Is Memantine legal in Canada?
Also known as: namenda
- Legal status
- Memantine is a prescription drug (Schedule D / prescription drug list), not a controlled substance: it is authorised by Health Canada in the Drug Product Database and does not appear on any schedule of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
- Consequences if caught
- Memantine attracts no CDSA penalty; selling this prescription drug without authorisation is a Food and Drugs Act matter, not a controlled-substance trafficking offence. Section 60 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act lets the Governor in Council by order amend any of Schedules I to IV, VI and IX by adding or deleting an item, if the Governor in Council considers the amendment necessary in the public interest. The consolidation read states on its face that it is current to 21 July 2026. An absence is only ever an absence as at the version read, and this cell does not rule out a later amendment.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed for moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease.
- Documentation
- Memantine tablets (Ebixa and generics) are listed as prescription products in the Health Canada Drug Product Database; carried lawfully with a prescription.
- health-products.canada.ca
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19, s. 60 and Schedules I to V, Justice Laws consolidation current to 2026-07-21
- laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
- consulted 16 September 2026
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Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Other substances confirmed in Canada
Same substance, other countries
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Canada’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
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