Legal status in United Kingdom

Per-substance legal status for United Kingdom, from sourced statutes where available. Legal information, not legal advice; drug laws change, so confirm with the destination’s embassy or drug authority before you travel.

81 confirmed substances4 not individually verifiedLast updated July 14, 2026

Confirmed legal status

1P-LSD

Legal status: 1P-LSD is caught in the UK by the blanket Psychoactive Substances Act 2016; whether it also falls within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Class A entry 'lysergide and other N-alkyl derivatives of lysergamide' is contested, because 1P-LSD's N1-propionyl (acyl) group is not clearly an N-alkyl derivative, so the operative national control is the PSA 2016 blanket-NPS ban.
Consequences if caught: Under the PSA 2016, producing, supplying, importing or exporting 1P-LSD carries up to 7 years' imprisonment; simple possession for personal use is not an offence except inside a custodial institution. If a court treated it as Class A under the MDA 1971, possession would carry up to 7 years and supply up to life.
If prescribed / medical: No authorised medicinal or prescription use; lawful handling only under a Home Office licence for research or other special purposes.
Documentation: Confirmed via the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. The MDA 1971 Class A lysergamide entry individually captures named LSD analogues (ALD-52, AL-LAD, ETH-LAD, PRO-LAD, LSZ, controlled 7 January 2015) but does not name 1P-LSD.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

1P-LSD in United Kingdom, full detail →

2-FDCK

Legal status: Class B controlled drug — 2-FDCK is not a named entry but is captured by the arylcyclohexylamine generic definition in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (the same structural class as ketamine and methoxetamine), which places it in Class B; the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 provides a blanket backstop. Mechanism: arylcyclohexylamine generic.
Consequences if caught: As a Class B drug, possession of 2-FDCK carries up to 5 years' imprisonment plus a fine, and production or supply up to 14 years plus a fine.
If prescribed / medical: No medicinal or prescription status — 2-FDCK has no marketing authorisation and, unlike ketamine (a licensed anaesthetic), the ketamine analogues caught by the generic are placed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations as having no recognised medical use.
Documentation: Import, purchase and possession are offences; the ACMD's 2026 ketamine review confirmed that 2-FDCK and other analogues captured by the UK arylcyclohexylamine generic remain Class B. 2-FDCK is also a Schedule II psychotropic under the 1971 Convention (in force 3 December 2024).

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

2-FDCK in United Kingdom, full detail →

25I-NBOMe

Legal status: 25I-NBOMe is a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, brought under permanent control by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Ketamine etc.)(Amendment) Order 2014 (SI 2014/1106, in force 10 June 2014) after an emergency Temporary Class Drug Order in June 2013; the NBOMe entry individually names the N-(2-methoxybenzyl) phenethylamine series.
Consequences if caught: Possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine; production, supply or import of a Class A drug is punishable by up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: Placed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 with no recognised medical use — not prescribable, and any handling requires a Home Office licence.
Documentation: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Ketamine etc.)(Amendment) Order 2014 (SI 2014/1106); preceding Temporary Class Drug Order 2013 (SI 2013/1294).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

25I-NBOMe in United Kingdom, full detail →

2C-E

Legal status: 2C-E is a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, caught by the generic ring-substituted phenethylamine definition in Schedule 2, Part I, paragraph 1(c) — 4-ethyl-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine is a phenethylamine substituted in the ring with alkyl and alkoxy groups, so it needs no individual naming.
Consequences if caught: Possession of 2C-E carries up to 7 years plus an unlimited fine; production or supply up to life imprisonment. As a Class A generic phenethylamine it sits at the highest UK penalty tier alongside LSD and 2C-B.
If prescribed / medical: No medicinal use; 2C-E sits in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, so it cannot be prescribed or dispensed and possession outside a Home Office licence is unlawful.
Documentation: Control flows from the phenethylamine generic (Schedule 2, Part I, para 1(c)) rather than a named entry, the same catch that brings the wider 2C series into Class A.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-E in United Kingdom, full detail →

2C-I

Legal status: 2C-I is a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, caught by the generic ring-substituted phenethylamine definition in Part I of Schedule 2 (the 2C-family entry) and separately named for EU-wide control while the UK was bound by Council Decision 2003/847/JHA (27 Nov 2003).
Consequences if caught: Possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine; production or supply carries up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
If prescribed / medical: No authorised medicinal use; placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, so lawful only under a Home Office licence for research.
Documentation: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Schedule 2, Part I (generic phenethylamine definition covering 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine); Council Decision 2003/847/JHA.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-I in United Kingdom, full detail →

2C-T-7

Legal status: Controlled — 2C-T-7 (2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylthiophenethylamine) is a Class A drug caught by the generic ring-substituted phenethylamine definition in Part I of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: its 2,5-dimethoxy (alkoxy) ring substitution brings it inside the generic, and the 4-propylthio group is a permitted 'other univalent substituent'. PHENETHYLAMINE GENERIC mechanism, not individually named.
Consequences if caught: Class A: possession up to 7 years; supply and production up to life imprisonment plus an unlimited fine.
If prescribed / medical: Schedule 1 (Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001) — no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; only a Home Office licence for research.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route; bringing 2C-T-7 across the UK border is trafficking of a Class A drug.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-T-7 in United Kingdom, full detail →

3-MMC

Legal status: 3-MMC (3-methylmethcathinone) is a controlled Class B drug, caught by the ring-substituted cathinone generic definition in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Class B, eff. 16 Apr 2010) — the same 2010 generic that captured mephedrone reaches the 3-isomer, so the UK never needed a dedicated 3-MMC amendment; the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 is a blanket backstop.
Consequences if caught: Class B: possession up to 5 years plus a fine; supply/production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine. Non-death-penalty jurisdiction.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; 3-MMC is a controlled NPS, not a licensed medicine.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled Class B substance; carrying it through UK customs is an offence.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

3-MMC in United Kingdom, full detail →

4-AcO-DMT

Legal status: 4-AcO-DMT (O-acetylpsilocin) is a Class A controlled drug in the United Kingdom, caught as an ester of psilocin. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Schedule 2 Part I lists psilocin (paragraph 1) and paragraph 3 controls 'any ester or ether' of the listed Class A drugs, so O-acetylpsilocin falls in automatically without being named. It is additionally a prohibited 'psychoactive substance' under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
Consequences if caught: Class A penalties apply: possession up to 7 years plus an unlimited fine; production, supply or importation up to life imprisonment. The PSA 2016 separately criminalises production, supply and import (up to 7 years) but not simple possession.
If prescribed / medical: No medical use; psilocin-class tryptamines sit in MDA Schedule 1, handled only under a Home Office licence for research. 4-AcO-DMT is not prescribable.
Documentation: MDA 1971 Sch 2 Part I — psilocin (para 1) plus the esters/ethers clause (para 3); reinforced by the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 blanket ban.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

