Is Nimetazepam legal in United Kingdom?

Legal status

Controlled. Nimetazepam is a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, named in Part III of Schedule 2. Possession is an offence.

Consequences if caught

The entry read from the cached copy of Schedule 2 is 'Nimetazepam.'. Part III is where the benzodiazepines sit, and it is also where nitrous oxide was inserted on 8 November 2023 by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023, S.I. 2023/1091. Possession of a Class C drug under section 5(2) carries up to 2 years on indictment, or a fine, or both, and 3 months or a fine of up to 1,000 pounds, or both, on summary conviction. Production and supply each carry up to 14 years on indictment. The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 does not apply to it. Schedule 1 to that act exempts controlled drugs, so a substance in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is outside the 2016 act by definition rather than by exception: section 2(1) provides that a psychoactive substance means any substance which is capable of producing a psychoactive effect and is not an exempted substance.

If prescribed or medical

Whether an authorised medicinal form exists in the United Kingdom, and the schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 it sits in, decide whether it can be prescribed. That 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. The United Kingdom is not in the Schengen area, so a Schengen certificate is not the British document. For a journey of three months or more, or for larger quantities, a Home Office personal licence may be needed and that was not established per substance here.

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.