Is MDMA legal in Timor-Leste?

Also known as: molly, ecstasy

Legal status

MDMA is named directly in Table II-A of Lei n.º 2/2017's Anexo II, item 22: "MDMA - 3,4-metilenadioxianfetamina" (MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine). That printed chemical description is an anomaly worth flagging plainly rather than correcting: "3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine" is literally MDA's own formula, omitting the N-methyl group that chemically distinguishes MDMA from MDA, so item 22 pairs an unambiguous label, MDMA, with a formula that reads as a different, related drug. Separately, and independently, MDA itself is named at item 34: "Tenanfetamina-MDA - (mais ou menos)-3,4 N-metilenodioxi, (alfa)-" (tenamfetamine-MDA, plus-or-minus 3,4 N-methylenedioxy, alpha-), under its own INN, tenamfetamine, though that entry's own printed formula breaks off mid-word at "(alfa)-" in both the table and the plain reading-order extraction of the same gazette page, unlike the complete parallel phrasing of neighbouring entries such as MMDA at item 27. Both entries are quoted here verbatim; neither is silently corrected, and neither anomaly changes the outcome for MDMA, since item 22's own label is unambiguous: MDMA is named by that label regardless of the formula printed beside it. Anexo I prices MDMA at a daily reference quantity of 0,15g, with its own note (note 6) that the usual dose in the literature ranges 80 to 160 mg of pure substance but may appear mixed with impurities including MDA or caffeine, or in combination with heroin, which is the Act's own acknowledgement that MDMA sold on the street is frequently adulterated with the very substance item 22's formula resembles. Article 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph d, defines "droga" as any plant, substance or preparation covered by Tables I to IV; article 3 makes the tables integral to the law. This reading is as printed 25 January 2017, read on 7 October 2026.

Consequences if caught

Article 7, paragraph 1, of Lei n.º 2/2017 ("Quem, sem se encontrar autorizado, cultivar, produzir, fabricar, extrair, preparar, oferecer, puser à venda, vender, distribuir, comprar, ceder ou por qualquer título receber, proporcionar a outrem, transportar, importar, exportar, fizer transitar ou ilicitamente detiver, fora dos casos previstos no artigo 26.º, plantas, substâncias ou preparados compreendidos nas tabelas I a III é punido com pena de prisão de 5 a 15 anos", whoever, without being authorised, cultivates, produces, manufactures, extracts, prepares, offers, puts up for sale, sells, distributes, buys, transfers or by any title receives, supplies to another, transports, imports, exports, causes to transit or unlawfully holds, outside the cases in article 26, plants, substances or preparations in Tables I to III, is punished with imprisonment of 5 to 15 years) is the base band for MDMA, a Table II-A substance. Article 7, paragraph 2, raises this to 6 to 16 years where an authorisation existed and was acted against. Article 9 adds two thirds to both the minimum and maximum of article 7 where a listed aggravating factor applies, and article 10 sets 10 to 25 years, 12 to 25 for a leader, for founding or directing a group formed to commit an article 7 offence. Article 11, paragraph 1, subparagraph a, sets a reduced band of 1 to 5 years where illicitude is considerably diminished, and article 11, paragraph 2, ties that test to five times the Anexo I daily reference quantity, here five times 0,15g, i.e. 0,75g. Article 26 answers personal consumption and possession for personal use separately, at imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 120 days.

If prescribed or medical

Lei n.º 2/2017 does not itself create a medical prescription or supply route for MDMA. Article 6, paragraph 1, subjects cultivation, production, manufacture, use, commerce, distribution, import, export, transit, transport, advertising and possession of Table I to IV substances to licensing, conditions and authorisations issued by the Ministério da Saúde, "nos termos a definir em diploma próprio" (on terms to be defined in a separate instrument), which has not been located. Decreto-Lei n.º 2/2025 governs pharmacy retail licensing generally and does not designate which Table I to IV substances a doctor may prescribe, so it is not read as a prescription route for MDMA.

Documentation

MDMA is named in its own right at item 22 under its own common label, and that naming does not depend on resolving the printed formula's own apparent mismatch with MDA's formula, a mismatch recorded here rather than corrected. A reader comparing MDMA's and MDA's pages on this site should see both printed entries, since each carries its own distinct item number and its own, separate control under article 7. Personal possession and consumption of MDMA are answered by article 26 (up to 1 year or a fine up to 120 days); cultivation, production, manufacture, extraction, preparation, offering, sale, distribution, purchase, transfer, transport, import, export and unauthorised possession for any other purpose collapse into article 7's single list, at 5 to 15 years (6 to 16 if an authorisation existed and was breached).

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