4-AcO-DMT in United Kingdom, full detail →

4-HO-MET

Legal status: 4-HO-MET is a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, caught by the generic definition of tryptamines in Schedule 2, Part I, which controls any compound structurally derived from a ring-hydroxy tryptamine by alkyl substitution at the side-chain nitrogen; as a 4-hydroxy-N-methyl-N-ethyltryptamine, 4-HO-MET falls squarely inside that class definition.
Consequences if caught: Class A penalties apply: possession up to 7 years and an unlimited fine, production or supply up to life imprisonment. Because 4-HO-MET is already controlled under the 1971 Act, it sits outside the separate Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
If prescribed / medical: Placed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as a hallucinogenic tryptamine with no recognised medical use; lawful handling requires a Home Office licence, so it is not prescribable.
Documentation: Controlled by the generic tryptamine group definition rather than by its own name: the ring-hydroxy, N-alkyl tryptamine class sweeps in the whole 4-HO-DxT family (4-HO-DET, 4-HO-MIPT and the like), of which 4-HO-MET is a member. This is parent-class capture, not an individual 4-HO-MET listing, and contrasts with psilocybin/psilocin, which are named Class A entries.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

4-HO-MET in United Kingdom, full detail →

5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad)

Legal status: 5-MeO-DMT is a Class A controlled drug in the UK — caught not by an individual entry but by the generic tryptamine group definition inserted into Schedule 2 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 by SI 2014/3271, in force 7 January 2015 (contrast: DMT is individually named in Class A).
Consequences if caught: Possession, production, supply, import or export of 5-MeO-DMT is a criminal offence at Class A level under the MDA 1971 — up to 7 years for possession and up to life imprisonment for supply or production.
If prescribed / medical: Placed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 — no recognised medicinal use; lawful only under a Home Office licence for research or other special purpose.
Documentation: Not individually listed; 5-MeO-DMT is a ring-substituted N,N-dimethyltryptamine controlled under the extended generic tryptamine definition (Circular 001/2015; SI 2014/3271).

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad) in United Kingdom, full detail →

6-APB

Legal status: 6-APB is a controlled drug in the UK — individually named as part of the benzofuran group. It was placed under a Temporary Class Drug Order on 10 Jun 2013 and made a permanent Class B controlled drug on 10 Jun 2014 (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, benzofuran entactogens, Schedule 1); it is additionally covered by the blanket Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, but the named Class B control is operative. This is the flagship 'Benzo Fury' compound.
Consequences if caught: Class B: unauthorised possession up to 5 years; supply, production or import up to 14 years plus an unlimited fine. No death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; Schedule 1, available only under Home Office licence.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled Class B NPS.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

6-APB in United Kingdom, full detail →

7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)

Legal status: 7-Hydroxymitragynine, a kratom alkaloid, is controlled together with the plant (no separate isolate carve-out) under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: it and mitragynine are the psychoactive basis on which kratom falls within the Act, which bars producing, supplying, importing or exporting the leaf (simple possession is not an offence).
Consequences if caught: Producing, supplying or importing kratom (and thus its alkaloids) under the PSA 2016 carries up to 7 years plus a fine; simple possession for personal use is not an offence.
If prescribed / medical: No lawful medical route — kratom and its alkaloids have no UK marketing authorisation and are not prescribable.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for supply; importing kratom is a PSA 2016 offence, though personal possession itself is not penalised.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in United Kingdom, full detail →

Adderall

Legal status: Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) has no separate legal identity — it is regulated AS amphetamine: class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Schedule 2, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001); prepared for injection it becomes Class A.
Consequences if caught: Possession up to 5 years + unlimited fine; supply/production up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: Personal supply allowed with the dispensing prescription/GP letter; a Home Office licence is needed above a 3-month supply.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sch 2 · Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 · legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Adderall in United Kingdom, full detail →

Alcohol

Legal status: Legal — alcohol (ethanol) is a licensed, age-regulated commodity, not a controlled drug; retail and on-premise sale governed by the Licensing Act 2003, minimum purchase age 18.
Consequences if caught: No criminal penalty for possession or consumption of alcohol by adults; offences attach to unlicensed sale, sale to under-18s, and being drunk and disorderly in public (fines).
If prescribed / medical: n/a — a beverage, not a medicine.
Documentation: Freely bought at licensed shops, pubs and supermarkets on proof of age (18+); no permit or import restriction for travellers within duty allowances.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Alcohol in United Kingdom, full detail →

Amanita muscaria

Legal status: Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) and its actives muscimol/ibotenic acid are NOT controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — unlike psilocin/psilocybin fungi (magic mushrooms, Class A) — so it is not caught by the magic-mushroom control. It is, however, a 'psychoactive substance' within section 2 of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which prohibits its production, supply and import for human consumption while exempting food and leaving simple possession lawful outside custodial settings.
Consequences if caught: Simple possession of Amanita muscaria for personal use is not an offence; producing, supplying or importing it for its psychoactive effect is a Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 offence, while ornamental or food-context sale sits in the statute's exempt/gray zone.
If prescribed / medical: Amanita muscaria is not a medicine and muscimol/ibotenic acid have no UK prescription or licensed medicinal status.
Documentation: Fly agaric may be lawfully possessed and is commonly sold as an ornamental or dried specimen; the PSA 2016 trigger is supply 'for consumption', so travellers may hold it but not supply it for psychoactive use.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Amanita muscaria in United Kingdom, full detail →

Amphetamine

Legal status: Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Schedule 2, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001); prepared for injection it becomes Class A.
Consequences if caught: Possession up to 5 years + unlimited fine; supply/production up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: Personal supply allowed with the dispensing prescription/GP letter; a Home Office licence is needed above a 3-month supply.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sch 2 · Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 · legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Amphetamine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Amyl Nitrite

Legal status: Amyl nitrite is NOT controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (alkyl nitrites have never been scheduled), and the MHRA confirms no amyl-nitrite product is currently licensed as a medicine in the UK; after the 2018 Court of Appeal ruling that indirectly psychoactive substances are caught, supply of amyl nitrite for human consumption appears to fall under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, and the ACMD has recommended alkyl nitrites be exempted from that Act.
Consequences if caught: Possession of amyl nitrite is lawful and carries no controlled-drug tier. The only exposure is commercial supply-for-consumption under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (pending the recommended exemption), not a Misuse of Drugs Act penalty.
If prescribed / medical: Distinct from consumer 'poppers' (which use isopropyl/isobutyl nitrite): amyl nitrite is the specific vasodilator and cyanide-antidote compound, but the MHRA states no amyl-nitrite medicinal product is licensed in the UK, so there is no routine pharmacy or prescription supply route.
Documentation: Travellers may carry amyl nitrite for personal use without any controlled-drug licence; it is lawful to possess, with only commercial supply for human consumption regulated.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Amyl Nitrite in United Kingdom, full detail →

Ayahuasca

Legal status: In the United Kingdom the ayahuasca brew is treated simply as DMT: N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a Class A controlled drug under Schedule 2, Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (the entry extends to any stereoisomeric form, ester, ether or salt), so the DMT-containing brew is a Class A preparation and there is NO religious or traditional-use exemption for ayahuasca.
Consequences if caught: Possession, production, import or supply of the ayahuasca brew is prosecuted as a Class A drug offence (possession up to 7 years; supply or importation up to life imprisonment), and UK courts have convicted ayahuasca importers without accepting a religious defence.
If prescribed / medical: Ayahuasca/DMT has no prescription status; DMT is a Schedule 1 drug under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, meaning no recognised medical use and Home Office licence only for research.
Documentation: MDA 1971 Schedule 2, Part I names dimethyltryptamine as Class A; the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 is not needed here because DMT is already an individually named controlled drug.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Ayahuasca in United Kingdom, full detail →

Barbiturates

Legal status: Barbiturates are Class B controlled drugs (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), scheduled as a class by compound tier under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 — most (phenobarbital, amobarbital, butobarbital, pentobarbital) sit in Schedule 3, while secobarbital (quinalbarbitone) is the stricter Schedule 2; this tracks the 1971 Convention split (secobarbital Sch II, amobarbital/pentobarbital Sch III, phenobarbital/barbital Sch IV).
Consequences if caught: Class B possession without authority up to 5 years plus a fine; production or supply up to 14 years and an unlimited fine.
If prescribed / medical: Phenobarbital is dispensed as a licensed antiepileptic (a WHO Essential Medicine) and is uniquely allowed as an emergency supply for epilepsy despite Schedule 3; secobarbital (Schedule 2, CD register and safe-custody) and the other sedative barbiturates are now rarely prescribed.
Documentation: Schedule 3 barbiturates need no personal import licence — carry them in original packaging with a copy of the prescription; secobarbital as a Schedule 2 drug attracts the full controlled-drug import controls.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Barbiturates in United Kingdom, full detail →

Benzodiazepines

Legal status: Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class C drug, possession carries up to 2 years' imprisonment and supply up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: Benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam, alprazolam) are lawful to possess with a valid prescription; a statutory medical defence applies. Personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Benzodiazepines in United Kingdom, full detail →

Buprenorphine

Legal status: Buprenorphine is a Class C controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) in Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 — a lighter control tier than methadone (a Class A, Schedule 2 drug), with reduced record-keeping and safe-custody requirements. It is a licensed opioid-substitution and analgesic medicine.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession of Class C buprenorphine can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; unlawful supply or production up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed for opioid-substitution treatment (as Subutex/Suboxone) via GP shared-care or specialist services — supervised consumption initially, with take-home doses earned; also used as an analgesic.
Documentation: A Home Office personal import/export licence is advised for more than a 3-month supply; carry the medicine in original packaging with a copy of the prescription (an INCB-style multilingual certificate helps at the border).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Buprenorphine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Caffeine

Legal status: Caffeine is legal everywhere as an ordinary food and beverage ingredient; the notable UK status is a mandatory high-caffeine warning label. Retained Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (as given effect by the Food Information Regulations 2014) requires drinks containing more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre, other than those based on coffee or tea, to bear the statement “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women” with the caffeine amount in mg per 100 ml, in the same field of vision as the product name.
Consequences if caught: No penalty attaches to ordinary caffeinated foods, drinks or coffee; obligations fall on food businesses, with trading-standards enforcement of the mandatory high-caffeine labelling rather than any consumer offence.
If prescribed / medical: n/a — a food ingredient
Documentation: Ordinary caffeinated products need no documentation; drinks above 150 mg/L must carry the prescribed “High caffeine content” statement and quantified caffeine declaration.

eur-lex.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

Caffeine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Cannabis / THC

Legal status: Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class B drug, possession carries up to 5 years' imprisonment and supply up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Cannabis / THC in United Kingdom, full detail →

Cathinone

Legal status: Controlled — cathinone (the natural principal alkaloid of khat) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic listed by name and transposed into UK law as a Class C controlled drug in Part III of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Schedule 1, no medicinal use, under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001). Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT (Catha edulis leaf, separately a Class C drug since 2014) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone/MDPV etc.) that were derived from it and are caught by the separate generic-cathinone definition; cathinone itself is the named Sch-I alkaloid, while its milder metabolite cathine sits in the lesser 1971 Schedule III.
Consequences if caught: Class C / Schedule 1: unauthorised possession of the pure alkaloid up to 2 years, supply/production up to 14 years plus unlimited fine. Cathinone is rarely encountered as an isolated street substance (it is unstable and degrades to cathine). No death penalty in the UK.
If prescribed / medical: 1971 Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use; a Schedule 1 controlled drug possessable only under a Home Office research licence — not a licensed medicine and not prescribable.
Documentation: No licit personal-carry or import route for a Class C / Schedule 1 controlled drug; no prescription cover exists for the isolated alkaloid.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Cathinone in United Kingdom, full detail →

CBD

Legal status: CBD (cannabidiol) is legal as a consumer product: pure CBD isolate is not controlled, and a CBD product is lawful only as an 'exempt product' containing no more than 1 mg of any controlled cannabinoid (THC/THCV/CBN) per container under Regulation 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; ingestible CBD additionally requires FSA Novel Food authorisation.
Consequences if caught: A CBD product exceeding the 1 mg controlled-cannabinoid-per-container limit is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (supply up to 14 years), whereas a compliant exempt/authorised product carries no offence.
If prescribed / medical: Cannabidiol is licensed as the medicine Epidyolex (Epidiolex) for Dravet, Lennox-Gastaut and tuberous-sclerosis seizures, prescribed via the specialist/NHS route; distinct from cannabis, which is a Class B controlled drug.
Documentation: No import licence is needed for a compliant exempt CBD product; keep proof it is FSA-listed with no more than 1 mg controlled cannabinoids per container. Epidyolex requires a prescription.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

CBD in United Kingdom, full detail →

Clonazepam

Legal status: Clonazepam is a Class C controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), placed in Schedule 4 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as a benzodiazepine — a low control tier: legal to possess and use with a valid prescription.
Consequences if caught: Possession without a prescription can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed and dispensed as a licensed benzodiazepine medicine (available on the NHS).
Documentation: Schedule 4 Part I benzodiazepines need no personal import/export licence — carry the medicine in original packaging with a copy of your prescription (roughly up to a 3-month supply).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Clonazepam in United Kingdom, full detail →

Cocaine

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Cocaine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Codeine

Legal status: Codeine is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; low-dose combination products (e.g. co-codamol 8/500, up to 12.8 mg codeine per unit) are Pharmacy-only (P) medicines sold without a prescription, while higher-strength codeine is Prescription-Only. The MHRA imposed a 3-day maximum-use warning and a 32-tablet pack cap in 2009, and a 2019 review kept low-dose codeine at Pharmacy (P) rather than up-scheduling it to prescription.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession of codeine outside a licensed medicine can carry up to 5 years (Class B); supply or production up to 14 years plus an unlimited fine. Lawful pharmacy sale and prescribed use are legal.
If prescribed / medical: Low-dose combinations are sold over the pharmacy counter under pharmacist supervision; higher-strength codeine is prescribed as a Class B controlled medicine (low-dose combinations fall in Schedule 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001).
Documentation: Codeine is legal to carry as a reasonable personal supply in original packaging; a copy of the prescription is advisable for higher-strength products. No traveller trap for the UK.

gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Codeine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Crack Cocaine

