISHED the death penalty in 1989 (constitutional); the maximum penalty for any drug offence is LIFE imprisonment. There is no medical, recreational, or industrial cannabis provision. Enforcement tightened sharply after a 2017 anti-drug campaign and post-2019 in tourist areas — foreigners are routinely jailed and the old 'smokers' paradise' reputation is OUTDATED. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
- Law on Drug Control (2012), Table 3 (psychotropic substances)
- cdc.gov.kh
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Cambodia’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 →