yellow2 → orange2 → red2 → brown2 → yellow2
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Ephedrine
(1R,2S)-2-Methylamino-1-phenylpropan-1-ol
Ma huang, Isofedrol
Ephedra sinica
Ephedrine is a naturally occurring stimulant alkaloid found in plants of the Ephedra genus, with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine.citation needed First isolated in 1885,1 it is a substituted amphetamine that acts as a sympathomimetic agent.citation needed Ephedrine is used clinically as a decongestant, bronchodilator, and to treat hypotension during anesthesia, and is listed on the WHO's List of Essential Medicines.2 Though structurally related to methamphetamine, its central nervous system effects are considerably less potent.3
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.
Threshold~5 mg
Light5-20 mg
Moderate20-30 mg
Strong30-50 mg
Heavy50+ mg
Bioavailability
88%
Duration
Onset15-90 minutes
After Effects2-4 hours
Total2-5 hours
Half-life
~6 hours
Subjective Effects
Legacy content. A statistically backed ontology from Mindstate Design Labs is coming soon.
Ephedrine produces a physically driven central nervous system stimulation with little to no perceptual or psychedelic character. The core experience is one of heightened cardiovascular and metabolic arousal - increased drive and performance, suppressed appetite, and a warming, thermogenic energy - accompanied at most by a mild euphoria. Adverse and overdose states shift the profile toward restlessness, confusion, and paranoia, with hallucinations reported only rarely and largely confined to those with pre-existing psychiatric conditions.
Physical
The body load is dominated by sympathomimetic arousal: elevated heart rate and blood pressure, palpitations, bronchodilation, and a rise in body heat from increased metabolism. Dizziness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, sweating, nausea, and appetite suppression are also common, while urinary urgency or retention reflects its action on smooth muscle.
Cognitive
The headspace is generally clear and goal-oriented, marked by increased motivation and mild euphoria, though anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia are common even at low doses. At higher doses or in overdose, confusion and paranoia can emerge, and continuous use is associated with irritability, nervousness, and impaired memory and concentration.
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine that acts through both direct and indirect mechanisms.4 Its principal action involves the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic neurons and inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake, thereby increasing norepinephrine signaling at postsynaptic alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors.5 Ephedrine also directly activates beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors, though the degree of direct alpha-adrenergic agonism remains controversial.citation needed It crosses the blood-brain barrier and releases both norepinephrine and dopamine centrally, functioning as a norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agent.
Pharmacokinetics
Ephedrine has an oral bioavailability of approximately 88%5 and low plasma protein binding of roughly 24 to 29%.citation needed It is largely unmetabolized, with approximately 60% of an oral dose excreted unchanged in urine.6 The metabolized fraction primarily undergoes N-demethylation to form norephedrine (phenylpropanolamine), with smaller amounts oxidatively deaminated to benzoic acid or converted to 1,2-dihydroxy-1-phenylpropane.citation needed The oral elimination half-life is approximately 6 hours, with considerable inter-individual variability, and elimination is dependent on urinary pH.
Caution
Use cautionThese combinations are not usually physically harmful, but may produce undesirable effects, such as physical discomfort or overstimulation. Extreme use may cause physical health issues. Synergistic effects may be unpredictable. Care should be taken when choosing to use this combination.
AcebutololAceclofenacAcemetacinAcetazolamideAcetyldigitoxin
Tolerance
Tolerance timelines are rules of thumb, not exact schedules, and vary widely between individuals and use patterns.
Full Tolerance
Tolerance to the effects of ephedrine develops quickly with repeated and frequent usage. Tachyphylaxis (rapid tolerance development) is a recognized clinical concern with sympathomimetic amines like ephedrine.
Cross Tolerance
Dopaminergic stimulants
Harm Potential
Addiction & Dependence
Psychological
ModerateWith chronic use, ephedrine may be moderately addictive and can produce psychological dependence in some users.citation needed Regular use can lead to tolerance and dependence, with psychological symptoms being particularly prominent.
Physical
LowPhysical dependence is not well-characterized for ephedrine; dependence that develops with regular use appears to be predominantly psychological in nature.citation needed
Toxicity
Cardiovascular
Ephedrine has particularly strong effects on the cardiovascular system compared to other stimulants; chronic or high-dose use has been associated with heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrhythmias,citation needed with serious events more likely in those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions.
Hepatic
Liver damage has been reported as a potential consequence of continuous ephedrine use, though detailed characterization is limited.citation needed
Renal
Kidney damage has been reported with continuous use; acute effects include decreased urination due to vasoconstriction of renal arteries.citation needed
Central Nervous System
Continuous use may result in impaired memory and concentration, irritability, and nervousness; these cognitive effects appear associated with chronic heavy use patterns.citation needed
Psychosis Risk
Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and mania are possible but rare, occurring primarily in individuals with pre-existing psychiatric conditions or in cases of overdose.citation needed Confusion and paranoia may occur at high doses.
History & Culture
Traditional Medicine
Ephedrine's botanical source, the plant Ephedra sinica known as má huáng in Chinese, has been employed in traditional Chinese medicine for over two millennia.citation needed Documentation of its use as an anti-asthmatic and stimulant dates back to the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Multiple…
Legality
International
1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs: ephedrine is not individually scheduled.
1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances: ephedrine is not individually scheduled.
1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances: ephedrine is listed in Table I.
By Country
Controlled / restricted33
United StatesControlled precursorThe Controlled Substances Act classifies ephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, and salts of optical isomers as a List I chemical. Nonprescription drug products containing ephedrine are scheduled listed chemical products subject to a 3.6 g daily retail limit, behind-the-counter placement, purchaser photo identification, and logbook requirements; mail-order sales are limited to 7.5 g per purchaser in 30 days.
By state
Across the 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, 39 had sourced treatment mirroring the federal precursor-control baseline, 10 had sourced divergences, and 7 remained gaps.
AlabamaControlled precursorAla. Code § 20-2-190.265
Alabama regulates ephedrine as a methamphetamine precursor and uses the electronic drug-offender tracking system for retail sales. A person convicted of a drug offense that produced methamphetamine may not purchase ephedrine or pseudoephedrine for seven years after conviction, a state-specific purchaser prohibition beyond the federal retail precursor controls.
ArizonaRestrictedAriz. Rev. Stat. § 13-3404.01(A)(4)-(5), (C), (H)66
Arizona separately criminalizes possession of any uncombined ephedrine or ephedrine that is the sole active ingredient without the specified permit or license. It also limits retail transactions involving combined ephedrine products to three packages and nine grams, with a prescription required above that amount. These state possession and retail restrictions are independent of the federal scheduled-listed-chemical controls.
LouisianaRestrictedLouisiana places products containing ephedrine in Schedule V unless they are listed in another schedule, while allowing specified federally lawful over-the-counter medicinal formulations to remain exempt from the prescription requirement. Nonprescription products are sold only through pharmacy personnel, with identification, a transaction log, and central-computer reporting. The Schedule V classification is a state control outcome beyond federal List I chemical treatment.
MississippiRestrictedMiss. Code Ann. § 41-29-117(A)(d); Miss. Code Ann. § 73-21-12469
Mississippi places preparations containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine in Schedule III, except products sold subject to the quantity restrictions authorized by Section 73-21-124. The state therefore applies a Schedule III designation to products outside that retail exception, rather than treating all ephedrine solely as a federally regulated List I chemical. The exception preserves a separate regulated retail pathway for qualifying products.
OhioRestrictedOhio Rev. Code § 3719.44(K)70
Ohio treats products containing ephedrine as Schedule V controlled substances unless a listed or Board-excepted product applies. This is a state controlled-substance classification rather than the federal List I chemical treatment. Ohio law separately preserves specified ephedrine products and allows the Board of Pharmacy to except qualifying products.
OklahomaRestrictedOkla. Stat. tit. 63, § 2-212 (Schedule V)71
Oklahoma classifies ephedrine in Schedule V under its Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. That state Schedule V classification is distinct from the federal treatment of ephedrine as a List I chemical subject to scheduled-listed-chemical retail controls rather than a federal controlled-substance schedule.
OregonRestrictedOr. Rev. Stat. § 475.97372
Oregon classifies ephedrine as a Schedule III controlled substance, subject to Board exemptions for products formulated to prevent conversion to methamphetamine. The State also regulates nonprescription transfers through pharmacy-counter, identification, electronic-reporting, and quantity-limit requirements. This is more than a mirrored federal List I chemical control because Oregon assigns a state controlled-substance schedule.
South CarolinaControlled precursorS.C. Code Ann. § 44-53-375(E)73
South Carolina makes knowing possession of nine grams or more of ephedrine, subject to listed consumer and product exceptions, a felony called trafficking in ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine. The state threshold creates a possession-based trafficking offense, rather than only the federal retail-sale controls for List I chemical products. Retail sales remain subject to the state’s precursor-product restrictions.
South DakotaRestrictedSouth Dakota places any material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing ephedrine in Schedule III as a stimulant. For that Schedule III provision, the statutory term includes ephedra, herbs, and herbal products containing ephedrine alkaloids, including specified named plant materials and extracts. It excludes a drug containing ephedrine that is lawfully sold, transferred, or furnished over the counter under the statute's specified conditions, so the Schedule III treatment does not extend to those exempt drug products.
WashingtonRestrictedWash. Admin. Code § 246-945-05377
Washington designates ephedrine as a Schedule II controlled substance when it is an immediate precursor to a Schedule II controlled substance. Drug products prepared for over-the-counter distribution in compliance with federal food and drug law are excluded from that Schedule II designation. The state’s Schedule II classification for nonexempt ephedrine differs from the federal List I chemical classification.
AustraliaControlled precursorCriminal Code Regulations 2019, section 13 table (Compilation No. 6, F2025C01260)7
Section 13 of the Criminal Code Regulations 2019 lists ephedrine as item 1 in the table of controlled precursors for paragraph 301.3(1)(a) of the Criminal Code. The table sets a commercial quantity of 1.2 kilograms and a marketable quantity of 400 grams; the Regulations note that a salt or ester of a listed substance is also a controlled precursor under paragraph 301.3(1)(b) of the Criminal Code.
AustriaControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors8
Ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under the European Union drug-precursor regulation applicable in Austria. Category 1 substances may be handled only within the regulation’s authorisation and monitoring system.
BelgiumControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors8
Ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under the European Union drug-precursor regulation applicable in Belgium. Category 1 substances are subject to authorisation, customer declarations and transaction records under that regime.
BrazilControlled precursorPortaria SVS/MS nº 344/19989
Brazil lists ephedrine in Lista D1, the list of precursor substances for narcotic drugs and psychotropics. Its manufacture, distribution and use are subject to the special-control rules for listed precursors.
CanadaControlled precursorControlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedule VI, Part 1; Precursor Control Regulations, ss. 6 and 91.1–91.31011121314
Canada lists ephedrine, its salts, and any plant containing ephedrine or its salts as a Class A precursor in Part 1 of Schedule VI to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Subject to specified exceptions, only a licensed dealer may produce, package, sell, or provide a Class A precursor. The regulations allow narrowly defined retail provision of ephedrine preparations or mixtures by practitioners, hospitals, and pharmacists; a pharmacist may provide more than 0.4 g per transaction only under a prescription.
ChinaControlled precursor2026年兴奋剂目录（2025年第6号公告）15
China's 2026 Anti-Doping Directory expressly lists Ephedrine (麻黄碱) as item 272 in its category of pharmaceutical precursor chemicals (药品类易制毒化学品品种). The announcement took effect on 1 January 2026 and directs relevant departments to supervise the production, sale, import, export, and anti-doping use of substances in the Directory under the Anti-Doping Regulations. This listing applies within the Directory's anti-doping regulatory scope.
ColombiaControlled precursorResolución 315 de 2020, Anexo Técnico 1 (Efedrina, Lista Roja Cuadro I)16
La Resolución 315 de 2020 incluye la efedrina en el Anexo Técnico 1 como sustancia de control especial sometida a fiscalización, en la Lista Roja, Cuadro I. La resolución extiende esa fiscalización a las mezclas y productos que contengan las sustancias del anexo, incluidos los medicamentos; las sales de las sustancias del Cuadro I también están sometidas a fiscalización cuando puedan existir.
CroatiaControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors, Annex I Category 1; Article 3(2)17
Listed as a precursor for illegal drugs under national legislation. Ephedrine hydrochloride is only available to pharmacies where nasal drops are produced in-house. Required to be stored in special locked areas within pharmacies to prevent theft.
Czech RepublicControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors8
Ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under Regulation (EC) No 273/2004, which is binding and directly applicable in the Czech Republic as an EU Member State. Operators must obtain a licence before they may possess or place Category 1 scheduled substances on the market, and may supply them only to licensed persons who have signed a customer declaration. The regulation excludes medicinal products and preparations from its definition of scheduled substance where they cannot be easily used or extracted by readily applicable or economically viable means.
DenmarkControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors (current consolidated text), Annex I Category 1 and Articles 2(a) and 3(2)1817
The directly applicable EU drug-precursor regulation lists ephedrine in Annex I, Category 1. Its definition of a scheduled substance includes Annex I substances and mixtures or natural products containing them, but excludes medicinal products and mixtures or natural products compounded so the substance cannot be readily used or extracted by readily applicable means. Operators and users must obtain a licence before possessing or placing non-exempt Category 1 scheduled substances on the market, subject to the regulation's specified exemptions.
FinlandControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors18
Ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under Regulation (EC) No 273/2004, which applies in Finland. Operators and users must obtain a licence before possessing or placing Category 1 scheduled substances on the market. The regulation excludes medicinal products from its definition of a scheduled substance, so its precursor controls do not themselves classify authorised medicinal products.
FranceControlled precursorIn France, the directly applicable EU drug-precursor regulation lists ephedrine as a Category 1 scheduled substance. Operators and users must obtain a licence from the competent authorities before possessing or placing a Category 1 scheduled substance on the market. The regulation excludes medicinal products from its definition of a scheduled substance, so the Category 1 controls do not apply to medicinal products containing ephedrine.
GermanyControlled precursorGrundstoffüberwachungsgesetz (GÜG), §§ 1, 3, 5 and 19, implementing and complementing Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 111/2005; Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM) Liste der Grundstoffe, Category 1 and Category 4; Arzneimittelverschreibungsverordnung (AMVV), § 1 and Anlage 1.1920212223
Pure ephedrine is expressly a Category 1 precursor under the BfArM list and the GÜG/EU precursor regime; unauthorized Category 1 possession or placing on the market is criminal under GÜG § 19, subject to the statutory scope and defenses. BfArM separately labels ephedrine-containing medicines as Category 4 products. The AMVV prescription rule is formulation- and dose-specific; its thresholds and parenteral rule set the applicable prescription requirements. Consumer legality depends on the applicable precursor and prescription controls.
IndiaControlled precursorIndia's 2013 Order lists ephedrine and its salts in Schedule A as controlled substances. Manufacturing, distribution, sale, purchase, possession, storage, and consumption of a Schedule A substance require a unique registration number from the relevant Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director, subject to the Order's specified institutional exemptions. Schedule B and Schedule C separately list ephedrine, its salts, and preparations for export and import, respectively, which require a Narcotics Commissioner's no-objection certificate; the domestic Schedule A listing itself is limited to ephedrine and its salts.
IndonesiaControlled precursorPeraturan Menteri Kesehatan Republik Indonesia Nomor 29 Tahun 2023 tentang Perubahan Penggolongan Prekursor, Lampiran Tabel I (Ephedrine); Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 44 Tahun 2010 tentang Prekursor, Pasal 4 and Lampiran Tabel I; Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan Nomor 5 Tahun 2023 tentang Narkotika, Psikotropika, dan Prekursor Farmasi, especially Pasal 1 angka 3, Pasal 10, Pasal 13, Pasal 38-44 and Pasal 92; and Undang-Undang Nomor 35 Tahun 2009 tentang Narkotika, Pasal 1 angka 2 and Pasal 129-130.2627282930313233343536
Official current Indonesian law directly places Ephedrine in Prekursor Tabel I, and the integrated pharmaceutical rule controls licensing, distribution, dispensing, records and administrative sanctions. Some finished pharmaceutical precursors may be classified obat bebas terbatas under specified conditions, while hard-drug precursors supplied to patients require a prescription; current Indonesian rules do not establish that 25 mg ephedrine packs are sold OTC or that Ephedrine is generally available OTC. Criminal exposure under UU No. 35 Tahun 2009 Pasal 129 is expressly limited to unauthorized precursor conduct for making narcotics; lawful licensed pharmaceutical handling is not characterized as automatically criminal.
IrelandControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors (current consolidated text), Annex I Category 1 and Articles 2(a) and 3(2); European Communities (Control of Drug Precursors) Regulations 2009, Regulation 51837
Ephedrine is listed in Category 1 of Annex I to the current EU drug-precursor Regulation, which applies in Ireland. The Regulation excludes medicinal products and compounded mixtures from its definition of a scheduled substance where the scheduled substance cannot be easily used or extracted by readily applicable means; the Category 1 classification therefore concerns non-exempt ephedrine only. Irish Regulation 5 makes it an offence for an operator to possess or place a Category 1 Annex I substance on the market without the licence required under Article 3.
ItalyControlled precursorIn Italy, the directly applicable EU drug-precursor regulation lists ephedrine in Annex I, Category 1. Operators and users must obtain a licence from the competent authority in the Member State where they are established before possessing or placing Category 1 scheduled substances on the market. Article 2(a) excludes medicinal products and veterinary medicinal products, and also preparations from which the scheduled substance cannot be easily used or extracted by readily applicable or economically viable means; not every ephedrine-containing medicinal product or preparation is therefore a Category 1 scheduled substance.
JapanControlled precursorStimulants Control Act38
Japan treats ephedrine as a stimulant raw material under the Stimulants Control Act. Manufacture, import, export, transfer, possession and use of stimulant raw materials are regulated by that Act.
MexicoControlled precursorLey Federal para el Control de Precursores Químicos39
Mexico lists ephedrine as a chemical precursor under the federal precursor-control regime. Import, export, transport, storage, production and commercial transactions involving controlled precursors are subject to federal controls.
NetherlandsControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors (current consolidated text), Annex I Category 1 and Articles 2(a) and 3(2)18
The directly applicable EU drug-precursor regulation lists ephedrine in Annex I, Category 1, and therefore controls non-exempt ephedrine in the Netherlands as a precursor. The regulation defines scheduled substances to include listed substances and mixtures or natural products containing them, but excludes medicinal products and compounded mixtures or natural products from which the substance cannot be readily used or extracted by readily applicable means. Operators and users must obtain a licence before possessing or placing non-exempt Category 1 scheduled substances on the market, subject to the regulation's specified exemptions.
New ZealandRestrictedMisuse of Drugs Act 1975, Schedule 2 Part 2; Medicines Regulations 1984, Schedule 140
Ephedrine is listed as a Class B, Part II controlled drug (Class B2) in Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, so the Act's controlled-drug controls apply. Separately, Schedule 1 to the Medicines Regulations 1984 classifies ephedrine as a prescription medicine; this medicinal classification does not displace its Schedule 2 controlled-drug status.
NorwayControlled precursorForskrift om stoffer som kan brukes ved ulovlig fremstilling av narkotika mv. (FOR-2006-02-17-263), §§ 3, 5 and 10; Vedlegg I kategori 141
Norway's current regulation lists ephedrine (Efedrin) in Category 1 of Annex I as a substance that may be used in illicit narcotics manufacture. The regulation applies to marketing and other handling of listed substances, but excludes medicinal products and specified compounded mixtures or natural products from which the substance cannot readily be used or recovered. Operators must hold a Directorate for Medical Products licence before marketing or possessing Category 1 substances; imports from, and exports to, countries outside the EEA also require the permits specified in section 10.
PhilippinesControlled precursorComprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act No. 9165)42
Ephedrine is listed in Table I of the annex to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 as a controlled precursor and essential chemical. Unauthorized importation, sale, distribution, transportation, manufacture, and chemical diversion of controlled precursors and essential chemicals are offences under the Act.
PolandControlled precursorUstawa z dnia 29 lipca 2005 r. o przeciwdziałaniu narkomanii (consolidated text, Dz.U. 2023 poz. 1939), Articles 4(16) and 34; Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors (current consolidated text), Annex I Category 1 and Articles 2(a) and 3(2)4318
Poland’s current narcotics-prevention Act defines a precursor as a scheduled substance within Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) No 273/2004, with its category determined by that Regulation’s Annex I. The current consolidated EU Regulation lists ephedrine in Annex I, Category 1, and requires operators and users to obtain a licence before possessing or placing non-exempt Category 1 scheduled substances on the market. The Polish Act permits possession of Category 1 precursors only by a business, organisational unit, or natural person authorised under the Act or the EU precursor regulations; the EU definition excludes medicinal products and specified compounded mixtures or natural products from which the substance cannot readily be used or extracted.
PortugalControlled precursorRegulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors8
Ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under the European Union drug-precursor regulation applicable in Portugal. Its handling is controlled through the authorisation and monitoring rules for that category.
RussiaControlled precursorGovernment Resolution No. 681 of 30 June 199844
Russia lists ephedrine at a concentration of 10 percent or more in List IV, Table I of Government Resolution No. 681. The table covers precursors whose circulation is restricted and subject to control measures.
South KoreaControlled precursorNarcotics Control Act Enforcement Decree51
South Korea lists ephedrine as a raw material substance in Appendix 8 to the Narcotics Control Act Enforcement Decree. Listed raw materials are subject to transaction reporting and other precursor controls.
SwitzerlandControlled precursorVerordnung des EDI über die Verzeichnisse der Betäubungsmittel, psychotropen Stoffe, Vorläuferstoffe und Hilfschemikalien (Betäubungsmittelverzeichnisverordnung, BetmVV-EDI), Anhang 7, Verzeichnis f55
The current BetmVV-EDI lists Ephedrin as item 5 of Verzeichnis f in Annex 7, which is the ordinance's list of controlled precursors. The preparation exemption is limited to preparations that contain one or more other active or auxiliary ingredients and, calculated as base, contain no more than 15 mg ephedrine per dosage unit or, when not divided into dosage units, no more than 10 mg/ml; it does not exempt ephedrine preparations solely by concentration.
ThailandRestrictedNarcotics Code (psychotropic substance Category 2)56
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration states that ephedrine is currently controlled as a Category 2 psychotropic substance under the Narcotics Code and cannot be sold in pharmacies. The FDA further states that no ephedrine-containing formulation is registered; it sells ephedrine powder only to health facilities for preparation of pediatric nasal medicine. This classification concerns ephedrine itself, rather than treating ephedra plants or products generally as controlled.
UkraineControlled precursorCabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 770, Table IV, List No. 1; Law of Ukraine No. 60/95-ВР, Article 25758
Ukraine lists ephedrine in Table IV, List No. 1 of Resolution No. 770, which is the list of precursors whose circulation is restricted and subject to control measures. The schedule's note also includes salts of every listed substance where their formation is possible; the express coverage extends to ephedrine and those salts, not ephedra plants or other products generally.
United Arab EmiratesControlled precursorMOHAP Controlled and Semi-Controlled Medicines List59
The United Arab Emirates lists ephedrine as controlled according to the 1988 United Nations Convention. Its import and handling are subject to the controlled-medicines and precursor requirements administered by the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
Prescription1
Legal / decriminalized2
SingaporeLegal (regulated)Poisons Act 1938, sections 5 and 6(3); Poisons Rules, rules 10 and 15, First and Third Schedules454647484950
Singapore’s First Schedule lists ephedrine, its optical isomers, quaternary compounds and salts, subject to stated preparation exceptions; rule 10 applies the purchaser-identification and sale-record restrictions in section 6(3) of the Poisons Act to First-Schedule substances. Section 5 requires a licence to import, possess for sale, sell or offer for sale a poison. The prescription-only rule applies to ephedrine only when contained in aerosol dispensers, so the First-Schedule listing does not make ephedrine generally prescription-only.
United KingdomLegal (regulated)Medicinal products containing ephedrine base or salts are prescription-only medicines under Schedule 1 paragraph 1(f) of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. The Regulations exempt a product from the prescription requirement where it is not supplied with a pseudoephedrine product and the total amount supplied at one time is no more than 180 mg of ephedrine base or salts.
References
Source Pages
Citations
- MR Lee. (2011). The history of Ephedra (ma-huang). Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 41(1), 78-84. https://doi.org/10.4997/jrcpe.2011.11612
- World Health Organization. (2023). Ephedrine — WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (electronic EML). https://list.essentialmeds.org/medicines/91
- Central nervous system stimulants and sport practice. British Journal of Sports Medicine (2009). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2657493/1
- Akovaz- ephedrine sulfate injection. DailyMed (16 April 2020). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=25828db2-4942-4f7c-a0d5-dc66f82cfb711
- National Library of Medicine. (2023). Ephedrine – StatPearls. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547661/12
- Sever PS, Dring LG, & Williams RT. (1975). The metabolism of (−)-ephedrine in man. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 9(2-3), 193-198. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/786688/1
- Criminal Code Regulations 2019, section 13 table (Compilation No. 6, F2025C01260). legislation.gov.au (n.d.). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2019L00561/latest/text1
- Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 on drug precursors. eur-lex.europa.eu (n.d.). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004R02731234567
- Portaria SVS/MS nº 344/1998. bvsms.saude.gov.br (n.d.). https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/saudelegis/anvisa/1998/prt0344_12_05_1998_rep.html1
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedule VI, Part 1; Precursor Control Regulations, ss. 6 and 91.1–91.3. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (n.d.). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-38.8/page-14.html1
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Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more
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