Legal status: Crack is the freebase (base) form of cocaine and has no separate legal identity in the United Kingdom: it is controlled AS cocaine, a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, whose Schedule 2 entry covers cocaine together with 'any salt of cocaine' and any preparation or product containing it, which reaches the base/freebase form. Crack is therefore a Class A controlled drug in identical terms to powder cocaine.
Consequences if caught: Possession of crack (as cocaine) carries up to 7 years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine; supply, production or possession-with-intent carries up to life imprisonment (Class A maxima).
If prescribed / medical: Medical cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) remains a Schedule 2 controlled medicine usable as a topical ENT anaesthetic under licence; the crack/freebase base has no pharmaceutical form and is never prescribed.
Documentation: No patient or prescription documentation exists for crack/freebase cocaine; it is not a licensed medicine in any form.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Crack Cocaine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Delta-8-THC

Legal status: Controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Delta-8-THC (Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol) is not individually named but is caught as a tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabinol derivative — the Home Office confirms 'delta-8-THC is a cannabinol derivative controlled as a Class B drug' — and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 is a blanket backstop. Distinct from cannabis (also Class B); unlike the US hemp market there is no delta-8 loophole here. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: Illegal; possession up to 5 years, supply/production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; delta-8-THC is not a licensed medicine and is not used in UK medical-cannabis prescriptions (which use delta-9 products). Not lawful even under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 CBD exemption (≤1 mg THC per container).
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled tetrahydrocannabinol; do not carry.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Delta-8-THC in United Kingdom, full detail →

Diazepam

Legal status: Diazepam is a Class C controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), placed in Schedule 4 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as a benzodiazepine — a low control tier: legal to possess and use with a valid prescription.
Consequences if caught: Possession without a prescription can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed and dispensed as a licensed benzodiazepine medicine (available on the NHS).
Documentation: Schedule 4 Part I benzodiazepines need no personal import/export licence — carry the medicine in original packaging with a copy of your prescription (roughly up to a 3-month supply).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Diazepam in United Kingdom, full detail →

DOM

Legal status: DOM (STP) is a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Schedule 2, Part I), named as 2,5-dimethoxy-alpha,4-dimethylphenethylamine — the UK transposition of DOM's individual listing in Schedule I of the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances; also Schedule 1 (no recognised medical use) under the 2001 Regulations.
Consequences if caught: Possession carries up to 7 years plus a fine; production or supply up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine (Class A offences under ss.4-5 MDA 1971).
If prescribed / medical: Schedule 1 of the 2001 Regulations: no recognised medicinal use; lawful only under a Home Office licence for research. Not prescribable.
Documentation: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Schedule 2, Part I, para 1(a); Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, Schedule 1.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

DOM in United Kingdom, full detail →

DXM

Legal status: Over-the-counter cough medicine, NOT a controlled drug (not scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971). Single-ingredient dextromethorphan (DXM) linctus is a Pharmacy (P) medicine sold under pharmacist supervision; the MHRA restricted paediatric OTC cough medicines to pharmacy supply (ages 6-12), while some lower-dose combination products remain General Sale List (GSL).
Consequences if caught: No Misuse of Drugs Act offence for DXM; supplying it outside the P/GSL framework is a medicines-regulatory offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
If prescribed / medical: Cough-suppressant status: OTC — Pharmacy (P) medicine for single-ingredient DXM, some GSL combinations; no prescription required.
Documentation: Travellers can buy DXM cough medicine at a UK pharmacy without a prescription; single-ingredient linctus is kept behind the pharmacy counter.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

DXM in United Kingdom, full detail →

Ephedrine

Legal status: Regulated as a chemical PRECURSOR (1988 UN Convention Table I — a methamphetamine precursor), NOT as a scheduled narcotic; pure ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under the retained EU precursor regime (Home Office licensing). Also a Pharmacy/POM medicine (OTC capped at 180 mg).
Consequences if caught: Diversion/unlicensed handling of a Category-1 precursor is a precursor offence (not trafficking); simple possession of ephedrine is not a drug-possession crime.
If prescribed / medical: Also a pharmacy/prescription decongestant-bronchodilator medicine subject to sales limits; carry documentation for a personal supply.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

gov.uk · legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Ephedrine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Etizolam

Legal status: Etizolam is a Class C controlled drug in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2017 (SI 2017/634) — unlike the prescribable benzodiazepines it has NO recognised UK medical use and is never prescribable.
Consequences if caught: Possession up to 2 years; supply or production up to 14 years plus a fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: No legitimate UK medicine — etizolam is Schedule 1 (no recognised medical use), so there is no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: There is no lawful personal-import route for a Schedule 1 designer benzodiazepine.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Etizolam in United Kingdom, full detail →

Fentanyl

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Fentanyl in United Kingdom, full detail →

Gabapentin

Legal status: Gabapentin is a Class C controlled drug in Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, controlled since 1 April 2019: the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2018 added gabapentin (Neurontin) alongside pregabalin after the ACMD linked both gabapentinoids to abuse, diversion and drug-related deaths. It is the notable jurisdiction where gabapentin is scheduled rather than an ordinary prescription-only medicine.
Consequences if caught: As a Class C drug, possession of gabapentin without a prescription is an offence (up to 2 years plus a fine) and unlawful supply or possession-with-intent carries up to 14 years; sharing or selling one's own prescribed supply is trafficking.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed lawfully for epilepsy and neuropathic pain, but Schedule 3 controls apply: prescriptions must meet CD requirements and be dispensed within 28 days, though gabapentin is exempt from safe-custody storage and CD-register recording.
Documentation: Patients hold it lawfully with a valid prescription/dispensing label; the 28-day dispensing window and prescription-writing requirements of Schedule 3 apply.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Gabapentin in United Kingdom, full detail →

GBL

Legal status: GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — GBL and 1,4-BD were specifically designated in 2009 and reclassified Class C to Class B in 2022. GBL is named (not caught only by analogue wording), and it is placed in no Schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; regulation 4B supplies a legitimate-industrial-use carve-out.
Consequences if caught: Import, export, production, supply or possession of GBL is an offence only where it is intended for human ingestion (other than as a food flavouring) — the reg 4B non-ingestion structure; supplying while knowing or believing it will be ingested attracts Class B penalties (up to 5 years for possession, 14 years for supply).
If prescribed / medical: GBL is not a medicine and holds no medicinal-product authorisation; it is a bulk industrial solvent and chemical feedstock. Legitimate industrial users need no Home Office controlled-drug licence, relying on the reg 4B lawful-non-ingestion exemption.
Documentation: Industrial and commercial GBL (solvent, cleaner, feedstock) circulates lawfully, but 'cleaner' products marketed for ingestion are prosecutable; a traveller carrying GBL for personal ingestion faces Class B possession liability.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

GBL in United Kingdom, full detail →

GHB

Legal status: Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class C drug, possession carries up to 2 years' imprisonment and supply up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

GHB in United Kingdom, full detail →

Heroin

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: Diamorphine (heroin) is lawful to possess only with a valid prescription; a statutory medical defence applies to prescribed medicines. Personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Heroin in United Kingdom, full detail →

