MDMA legal status
A starting point for reading official rules, not advice for a particular situation.
| Country | General status | Research / therapy distinction | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Federally controlled; no general recreational authorizationOfficial source | The cited FDA decision is dated August 2024; check later regulatory actions before relying on it. FDA issued a complete response letter declining to approve an application for MDMA capsules for PTSD in its submitted form. Clinical trials are research, not routine approved treatment. | 2026-11-14 |
| United Kingdom | Class A controlled drug; Schedule 1 under the 2001 RegulationsOfficial source | MDMA is not a routinely prescribable medicine in the UK. Schedule 1 controlled drugs have no UK marketing authorisation as medicines and are subject to strict access controls; research access requires applicable Home Office licensing. | 2026-11-14 |
| Germany | Listed in Anlage I of the BtMGOfficial source | MDMA is not presented here as a routinely approved therapy. The legal listing and any research or medical exception must be checked against current German law and relevant authorizations. | 2026-11-14 |
| Netherlands | Schedule I hard drug under the Opium ActOfficial source | A Dutch government report says prescribing MDMA remains prohibited unless an exception applies. Human medical and scientific research may take place in specified institutions and within applicable authorization requirements; that is not general access to therapy. | 2026-11-14 |
| Sweden | Narcotic drug, listed in Swedish List IOfficial source | No routine MDMA therapy authorization is described here. Any research or other handling requires verification of current Swedish permits and rules. | 2026-11-14 |
| Australia | Schedule 9 except for a narrow Schedule 8 therapeutic-use entryOfficial source | Since 1 July 2023, specifically authorised psychiatrists may access MDMA for PTSD through the TGA Authorised Prescriber pathway with human research ethics committee approval. Treatment is supervised in a health setting; this is a restricted pathway for an unapproved therapeutic product, not general availability. | 2026-11-14 |
| Canada | Schedule I under the Controlled Drugs and Substances ActOfficial source | Health Canada says there are no approved therapeutic products containing MDMA in Canada. Practitioners may request case-by-case Special Access Program authorization for emergency treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition when eligibility criteria are met; this is not routine prescribing or general access. | 2026-11-14 |
| Colombia | MDMA is listed as a controlled substance; possession law is legally nuancedOfficial source | MDMA is not described here as routinely approved therapy. Research or medical handling of controlled substances is subject to applicable Colombian registration, authorization, and oversight requirements. Confirm current requirements with INVIMA and Colombian counsel. | 2026-11-14 |
Showing all countries.
Local and subnational rules may differ. These summaries do not address every possession, import, prescribing or enforcement question. Check the linked sources and get qualified local advice.