Is Methamphetamine legal in Iraq?
- Legal status
- Prohibited under Law No. 50 of 2017 — importing/exporting/producing/cultivating/trafficking punishable by DEATH or life (Arts 27/28); possession/personal use 1–3 years + fine (up to 15 years); no fixed statutory quantity (keys on the act); [retained and actively enforced — 144 drug death sentences in 2024]
- Consequences if caught
- Methamphetamine is prohibited in Iraq under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017. In Iraq (Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017), importing, exporting, producing, cultivating or trafficking narcotic substances is punishable by DEATH or life imprisonment (Art 27/First, Art 28); operating a drug den draws life (Penal Code Art 288). Possession for personal use draws 1–3 years plus a 5–10 million IQD fine (up to 15 years per the US State Department). The death penalty keys on the ACT (trafficking/production/cultivation), not a fixed statutory quantity — there is no fixed gram threshold. [retained and actively enforced] Iraq actively enforces the drug death penalty — 144 drug-trafficking death sentences were issued in 2024 (per the US State Department and Iraqi court statements reported by 964media and The New Region).
- If prescribed or medical
- Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
- Documentation
- In Iraq (Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017), importing, exporting, producing, cultivating or trafficking narcotic substances is punishable by DEATH or life imprisonment (Art 27/First, Art 28); operating a drug den draws life (Penal Code Art 288). Possession for personal use draws 1–3 years plus a 5–10 million IQD fine (up to 15 years per the US State Department). The death penalty keys on the ACT, not a fixed statutory quantity — there is no fixed gram threshold; there is no medical cannabis. [retained and actively enforced] Iraq actively enforces the drug death penalty — 144 drug-trafficking death sentences were issued in 2024 (per the US State Department and Iraqi court statements reported by 964media and The New Region). Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
- Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017, Arts 27/28 (+ Penal Code Art 288)
- enforcement per US State Department and Iraqi court statements reported by 964media and The New Region, and the Washington Institute
- sherloc.unodc.org
- state.gov
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Iraq’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 →