HHC

Legal status: HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) is not individually named in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but it is caught as a psychoactive substance under the blanket Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 — producing, supplying, importing or exporting it is an offence.
Consequences if caught: Production, supply, import and export carry up to 7 years under the PSA 2016; simple possession is an offence only in a custodial institution. Distinct from cannabis, a Class B drug under the MDA 1971 for which possession is an offence in all settings.
If prescribed / medical: No prescription or licensed medical HHC product exists; the PSA 2016 exempts only investigational or licensed medicines, none of which contain HHC.
Documentation: HHC's semi-synthetic (hydrogenated-THC) structure meant it slipped the MDA's 'tetrahydrocannabinols and their isomers' entry, so the UK relies on the 2016 blanket NPS regime rather than a named MDA scheduling. Internationally, the CND placed HHC in Schedule II of the 1971 Psychotropic Convention on 13 March 2025 (in force 6 December 2025) — the first semi-synthetic cannabinoid under international control.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

HHC in United Kingdom, full detail →

Hydrocodone

Legal status: Hydrocodone is a Class A controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (controlled-drug prescription-only medicine); it is not marketed in the UK (no marketing authorisation) but sits in the same strong-opioid controlled tier as morphine and oxycodone — its placement is left to confirmation as Class A.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession of a Class A drug carries up to 7 years plus a fine; supply or trafficking up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: No marketed UK hydrocodone product; a strong opioid in this tier would be dispensed only as a Schedule 2 controlled-drug prescription-only medicine.
Documentation: For a lawfully prescribed Schedule 2 opioid, carry it in original packaging with the prescription or a doctor's letter (up to a 3-month personal supply); a Home Office personal import/export licence is advisable for longer trips.

gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Hydrocodone in United Kingdom, full detail →

Ketamine

Legal status: Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class B drug, possession carries up to 5 years' imprisonment and supply up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Ketamine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Khat

Legal status: Controlled. PLANT NAMED: khat (the leaves, stems and shoots of Catha edulis) is individually scheduled as a Class C controlled drug in Part III of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, added by SI 2014/1352 in force 24 June 2014; the alkaloids cathinone and cathine are separately controlled. Mechanism: NAMED (plant).
Consequences if caught: Possession of fresh leaf is a Class C offence (up to 2 years); supply/production/import up to 14 years. Fresh khat is routinely seized at UK airports.
If prescribed / medical: Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription or medical-import route.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route; perishable fresh leaf is prohibited to carry or mail into the UK and is seized at the border.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Khat in United Kingdom, full detail →

Kratom

Legal status: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but its production, supply, import and export are illegal under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016; simple personal possession is not an offence. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are caught via the Act's general psychoactivity test rather than being separately scheduled.
Consequences if caught: Producing, supplying, importing or exporting kratom can carry up to 7 years under the PSA 2016; simple possession (outside a custodial institution) is not an offence.
If prescribed / medical: No lawful medical route — kratom is not a licensed medicine and is not prescribable in the UK.
Documentation: Importing kratom for personal use is an offence under the PSA 2016; there is no personal-import allowance.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Kratom in United Kingdom, full detail →

Lorazepam

Legal status: Lorazepam is a Class C controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971), placed in Schedule 4 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as a benzodiazepine — a low control tier: legal to possess and use with a valid prescription.
Consequences if caught: Possession without a prescription can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed and dispensed as a licensed benzodiazepine medicine (available on the NHS).
Documentation: Schedule 4 Part I benzodiazepines need no personal import/export licence — carry the medicine in original packaging with a copy of your prescription (roughly up to a 3-month supply).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Lorazepam in United Kingdom, full detail →

LSA (Morning Glory)

Legal status: LSA (ergine, d-lysergic acid amide) is a Class A controlled drug named in its own right as "Lysergamide" in Part I of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (LSD appears as a separate entry, "Lysergide and other N-alkyl derivatives of lysergamide"). The compound itself is scheduled, but the morning-glory and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds that contain it are sold openly as ornamentals and are not themselves controlled — the classic seeds-legal / compound-scheduled split.
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession of extracted LSA/ergine carries up to 7 years and production or supply up to life imprisonment plus an unlimited fine; buying or holding the ornamental seeds is not prosecuted, but extracting or possessing the LSA they contain is a Class A offence.
If prescribed / medical: No prescription or recognised medical use; lysergamide sits in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, obtainable only under a Home Office licence for research.
Documentation: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Schedule 2, Part I (Class A drugs) — the named entry "Lysergamide" (= LSA/ergine), distinct from the "Lysergide" (LSD) entry; the seeds are ornamental plant material outside the substance schedule.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

LSA (Morning Glory) in United Kingdom, full detail →

LSD

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

LSD in United Kingdom, full detail →

MDA

Legal status: Controlled — MDA is individually named as a Class A drug in Schedule 2 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (listed as a ring-substituted methylenedioxyamphetamine). NAMED mechanism, not NPS-generic.
Consequences if caught: Class A: possession up to 7 years; supply/production up to life imprisonment plus unlimited fine.
If prescribed / medical: Schedule 1 (Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001) — no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; Home Office research licence only.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a Class A controlled drug; carrying MDA across the UK border is trafficking.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

MDA in United Kingdom, full detail →

MDMA

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

MDMA in United Kingdom, full detail →

MDPV

Legal status: Controlled. MDPV is caught by the cathinone generic definition inserted into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a Class B drug, in force 16 Apr 2010 (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2010, SI 2010/1207); that generic was drafted to permit N-pyrrolidyl and ring substitution and so expressly reaches the pyrrolidine cathinone MDPV (ACMD/Home Office and EMCDDA list it controlled from that date). The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 is a blanket-NPS backstop for anything the generic misses.
Consequences if caught: Illegal as a Class B drug: possession up to 5 years, supply/production up to 14 years plus unlimited fine. No death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: MDPV has no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in the UK.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled Class B substance; do not carry.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

MDPV in United Kingdom, full detail →

Memantine

Legal status: Memantine is a prescription-only medicine (POM), not a controlled drug: it is licensed by the MHRA under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and does not appear on any schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 or its Regulations 2001.
Consequences if caught: Because memantine is not a narcotic or psychotropic, possession attracts no controlled-drug penalty; unauthorised sale or supply of a POM is a medicines-law offence, not a Misuse of Drugs Act trafficking offence.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed for moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease; dispensed only against a prescriber's order as a POM.
Documentation: Memantine hydrochloride is marketed as Ebixa and numerous generics on the MHRA products register; travellers carry it lawfully with a prescription or dispensing label.

products.mhra.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Memantine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Mephedrone (4-MMC)

Legal status: Controlled — GENERIC (the archetypal case). Mephedrone is never individually named; it is caught by the world-first generic cathinone definition inserted into Class B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Sch 2 Pt 2) by the MDA 1971 (Amendment) Order 2010 — import ban 29 Mar 2010, full control eff. 16 Apr 2010; Schedule 1 (no medicinal use) under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. The blanket Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 also exists but is superseded here by the MDA cathinone generic.
Consequences if caught: Class B / Schedule 1: unauthorised possession up to 5 years, supply/production up to 14 years plus unlimited fine. No death penalty in the UK.
If prescribed / medical: Schedule 1 controlled drug with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; possession lawful only under a Home Office research licence.
Documentation: No licit personal-carry or import route for a Class B / Schedule 1 controlled drug; travellers cannot bring mephedrone in under any prescription cover.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Mephedrone (4-MMC) in United Kingdom, full detail →

