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Nitrous
Nitrous oxide is an atypical dissociative inhalant with the chemical formula N₂O. First identified by Joseph Priestly in 1772, its anesthetic properties were later discovered in the 19th century, earning it the name 'laughing gas' due to its euphoria and laughter-inducing effects. When inhaled, it produces rapid analgesia, mild sedation, and brief psychedelic dissociation.1 Widely used medically in surgery and dentistry, it is also commonly encountered recreationally through whipped cream chargers.1 Chronic abuse may cause neurological damage through vitamin B12 inactivation.1
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.
Threshold~4 g
Light4-8 g
Moderate8-16 g
Strong16-40 g
Heavy40+ g
Doses are commonly measured in whipped cream chargers; a single standard cartridge contains about 8 g of nitrous oxide and provides roughly one to three lungfuls of gas. One or two lungfuls is generally sufficient for a short experience, and a typical session involves 1-5 cartridges or balloons. Repeated use in quick succession should be avoided. Inhalation of pure nitrous oxide causes oxygen deprivation, which can lead to low blood pressure, fainting, and cardiac events, particularly with continuous inhalation from a mask or gas canister or with prolonged breath-holding. Non-medical formulations such as whipped-cream chargers contain no oxygen. Nitrous oxide is neurotoxic and can cause irreversible neurological damage; heavy single-session use (at or above 400 g, roughly 200 L of gas) or regular daily or weekly use has been associated with peripheral neuropathy including ataxia and paresthesia. Loss of gross and fine motor control, balance, and coordination is prominent, so users should be seated before onset to avoid falls and injury.
Duration
Onset5-10 seconds
Come Up5-10 seconds
Peak15-30 seconds
Offset1-5 minutes
After Effects15-30 minutes
Total1-5 minutes
Subjective Effects
Legacy content. A statistically backed ontology from Mindstate Design Labs is coming soon.
Effects vary widely by individual, dose, and context.
Physical
Cognitive
Visual
Hallucinatory States
In comparison to other more classical dissociatives, hallucinations are particularly rare with nitrous but possible at high dosages.
Suppressions
Auditory
The auditory effects found with nitrous oxide, although simplistic, are famously known to be particularly intense and consistent in their manifestation when compared to other hallucinogens.
See also: Dissociative Intensity Scale, Subjective Effects of Dissociatives
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
The mechanism of action of nitrous oxide is not fully understood, but it directly modulates a broad range of ligand-gated ion channels.2 NMDA receptor antagonism appears to be its primary pharmacological action, with an approximate EC50 of 30-40% inhaled concentration in cultured hippocampal neurons; even at 80%, N2O acts only as a partial inhibitor.citation needed It moderately blocks β2-subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (with preference for α4β2 over α4β4), weakly inhibits AMPA, kainate, GABAC, and 5-HT3 receptors, and slightly potentiates GABAA and glycine receptors. It activates two-pore-domain potassium channels, particularly TREK-13, and weakly inhibits Cav3.2 low-voltage-activated calcium channels.citation needed The analgesic properties of N2O appear to involve the release of endogenous opioid peptides in the brainstem, which disinhibits descending noradrenergic neurons that modulate pain signaling at α2-adrenoceptors in the spinal cord, and N2O has been reported to bind directly at opioid receptor sites. N2O may also influence nitric oxide signaling in the central nervous system.
Pharmacokinetics
Nitrous oxide has very low solubility in blood, with a blood/gas partition coefficient of 0.46, which provides rapid onset and equally rapid clearance once administration ceases.6 Predicted ADMET modeling indicates that N2O is not a substrate of major cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP3A4) and has low CYP inhibitory promiscuity.
Metabolitesnone documented yet
Interactions
Interactions not written up yet
An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.
Tolerance
Tolerance timelines are rules of thumb, not exact schedules, and vary widely between individuals and use patterns.
Full Tolerance
Tolerance to many of the effects develops with prolonged and repeated use, resulting in users needing to administer increasingly large doses to achieve the same effects.
