Is Methadone legal in Canada?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a Schedule I narcotic under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (the federal methadone prescribing exemption was removed in 2018, easing access).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession up to 7 years; trafficking up to life.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed for opioid-agonist treatment by physicians/NPs and dispensed through community pharmacy (take-home 'carries' standard).
- Documentation
- Import/export a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply with a prescription in the original labelled container; declare at the border.
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.
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 →