F-Phenibut

Current primary law establishes that F-Phenibut is not expressly named in BtMG Anlagen I–III or NpSG Anlage 2, but it is covered by the current NpSG Anlage 1 No. 1 generic 2-phenethylamine-derived group: F-Phenibut retains the phenibut 2-aminoethyl/phenyl framework and its para-fluoro ring substitution is expressly permitted. NpSG § 3 therefore prohibits ordinary trade, placing into circulation, manufacture, import/export/transit, acquisition, possession and administration, subject to the recognized commercial, industrial and scientific-use exceptions in § 3(2); § 4 supplies the specified criminal provisions. The current NpSG exclusion for AMG medicines remains relevant where its factual conditions are met. AMG §§ 2, 5, 21 and 73 additionally govern any product that qualifies as a human-use medicinal product, including purpose-dependent classification, unsafe-medicine and authorization/import controls. The research-chemical label does not create a general legality exception.

Hungary's current controlled-substances regulation individually lists 4-fluorophenibut in Annex 3 point 6.1 row 211 as a new psychoactive substance. The activity regulation requires a permit for listed NPS handling and restricts authorized NPS use to research or industrial purposes, subject to the cited statutory exception. Since the 2025 reform includes Annex 3 substances in the Btk. kábítószer definition, current Btk. §§ 176 and 178 criminalize unauthorized supply, acquisition, possession, production, import, export and transit, while § 178(6) separately addresses consumption or small-quantity personal-use acquisition. Section 180 provides a conditional treatment/cooperation-based non-punishment route; this exception does not make ordinary possession or use legal. No product-specific medicinal authorization or dispensing exception applies.

Under the current Lithuanian Order No. 5, F-Phenibut is expressly named as 4-fluorofenibut at item 59 of List I under the 1971 Psychotropic Convention I list. List I prohibits medical use and ordinary lawful circulation, subject only to the registered-medicinal-product, authorized scientific-research, official-function and narrowly defined accredited-laboratory exceptions in Control Law Article 8. Current V-239 item 99 sets criminal-law quantity thresholds at no more than 0.05 g for a small quantity, above 1.5 g for a large quantity and above 4.5 g for a very large quantity. Criminal Code Articles 259–260 then distinguish non-distribution conduct, small quantity, distribution intent and large/very-large quantities. The exact 4-fluorophenibut name and chemical name are present in the current schedule.

The UK framework is functional rather than based on a named F-Phenibut schedule: a substance is within PSA section 2 only if it is capable of the statutory psychoactive effect and is not exempted. If that condition is met for the substance and the relevant human-consumption purpose and knowledge conditions are proved, PSA sections 4, 5, 7 and 8 restrict production, supply, offers, possession with intent to supply and import/export; section 9 separately covers custodial possession. PSA section 10 provides the penalties. The Act does not create a general standalone simple-possession offence outside custodial institutions. F-Phenibut and phenibut are not expressly listed in current MDA Schedule 2 or the Home Office controlled-drugs list. Because the Home Office list is non-exhaustive, F-Phenibut's absence from it does not establish that the substance is unscheduled. Whether the medicinal-product exemption applies depends on the product and its presentation under PSA Schedule 1 paragraph 2 and HMR regulation 2. The MHRA summary concerns phenibut in historical product notices, not F-Phenibut. The PSA therefore applies to F-Phenibut conditionally rather than categorically prohibiting it or finding it unscheduled.

The current binding BetmVV-EDI (SR 812.121.11), consolidated as at 13 March 2026, makes Annexes 1–6 the relevant controlled-substance lists. No F-Phenibut entry appears under its exact name, CAS number, or InChIKey. Annex 6 item 315's Phenylalkylamine generic class requires a phenethylamine-derived structure with specified alkyl-chain, ring and nitrogen substitutions; F-Phenibut's 4-amino-3-(4-fluorophenyl)butanoic-acid structure is not identified by that wording, and no generic beta-aryl-GABA class is present. Swissmedic states that list e is non-exhaustive and that only BetmVV-EDI lists are binding. F-Phenibut is therefore not scheduled under those lists, and this does not establish that every possession, import, sale, formulation, medicine, food, customs or product-safety question is lawful under other Swiss law.