Methadone

Legal status: Methadone is a Class A controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) placed in Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 — a full narcotic-control tier, lawfully prescribed for opioid-substitution treatment (OST) and analgesia.
Consequences if caught: Unlawful possession of a Class A drug carries up to 7 years plus a fine; supply or production up to life.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a Schedule 2 controlled drug for OST (GP/specialist shared-care, supervised consumption initially, take-home doses earned) and for pain.
Documentation: A Home Office personal import/export licence is needed for more than a 3-month supply; otherwise carry the medicine in original packaging with a copy of your prescription or an INCB-style multilingual doctor's certificate.

gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Methadone in United Kingdom, full detail →

Methamphetamine

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Methamphetamine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Methaqualone (Quaaludes)

Legal status: Methaqualone is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — a named national transposition of its 1971 UN Convention Schedule II status; it is a withdrawn sedative-hypnotic with no marketed medical use in the UK.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession can carry up to 5 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class B).
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use / withdrawn — methaqualone is not a licensed medicine in the UK and cannot be prescribed or dispensed.
Documentation: No legitimate medical or traveller route exists; there is no prescription pathway, and any importation without a Home Office licence is treated as trafficking.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Methaqualone (Quaaludes) in United Kingdom, full detail →

Methylone

Legal status: Controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — methylone is NOT individually named but is caught by the GENERIC cathinone definition inserted by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2010 (SI 2010/1207, in force 16 Apr 2010), which captures ring-substituted cathinones. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: Illegal; possession up to 5 years, supply/production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; methylone is not a licensed medicine in the UK.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for a controlled NPS; do not carry.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Methylone in United Kingdom, full detail →

Methylphenidate

Legal status: Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Schedule 2, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001).
Consequences if caught: Possession up to 5 years + unlimited fine; supply/production up to 14 years.
If prescribed / medical: Prescription ADHD/narcolepsy medicine (e.g. Ritalin/Concerta) via controlled channels; carry the original prescription and any required import permit.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Sch 2 (Schedule 2 CD) · legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Methylphenidate in United Kingdom, full detail →

Mitragynine

Legal status: Mitragynine, the principal alkaloid of kratom, has no separate legal identity in the United Kingdom: it is not scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but as the psychoactive basis of the leaf it is controlled together with the plant under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which prohibits producing, supplying, importing or exporting kratom (simple possession is not an offence).
Consequences if caught: Producing, supplying or importing kratom (and thus its alkaloids) under the PSA 2016 carries up to 7 years plus a fine; simple possession for personal use is not an offence.
If prescribed / medical: No lawful medical route — kratom and its alkaloids have no UK marketing authorisation and are not prescribable.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for supply; importing kratom is a PSA 2016 offence, though personal possession itself is not penalised.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Mitragynine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Modafinil

Legal status: Prescription-only medicine under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 — NOT a controlled drug (not scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971).
Consequences if caught: Possession for personal use is not a criminal drug offence; unlicensed supply/sale/import is an offence under the HMR 2012.
If prescribed / medical: Personal-import exemption tolerates ~3 months' supply with genuine medical need.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (POM, not a controlled drug) · legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Modafinil in United Kingdom, full detail →

Morphine

Legal status: Morphine is a Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and a Schedule 2 controlled drug (CD POM) under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 — a marketed strong-opioid analgesic available on prescription.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession up to 7 years; supply or production up to life imprisonment (Class A).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed and dispensed as a Schedule 2 controlled drug for severe and cancer pain, subject to controlled-drug prescription and record requirements.
Documentation: A Home Office personal import/export licence is advisable for more than a 3-month supply; carry the medicine in original packaging with a doctor's letter or copy of the prescription and declare it.

gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Morphine in United Kingdom, full detail →

MXE

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 / 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.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

MXE in United Kingdom, full detail →

Nicotine

Legal status: Nicotine is legal in the United Kingdom in tobacco, in nicotine-replacement therapy and in refillable/rechargeable vapes regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. The notable nicotine-delivery divergence is a partial product ban: from 1 June 2025 the sale and supply of single-use (disposable) vapes — including non-nicotine versions — is prohibited UK-wide, so lawful vapes must be rechargeable and refillable.
Consequences if caught: Selling or supplying a single-use vape is a business offence: an initial £200 fixed penalty with seizure of stock, rising to an unlimited fine or imprisonment for persistent breaches. Consumer possession and use of compliant refillable vapes remains lawful.
If prescribed / medical: Nicotine-replacement therapy is sold over the counter and on prescription; a licensed medicinal vape may additionally be prescribed, but consumer vaping does not require a prescription.
Documentation: Retailers must stock only rechargeable/refillable TRPR-compliant products; no consumer permit is required to possess a legal vape.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Nicotine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Nitrous Oxide

Legal status: Controlled with an INTENT element. Nitrous oxide is a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023), in force 8 November 2023; possession is an offence only where the gas is, or is likely to be, wrongfully inhaled for a psychoactive effect, while medical, dental, veterinary, industrial and catering (whipped-cream propellant, E942) uses are exempt under the Misuse of Drugs (England and Wales and Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023.
Consequences if caught: Possession-for-inhalation carries up to 2 years for repeat/serious offenders plus an unlimited fine; production and supply up to 14 years. No death penalty (non-DP).
If prescribed / medical: Legitimate medical/anaesthetic and food-grade (E942) nitrous oxide remains lawful; healthcare, motor and culinary supply is exempt from the MDA control.
Documentation: Cream chargers and catering cylinders are legal to buy and carry for genuine culinary use; carrying canisters with balloons or crackers for inhalation evidences psychoactive intent and is prosecutable.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Nitrous Oxide in United Kingdom, full detail →

Oxycodone

Legal status: Oxycodone is a Class A controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) in Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (CD POM) — a marketed strong-opioid analgesic (OxyContin/OxyNorm) under full narcotic control.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession up to 7 years plus a fine; supply or production up to life imprisonment (Class A).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a Schedule 2 Controlled Drug on a prescription meeting CD requirements; dispensing is recorded in the controlled-drugs register.
Documentation: Carry in original packaging with the prescription or a doctor's letter; a Home Office personal import/export licence is advisable for supplies over 3 months (roughly a 3-month personal carry otherwise).

gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Oxycodone in United Kingdom, full detail →

Peyote

Legal status: Mescaline is named as a Class A drug in Schedule 2, Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; the peyote (Lophophora) cactus is not itself listed, so the living plant is a lawful ornamental, but any preparation or product containing mescaline is a Class A controlled drug.
Consequences if caught: Possession or supply of peyote prepared or processed so as to be a mescaline-containing product is a Class A offence; the intact living cactus is not caught by the mescaline entry.
If prescribed / medical: Mescaline is Class A with no routine therapeutic use; peyote preparations are not prescribable outside a Home Office licence.
Documentation: MDA 1971 Schedule 2 Part I lists "Mescaline" by name; the schedule contains no botanical entry for peyote, Lophophora or mescaline-containing plants.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Peyote in United Kingdom, full detail →

