THEPSYCHEDELICLIBRARY

Topic

Legal status of psychedelics: Canada, the US and beyond

Where ketamine, psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline and ibogaine stand legally in Canada, the US, key states and Australia. Sourced and dated.

ReviewedLast updated September 25, 2026

At a glance

Molecule Canada United States (federal) Notable exceptions
Ketamine Schedule I, legal by prescription2 Schedule III, legal by prescription9 Used off-label for depression in both countries
Esketamine (Spravato) Approved 2020 for treatment-resistant depression3 Approved 2019, in certified settings only10
Psilocybin Schedule III1 Schedule I9 Canada: Special Access Program4 · Oregon, Colorado and New Mexico programs1517 · Australia: authorised psychiatrists19
MDMA Controlled1 Schedule I. FDA declined approval in 202411 Canada: Special Access Program4 · Australia: authorised psychiatrists for PTSD19
LSD Schedule III1 Schedule I9 Research only
DMT and ayahuasca DMT Schedule III1 Schedule I9 Religious exemptions for named ayahuasca churches in both countries613
5-MeO-DMT Not specifically listed, but can’t legally be sold for human use7 Schedule I since 201112
Mescaline and peyote Mescaline Schedule III, but peyote excluded1 Schedule I9 US: religious peyote use by Native Americans protected14
Ibogaine Prescription Drug List since 2017, no authorised product8 Schedule I9 Texas funding clinical trials18

Canada

  • Special Access Program. Since January 2022, physicians can request restricted drugs for individual patients with serious or life-threatening conditions when other treatments have failed, are unsuitable or are unavailable.4 In practice, the related exemption covers only psilocybin and MDMA, and requests are decided case by case.5
  • Religious exemptions. Since 2017, Health Canada has granted section 56 exemptions to a small number of named religious groups to import and use ayahuasca. Each exemption covers only that group.6
  • Ketamine and esketamine. Ketamine has been listed in Schedule I since 2005 and is legal when prescribed.2 Esketamine is approved for adults with depression that hasn’t responded to at least two antidepressants, used with an SSRI or SNRI.3
  • Dispensaries. Stores selling psilocybin mushrooms or other psychedelics are not legal under federal law, even where local enforcement varies.1

United States

  • Federal. Psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, mescaline and ibogaine are all Schedule I.9 Ketamine is Schedule III.9 Esketamine is FDA-approved and available only in certified settings.10
  • Oregon (2020) and Colorado (2022). Voters created state-licensed programs for supervised psilocybin services. Colorado also decriminalised personal use of psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline (but not peyote) for adults 21 and over.15 Colorado’s first licensed healing centres opened in 2025.16
  • New Mexico (2025). The Medical Psilocybin Act created a medical psilocybin program run by the state health department.17
  • Texas (2025). The state committed up to $50 million to FDA-authorised ibogaine clinical trials.18
  • Religious use. The Supreme Court upheld a church’s sacramental use of ayahuasca in 2006,13 and federal law protects traditional peyote use by Native Americans.14

Australia

Since July 2023, psychiatrists approved under the Authorised Prescriber scheme can prescribe psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and MDMA for PTSD.19

References

  1. Government of Canada. Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (S.C. 1996, c. 19), Schedules I and III. Source
  2. Health Canada. Ketamine (controlled and illegal drugs). Source
  3. Health Canada. Regulatory Decision Summary: Spravato (esketamine). 2020. Source
  4. Canada Gazette, Part II. Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Relating to Restricted Drugs (Special Access Program), SOR/2021-271. January 5, 2022. Source
  5. McCarthy Tétrault. Regulatory amendments have revived Canada's Special Access Program for restricted drugs. Source
  6. ICEERS. Ayahuasca legal status: Canada (section 56 exemptions for religious groups since 2017). Source
  7. PsychedelicLaw.ca. Is 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo) legal in Canada? Source
  8. Health Canada. Notice: Prescription Drug List (PDL): multiple additions. May 19, 2017. Source
  9. US Drug Enforcement Administration. Controlled substances: alphabetical order. Source
  10. Janssen. U.S. FDA approval of SPRAVATO (esketamine) CIII nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant depression. Press release, March 5, 2019. Source
  11. Psychiatric Times. FDA releases Complete Response Letter on declining MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. 2025. Source
  12. Federal Register. Placement of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine into Schedule I. Final rule, December 20, 2010 (effective January 19, 2011). Source
  13. Gonzales v. O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal, 546 U.S. 418 (2006). Source
  14. US Congress. American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994 (Public Law 103-344). Source
  15. Ballotpedia. Colorado Proposition 122, Decriminalization and Regulated Access Program for Certain Psychedelic Plants and Fungi Initiative (2022). Source
  16. Colorado Public Radio. Psychedelic healing centers are coming to Colorado in 2025. December 18, 2024. Source
  17. New Mexico Department of Health. Medical Psilocybin Program. Source
  18. Texas Tribune. Texas to conduct its own ibogaine clinical trials. March 31, 2026. Source
  19. Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia). Change to classification of psilocybin and MDMA to enable prescribing by authorised psychiatrists. 2023. Source