Is Ketamine legal in United States?

Legal status

Schedule III controlled substance under federal law

Consequences if caught

Federal: Schedule III. Ketamine, its salts, isomers and salts of isomers are listed at 21 CFR 1308.13(c) — DEA code 7285. Placed into Schedule III by the DEA final rule at 64 FR 37673, published 13 July 1999 and effective 12 August 1999, corrected at 64 FR 39560 on 22 July 1999. Schedule III substances carry a lower penalty tier than Schedule I or II, but unauthorised distribution and possession remain federal offences.

If prescribed or medical

Available on prescription as an anaesthetic, and as esketamine under a restricted REMS programme. Schedule III prescriptions are refillable within federal limits.

Documentation

Federal scheduling is uniform across the United States. STATE LAW IS NOT, and the federal schedule is not the whole answer for any substance: states set their own offences, thresholds and penalties, and these differ substantially. This states the federal position only.

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