Is Phenibut Legal in Your Country?

Updated September 6, 2024 by | Reviewed by William Gallagher, MNeuroSci
(Estimated reading time: 4 minutes)
phenibut_legality

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice.

In case you're wondering if Phenibut is legal or not, then you are at the perfect place to get the answer.

In this article, I am going to tell you about the legality, or illegality, of Phenibut in different countries.

You've probably already heard about the various surprising benefits of Phenibut when it comes to;

  • Sleep
  • Social anxiety
  • and other calming benefits.

But maybe you are unsure if you can buy it legally or not.

If that's the case I'm here to help you out. I have researched thoroughly from the various reputed online sites and put it all here.

Here I am going to provide you with all that you need to know about Phenibut and its legality. So without further ado, let's just jump straight to it.

Is Phenibut Legal?

YES, PHENIBUT IS LEGAL TO PURCHASE, KEEP, AND CONSUME IN ALMOST ALL COUNTRIES.

It is approved for medical use in the USSR countries. In all of these countries, it is used as a medical drug to treat various health conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic disorder, stress, motion sickness, sleep aid, etc.

Whereas there are some countries such as Hungary, Australia, and Lithuania where it is banned.

Moreover, Phenibut is not a banned or regulated substance in any country other than Hungary, Australia, and Lithuania in 2019.

It was suggested in 2015 that the legality of Phenibut in Europe must be considered again because of its recreational potential.

In 2018 February, the ATGA or the Australian Therapeutic Good Administration announced Phenibut as a banned substance giving reasons that it's unhealthy and addictive. Also, it has been banned because of young people overdosing on it (although most of the cases have been people combining it with other drugs).

In November 2018, Phenibut came into the list of psychoactive substances banned in Hungary.

Then in December 2019, Lithuania also declared it as a prohibited substance.

After that, in August 2020, Italy had also declared it as a psychoactive substance.

Is it Legal in the United States?

If you are in the United States and thinking about purchasing Phenibut, then go for it!

Yes, it's legal to buy, keep, or consume Phenibut in the United States.

Moreover, it is legal but it has not been approved by the US government for medication and prescription purposes. That means you won't be able to get it in any of the medical stores because it is prohibited to be sold as a specific treatment.

Also, doctors cannot suggest or prescribe it to their patients.

Other than that, the drug also doesn't fulfill the definition of dietary ingredients so it is also not included as a dietary ingredient.

All in all, it's a yes, you can legally purchase Phenibut in the US. It's just that there are certain laws about that, you can't call it medication, and neither can you include it in dietary ingredients.

What About Canada?

Just like the United States, it is legal in Canada too but there are certain limits for buying the Phenibut.

What happens is, where there are no restrictions and prohibitions, there are rules and regulations about its distributions. In Canada, you are not permitted to be a commercial importer of the Phenibut without a proper license.

That means you cannot buy more than 90 day supply of Phenibut at once.

In case it is found that you have excess supply, then the government might think that you are supplying it commercially. The government doesn't let the order pass through the customs and country.

To get rid of this problem, you can keep your purchase under 90 day supply.

Is it Legal in Europe?

Europe covers a vast area so every country has its own rules and regulations.

Normally, it is legal in almost all countries in Europe. But the governments have been planning to change its legality to get rid of the growing dependence of people on Phenibut.

Here are some of the rules for some countries.

BELARUS

You are allowed to use it for medical purposes with a prescription.

RUSSIA

In Russia you can use it for medical purposes with a prescription.

LATVIA, KAZAKHSTAN, UKRAINE

The people of these countries can use it as a medication with a prescription.

HUNGARY

Since 2019 December, it has been prohibited and came on the list of various psychoactive substances.

THE UNITED KINGDOM

It is legal to buy for personal use but it's illegal to buy for reselling.

LITHUANIA

From 2019 November, it came into the list of various psychoactive substances. That's the reason it is banned in Lithuania.

AUSTRALIA/NZ

As stated by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, Phenibut is generally a prohibited substance of schedule 9.

That means, it is not legal and hence it can't be sold legally in the country.

The drug is not a listed ingredient and that's why there are restrictions on its buying and selling in Australia.

But some information has been received regarding the drug that is being sold as a drug to relieve depression and anxiety and to improve sleep as well.

ASIA

Now, the question is, is Phenibut legal in Asian countries?

If you're wondering, then the clear-cut answer is NO, it's not at all legal in Asian countries.

Moreover, because of the addiction and dependence it offers, Phenibut is not considered a legal and controlled substance in Asia.

As a quick note, I would highly recommend staying away from buying any Nootropics if you live in Asia (or if you're traveling around in Asia).

There are a lot of different Nootropics that are considered to be in the "gray area" when it comes to the legality.

They have an extremely strict policy when it comes to drugs. The last thing you want is to end up in a prison in a 3rd world country. Trust me on this one.

SOUTH AMERICA

At present, Phenibut is not considered as a medication approved by the FDA, also, it has no clinical use in South America.

But you can still buy it for personal use as a nutritional supplement as it's not a controlled drug. It is sold online to consume as a supplement for muscle building and to reduce depression and anxiety disorders.

Other than this, it's also beneficial in giving proper sleep, but there's not any actual evidence about its working.

Apart from this, there are so many side effects of Phenibut which must be avoided.

The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice.