Is MXE legal in United Kingdom?

Legal status

MXE (methoxetamine) is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. First banned under a temporary class drug order (April 2012), it was made a permanent Class B substance by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2013 (SI 2013/239, in force 26 February 2013), which named MXE and captured it within a generic arylcyclohexylamine catch-all clause covering ketamine-type dissociatives.

Consequences if caught

Possession of MXE carries up to 5 years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine; supply, production or import carries up to 14 years and an unlimited fine, as for other Class B drugs.

If prescribed or medical

MXE has no licensed medical use in the UK and is not prescribable (Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001) — unlike ketamine, it is not a medicine, so there is no clinical or pharmacy route to obtain it.

Documentation

Once sold openly as a legal-high 'research chemical', MXE is now contraband; there is no legitimate supply, and import consignments are seized by Border Force with no traveller exemption.

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