MDMA

Illegal. MDMA is in Anlage I of the BtMG (non-prescribable narcotic).

Germany classifies MDMA in Anlage I — the strictest category with no accepted medical use. Clinical trials for PTSD therapy are not yet authorized domestically.

Illegal controlled substance. Compassionate-use MDMA therapy authorized in limited cases.

Switzerland is notable for authorizing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy under the compassionate use (Ausnahmebewilligung) framework by the BAG for individual severe PTSD cases since the early 2010s.

List I (hard drug) under the Opiumwet. Illegal but widely available.

Despite illegality, the Netherlands is Europe's largest MDMA producer. Dutch drug checking services (DIMS) allow anonymous testing of pills. Prosecution for personal possession is rare.

Class A controlled substance. Maximum penalties.

MDMA is Class A in the UK — the most severe category alongside heroin and cocaine. Despite this, the UK has the highest ecstasy use rate in Europe.

Illegal narcotic (stupéfiant). No medical use recognized.

France maintains strict prohibition. The distinction between use and possession is notable — consumption itself is a specific offense.

Illegal controlled substance (Royal Decree 1930).

Belgium prosecutes MDMA under the same framework as other illicit drugs. Minor personal amounts sometimes receive a "no further action" from prosecutors.

Illegal psychotropic substance (Group I-P).

Poland classifies MDMA in the most restricted psychotropic group (I-P). No medical or decriminalization provisions exist.

Schedule I controlled substance. FDA "breakthrough therapy" designation for PTSD.

The FDA granted MDMA "breakthrough therapy" designation for PTSD in 2017. Lykos Therapeutics' NDA was rejected by the FDA in August 2024 over methodology concerns, but research continues. Oregon and Colorado reforms did NOT include MDMA.

Schedule I under CDSA. No legal medical pathway (unlike psilocybin).

Unlike psilocybin, MDMA does not have an active Special Access Program pathway in Canada. Clinical trials are ongoing but no legal supply framework exists.

Illegal controlled substance under health regulations.

Mexico's 2009 "Narcomenudeo" reform defined personal-use quantities for various drugs. For MDMA the threshold is 40 mg (less than one standard dose), making it practically unenforced for single-pill possession.

Illegal. Listed in Portaria 344 as a proscribed substance (Lista F2).

Brazil's 2006 drug law removed prison for personal use of any drug, replacing it with educational measures. However, there is no defined quantity threshold — judges decide if someone is a "user" or "trafficker."

Illegal controlled substance.

The 2009 "Arriola" Supreme Court ruling established that punishing private drug use violates constitutional rights. In practice, enforcement is inconsistent and varies by province.

Illegal controlled substance.

Peru defines a personal-use threshold for ecstasy (250 mg). Possession below this amount is explicitly not a crime under Article 299 of the Penal Code.

Class B controlled drug.

New Zealand classifies MDMA as Class B — less severe than Class A (methamphetamine, heroin) but higher than Class C (ketamine, cannabis). The 2019 amendment prioritized health-based responses for personal use.

Schedule 7 (banned) substance under the Medicines Act. Also listed in the Drugs Act.

South Africa lists MDMA under both the Medicines and Related Substances Act (Schedule 7 — banned) and the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act. Double regulation means strict enforcement.

Illegal dangerous drug.

Israel conducted MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy trials (MAPS-sponsored) but MDMA remains a "dangerous drug" with no medical-use pathway. Research is ongoing.

Controlled substance under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law.

Japan classifies MDMA as a narcotic under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law — the same category as heroin. Penalties are severe and enforcement is strict.

Class A controlled drug. Extremely severe penalties.

Singapore treats MDMA as a Class A controlled drug with the same severity as heroin. Above 25 g there is a presumption of trafficking with mandatory minimum sentences.

Since July 2023, authorized psychiatrists can prescribe MDMA for PTSD (TGA Schedule 8). Recreational use remains illegal.

On 1 July 2023, the TGA rescheduled both psilocybin (for treatment-resistant depression) and MDMA (for PTSD) to Schedule 8, allowing authorized psychiatrists to prescribe them. Australia became the first country to formally approve MDMA-assisted therapy at a national level.

Suchtgift (narcotic). Personal use redirected to health authorities under "Therapie statt Strafe".

Austria applies its harm-reduction-first approach. The "checkit!" drug checking service in Vienna legally tests ecstasy pills at festivals and clubs.

Private personal use is an administrative offense. Public use/possession is fined.

Spain classifies MDMA as a "hard drug" (sustancia que causa grave daño a la salud) for trafficking purposes, meaning higher penalties than cannabis. Private use is protected.

Decriminalized for personal use under the 2001 drug reform.

Portugal's 2001 law defines personal amounts — for MDMA it is up to 1 gram. Amounts above this trigger a presumption of trafficking.

Tabella I substance. Personal use is an administrative offense.

Italy places MDMA in the strictest table (Tabella I) but maintains its unique policy of treating personal use as administrative rather than criminal.

Small amounts for personal use are a misdemeanor.

Czech law sets specific personal-use thresholds for MDMA (1.5 g or ~4 tablets). Amounts above this are criminal.

Personal dose decriminalized under constitutional rights.

Colombia's Constitutional Court ruling C-221/94 protects personal drug use as a fundamental right. This extends to all substances including MDMA.