Phenibut

Legal status: Phenibut is caught by the blanket Psychoactive Substances Act 2016: as a psychoactive substance with no UK medicines licence and outside the Act's exempted categories, its production, supply, offer to supply and importation are prohibited (mechanism: blanket-NPS, not individually named); it is not scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Consequences if caught: Producing, supplying, offering to supply or importing phenibut is an offence under the 2016 Act; simple possession for personal use is not an offence except in a custodial institution, which leaves a grey area around personal use.
If prescribed / medical: Phenibut is not licensed as a medicine in the UK and has no prescription or medicinal status.
Documentation: Because import and supply are banned, lawful purchase of phenibut is difficult; sellers sometimes exploit the Act's food/supplement gaps, but importing it falls within the supply/import prohibition, and personal-use possession outcomes are left to confirmation.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Phenibut in United Kingdom, full detail →

Pink Cocaine / Tusi

Legal status: Pink cocaine (tusi) is not scheduled as such; it is a variable street mixture (typically ketamine + MDMA, often caffeine, rarely any real 2C-B) and is prosecuted through its constituents — the UK controls MDMA as a Class A drug and ketamine as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and the Act reaches any preparation or product containing a controlled drug. Because the blend varies batch to batch, exposure follows the most-severely-controlled component detected, so an MDMA-containing tusi sample is treated as Class A.
Consequences if caught: Penalties track the worst constituent: an MDMA-positive mixture is Class A (possession up to 7 years, supply/production up to life); a ketamine-only mixture is Class B (possession up to 5 years, supply up to 14 years).
If prescribed / medical: There is no lawful supply of pink cocaine; of its usual constituents only ketamine is a licensed medicine (Schedule 2 anaesthetic, prescription-only), while MDMA has no marketed medical use.
Documentation: Sold as a party powder with no standard recipe; because composition varies batch to batch, a buyer cannot know which controlled drug is present, so legal exposure is unknowable at purchase and any sample can be charged at its most-serious constituent (typically Class A MDMA).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Pink Cocaine / Tusi in United Kingdom, full detail →

Poppers

Legal status: Poppers (alkyl nitrites) are NOT controlled as a drug — they are not treated as a 'psychoactive substance' under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 because the ACMD advised they act peripherally (vasodilation) rather than directly on the central nervous system, and are outside the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD's updated harms assessment (May 2024) recommended a formal statutory exemption to remove the ambiguity left by the 2018 Court of Appeal indirect-effect ruling. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: Lawful to buy and possess; personal use, sale and supply of alkyl nitrite poppers are not criminal offences under the PSA 2016 or the MDA 1971.
If prescribed / medical: Poppers are sold as consumer products (marketed as room odourisers/leather cleaners), not as a medicine; the related compound amyl nitrite is separately a licensed/prescription medical product.
Documentation: Openly sold in shops and online; travellers may carry personal quantities — no controlled-drug licence needed.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Poppers in United Kingdom, full detail →

Pregabalin

Legal status: Pregabalin (Lyrica) is a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and sits in Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, in force since 1 April 2019 on ACMD advice about diversion and dependence; the UK is one of the few places that controls BOTH gabapentinoids equally, gabapentin having been scheduled at the same time.
Consequences if caught: Possession without a prescription can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a Schedule 3 controlled medicine; prescriptions must be signed by the prescriber and dispensed within 28 days, but pregabalin is exempt from safe-custody and CD-register requirements.
Documentation: Carry it in original packaging with the original prescription or a doctor's letter; a personal import/export licence is advisable above a 3-month supply.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Pregabalin in United Kingdom, full detail →

Psilocybin

Legal status: Class A controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Consequences if caught: As a Class A drug, possession carries up to 7 years' imprisonment plus an unlimited fine, and supply or production carries up to life imprisonment.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Psilocybin in United Kingdom, full detail →

Quetiapine

Legal status: Quetiapine is a prescription-only medicine (POM), not a controlled drug: it is licensed by the MHRA (Seroquel, Seroquel XL and many quetiapine fumarate generics) under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and does not appear on any schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 or the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
Consequences if caught: Because quetiapine is neither a narcotic nor a psychotropic under the Act, possession attracts no controlled-drug penalty; unauthorised sale or supply of this POM is a medicines-law offence, not a Misuse of Drugs Act trafficking offence.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as an atypical antipsychotic for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and adjunctive major depression; dispensed only against a prescriber's order. Diversion and sedative misuse are documented in prison and hostel settings, where supply is monitored, but it remains a POM rather than a scheduled drug.
Documentation: Quetiapine fumarate is listed across hundreds of product files on the MHRA products register; travellers carry it lawfully with a prescription or dispensing label.

products.mhra.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Quetiapine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Salvia divinorum

Legal status: Controlled by blanket NPS law. Salvia divinorum is NOT a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; instead it is caught by the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which prohibits producing, supplying, importing or exporting any psychoactive substance for human consumption. Mechanism: BLANKET NPS (salvia is a general psychoactive substance, not individually scheduled).
Consequences if caught: Producing, supplying, offering to supply, importing or exporting salvia for consumption is an offence (up to 7 years). Simple possession of salvia for personal use is not itself an offence under the 2016 Act, except possession inside a custodial institution.
If prescribed / medical: Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A have no marketing authorisation and no recognised medical use in the UK; there is no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No lawful commercial import route for human consumption; shipments of salvia leaf/extract are treated as prohibited imports and seized.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Salvia divinorum in United Kingdom, full detail →

Scopolamine (Devil's Breath)

Legal status: Scopolamine (hyoscine) is a licensed medicine, not a controlled drug: hyoscine hydrobromide and hyoscine butylbromide are MHRA-authorised under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and appear on no schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The Scopoderm 1.5mg transdermal motion-sickness patch is a Pharmacy (P) medicine sold under pharmacist supervision, and Kwells hyoscine hydrobromide tablets are available on general sale.
Consequences if caught: Because hyoscine is not a narcotic or psychotropic, possession attracts no controlled-drug penalty; unauthorised supply of a P or POM medicine is a medicines-law matter, not a Misuse of Drugs Act trafficking offence.
If prescribed / medical: The Scopoderm patch is sold by pharmacists without prescription for motion/travel sickness; injectable hyoscine hydrobromide (anaesthetic premedication, palliative respiratory secretions) is prescription-only, and Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide) is a pharmacy antispasmodic.
Documentation: Scopoderm 1.5mg / Scopoderm TTS patches are MHRA-licensed for travel/motion sickness in those aged 10 and over; travellers carry them lawfully as an over-the-counter pharmacy product.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Scopolamine (Devil's Breath) in United Kingdom, full detail →

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice)

Legal status: Controlled as a class. The first and second generations of synthetic cannabinoids (JWH-, AM-, naphthoylindole 'Spice'/'Black Mamba' compounds) were caught by generic definitions inserted into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as Class B drugs (2009 and 2013), and the 'third generation' synthetic cannabinoids were brought under a wider generic definition as Class B by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2016 (SI 2016/1109), in force December 2016. The blanket Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 is a backstop for any synthetic cannabinoid the generics miss.
Consequences if caught: Illegal as Class B drugs: possession up to 5 years, supply/production up to 14 years plus unlimited fine. No death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: Synthetic cannabinoids of this class have no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in the UK (Schedule 1, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001).
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for these controlled Class B substances; do not carry.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice) in United Kingdom, full detail →

THC-P

Legal status: THC-P (tetrahydrocannabiphorol) is a controlled Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — not by name but through the generic control of 'cannabinol derivatives', which the Act defines to include the tetrahydro derivatives of cannabinol and their 3-alkyl homologues; as a THC homologue carrying a seven-carbon (heptyl) side chain in place of THC's pentyl chain, THC-P falls within that generic text. The ACMD confirmed (report of 22 May 2025) that 'THC homologues (compounds with shorter or longer chain lengths)' are already caught as Class B, distinct from HHC/CBD derivatives which sit outside it. This contrasts with cannabis itself, which is separately Class B. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: Treated as a Class B controlled drug: possession up to 5 years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine; production or supply up to 14 years and/or an unlimited fine under the MDA 1971.
If prescribed / medical: THC-P has no marketing authorisation and no recognised medical use; it is a Schedule 1 / Class B substance with no lawful prescription route, available only under a Home Office licence for research.
Documentation: No lawful consumer market once treated as a cannabinol derivative; retail 'THCP' vapes and flower are sold in a legal grey area that the ACMD has recommended closing by updating the generic text. Do not import or carry.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

THC-P in United Kingdom, full detail →

Tobacco

Legal status: Tobacco is legal and regulated in the United Kingdom, but the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 (2026 c. 18) enacts a rolling generational prohibition: nobody born on or after 1 January 2009 may ever be sold tobacco, herbal smoking products or cigarette papers. The Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, with the annually escalating age of sale taking effect from 1 January 2027.
Consequences if caught: The regulated act is sale, not possession or use: it becomes an offence for retailers to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, enforced against the seller. Adults born before that date remain able to buy tobacco.
If prescribed / medical: n/a — tobacco is not a prescription product.
Documentation: Retailer age verification; no consumer permit or licence.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Tobacco in United Kingdom, full detail →

Tramadol

Legal status: Tramadol is a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and sits in Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (added 10 June 2014), though it is exempt from safe-custody requirements; it is lawful to possess and use on a valid prescription.
Consequences if caught: Possession without a prescription can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed and dispensed as a Schedule 3 controlled medicine (available on the NHS).
Documentation: Carry the medicine in original packaging with the original prescription or a doctor's letter; a personal import/export licence is advisable for trips carrying more than a 3-month supply.

gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Tramadol in United Kingdom, full detail →

Xanax (Alprazolam)

Legal status: Alprazolam is a Class C controlled drug (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) in Schedule 4 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, BUT — unlike diazepam, lorazepam and clonazepam — alprazolam has NO UK marketing authorisation: it is unlicensed and available only on a private prescription, not on the NHS.
Consequences if caught: Possession without a prescription can carry up to 2 years plus a fine; supply or production up to 14 years and an unlimited fine (Class C).
If prescribed / medical: Alprazolam is unlicensed in the UK — obtainable only on a private prescription (not NHS-funded); the other benzodiazepines here are licensed medicines.
Documentation: Schedule 4 Part I benzodiazepines need no personal import/export licence — carry the medicine in original packaging with a copy of your prescription (roughly up to a 3-month supply).

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 13, 2026

Xanax (Alprazolam) in United Kingdom, full detail →

Xylazine

Legal status: Xylazine is regulated in the UK as a veterinary medicine, not as a controlled drug: it is a Prescription-Only Medicine – Veterinarian (POM-V) authorised by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 and does not currently appear on any schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD recommended (February 2024, reaffirmed October 2025) that xylazine be added to Class C / Schedule 4 Part 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations — an emerging human-use control not yet enacted.
Consequences if caught: Because xylazine is not a controlled drug, street possession attracts no Misuse of Drugs Act penalty; unauthorised supply of a POM-V is a veterinary-medicines offence rather than drug trafficking, though its spread as a 'tranq' adulterant in illicit opioids drove the ACMD's control recommendation.
If prescribed / medical: Supplied only on a veterinary surgeon's prescription following clinical assessment of an animal under the vet's care; there is no authorised human indication for xylazine.
Documentation: Xylazine injectables (e.g. Rompun, Chanazine, Nerfasin) are VMD-authorised POM-V veterinary products dispensed by veterinary surgeons and pharmacists; no human-medicine authorisation exists.

legislation.gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Xylazine in United Kingdom, full detail →

Zolpidem

Legal status: Zolpidem is a controlled drug: Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and Schedule 4 Part I of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (named-substance control transposing the 1971 Convention Schedule IV listing of zolpidem).
Consequences if caught: Unlawful supply or production of this Class C hypnotic carries up to 14 years and a fine; simple possession of Schedule 4 Part I zolpidem held without a prescription is not itself an offence, but diversion and supply are prosecuted.
If prescribed / medical: Zolpidem is prescribed for short-term insomnia; as a Schedule 4 Part I drug it is subject to record-keeping but not the safe-custody or CD-register rules that apply to Schedules 2 and 3.
Documentation: Patients may carry their own prescribed zolpidem; a Schedule 4 Part I drug does not require a personal Home Office export/import licence for a traveller carrying under three months' supply, though a covering prescription letter is advised.

gov.uk · Updated July 14, 2026

Zolpidem in United Kingdom, full detail →

Not individually verified

For these 4 substances the governing national drug law is cited, but we have not verified that the substance specifically is scheduled under it. Treat them as unanswered, not as legal. Confirm with United Kingdom’s drug authority or your embassy.

2C-B

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the UK Home Office / your embassy
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not named by the reachable UK sources (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 / CPS). It may nonetheless be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — verify with the Home Office before travel.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

DMT

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the UK Home Office / your embassy
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not named by the reachable UK sources (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 / CPS). It may nonetheless be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — verify with the Home Office before travel.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Mescaline

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the UK Home Office / your embassy
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not named by the reachable UK sources (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 / CPS). It may nonetheless be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — verify with the Home Office before travel.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

PCP

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the UK Home Office / your embassy
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not named by the reachable UK sources (Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 / CPS). It may nonetheless be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 — verify with the Home Office before travel.
If prescribed / medical: A statutory medical defence applies to medicines lawfully prescribed and dispensed; personal import of a prescribed controlled drug (up to a 3-month supply) is permitted with documentation.
Documentation: Personal import of prescribed controlled drugs is allowed: up to a 3-month supply may be carried without a Home Office licence if the drug was lawfully prescribed and dispensed in your country of residence. Carry the original prescription, declare the medicine, and keep quantities matched to personal need.

legislation.gov.uk · cps.gov.uk · gov.uk · Updated June 25, 2026

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary by country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with the destination’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 →

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