Is Ketamine legal in Hong Kong?
- Legal status
- Dangerous drug (First Schedule) under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) — possession (Sec 8) up to 7 years + HK$1m; trafficking (Sec 4) up to life + HK$5m; NO death penalty (abolished); no soft/hard tiering
- Consequences if caught
- Ketamine is a dangerous drug in the single First Schedule of Hong Kong's Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134), with no soft/hard penalty tiering. Possession (Sec 8) carries a maximum of 7 years plus a HK$1 million fine; trafficking (Sec 4) carries a maximum of life imprisonment plus a HK$5 million fine on indictment. Importing or exporting even for personal use counts as trafficking. Hong Kong has NO death penalty (abolished) — the maximum is life. Sentencing within these maxima is quantity-band-driven through case law, not fixed statutory gram thresholds.
- If prescribed or medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- All controlled drugs sit in a single First Schedule under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) with no soft/hard penalty tiering — cannabis, heroin, cocaine, ice (methamphetamine), ecstasy (MDMA), ketamine and CBD are all 'dangerous drugs.' Trafficking (Sec 4) carries a maximum of life imprisonment plus a HK$5 million fine on indictment (3 years plus HK$500,000 summary); possession (Sec 8) carries a maximum of 7 years plus a HK$1 million fine; possession of a pipe or equipment carries HK$10,000 and 3 years. Cultivation of cannabis or opium poppy is an offence, and importing or exporting (even for personal use) counts as trafficking. CBD was reclassified as a dangerous drug from 1 February 2023 (trafficking CBD = life plus HK$5 million; possession = 7 years plus HK$1 million), and 'space oil' (etomidate) was scheduled in February 2025. There is NO medical-cannabis program. Hong Kong has NO death penalty (abolished) — the maximum is life imprisonment. Sentencing within these maxima is quantity-band-driven through case law rather than fixed statutory gram thresholds. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
- Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134, in force 1969), Secs 4/8
- elegislation.gov.hk
- police.gov.hk
- nd.gov.hk
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Hong Kong’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
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Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
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