Is Nimetazepam legal in Canada?

Legal status

Controlled. Nimetazepam is in Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Possession is not an offence under section 4, and trafficking is.

Consequences if caught

The entry read from the cached Act is 'Nimetazepam (1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-7-nitro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one)'. Schedule IV is the point. Section 4(1), the possession offence, names Schedule I, II and III and does not name Schedule IV, so possessing this substance is not an offence under section 4. Section 5(1) and 5(2), trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking, do name Schedule IV, and section 5(3)(c) sets that at up to three years on indictment. A prohibition list and an offence list are not the same list, and in this act they differ by one schedule. Section 5(1) and 5(2) cover trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking in a substance included in Schedule I, II, III, IV or V. Section 5(3)(a) makes trafficking in a Schedule I or II substance an indictable offence liable to imprisonment for life. Section 5(3)(b) sets Schedule III and V at up to ten years on indictment. Section 5(3)(c) sets Schedule IV at up to three years.

If prescribed or medical

Whether an authorised medicinal form exists in Canada was not established per substance here. Carry any prescribed medicine in its original packaging with the prescription.

Documentation

For a prescribed controlled medicine, carry it in its original pharmacy packaging with the prescription or a letter from the prescriber. Canada is not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen certificate is not the Canadian document.

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.