Baseline Reset
1-2 weeks
Half Tolerance
3-7 days
Harm Potential
Addiction & Dependence
Psychological
ModerateNitrous oxide has gained the nickname 'hippy-crack' due to its tendency toward compulsive redosing in some users. While uncommon, individuals with easy access to large quantities may use it many times daily.citation needed The substance is considered to have low to moderate abuse potential overall.
Physical
LowPhysical dependence with psychological symptoms is possible with continuous use. The substance does not produce a classical physical withdrawal syndromecitation needed, though psychological dependence can develop in heavy users.
Toxicity
Central Nervous System
Heavy and frequent long-term use can cause serious neurological damage including subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cordcitation needed; occasional recreational use at typical doses carries minimal risk, while chronic daily or weekly use significantly increases the likelihood of peripheral neuropathy.
Hematological
Chronic heavy use can cause megaloblastic changescitation needed and, in severe cases, agranulocytosis; these effects are associated with prolonged B12 inactivation rather than occasional use.
Cardiovascular
Hypoxia from improper use can cause low blood pressure, fainting, and cardiac arrhythmia; serious cardiac events are rare and typically associated with pre-existing conditions or continuous inhalation without oxygen.
Respiratory
High-pressure administration directly from tanks can rupture blood vessels in the lungs and cause pneumothorax; this risk is eliminated by releasing gas into a balloon first.
Oropharyngeal
Direct inhalation from tanks or whippits can cause frostbite to the lips, throat, larynxcitation needed, and bronchi due to extremely cold gas temperatures.
Psychosis Risk
Psychological issues including personality changes, mood disorders, psychosis, and hallucinations can occurcitation needed, primarily in the context of chronic heavy use and associated B12 deficiency rather than acute intoxication.
Seizure Risk
A short period of slight hypoxia from nitrous oxide use could potentially raise the chance of seizure in some users. Persons suffering from epilepsy are advised not to consume nitrous oxide.
History & Culture
Discovery and Early Research
Nitrous oxide was first synthesized in 1772 by English natural philosopher and chemist Joseph Priestley, who initially called it "dephlogisticated nitrous air."citation needed He produced the gas by heating iron filings dampened with nitric acid and passing the resulting vapor through water to…
Legality
International
World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines
By Country
Illegal6
JapanIllegalMinisterial Ordinance No. 21 of 2016 amending the Ordinance Designating Designated Substances56
Japan designates nitrous oxide as a designated drug. Manufacture, import, sale, possession and use for non-medical purposes are prohibited. The restriction preserves medical uses specified by the ordinance.
NetherlandsIllegalOpiumwet, as amended by the Besluit van 17 november 2022 concerning placement of distikstofmonoxide (lachgas) on List II686970
Nitrous oxide is listed as distikstofmonoxide/lachgas (N2O) in List II of the Opium Act from 1 January 2023. Article 3 prohibits importing or exporting, preparing, processing, selling, supplying, transporting, possessing, or manufacturing List II substances. The prohibition does not apply where nitrous oxide is intended for technical purposes or as a food additive; medical handling remains subject to the Opium Act’s authorization and professional-exemption framework.
New ZealandIllegalPsychoactive Substances Act 2013, sections 70-71; Psychoactive Substances (Nitrous Oxide) Regulations 2026 (SL 2026/165), regulation 3 (in force 5 June 2026); Customs Import Prohibition (Nitrous Oxide) Order 2026 (SL 2026/170) (in force 5 June 2026); Medicines Act 1981, sections 18, 20 and 43.71727374
The current New Zealand framework is purpose- and product-sensitive rather than a blanket ban on every lawful use of the gas. Medsafe's advisory, revised 3 August 2026, states that it is illegal to sell, supply or possess nitrous oxide for recreational use; it further explains that no nitrous-oxide products have been approved under the Psychoactive Substances Act, making supply for a recreational purpose illegal in any form or container. The 2026 regulations automatically declare canisters over 10 grams to be psychoactive substances, except where offered as a medical device or for manufacturing, welding, or fuel-related use, or used in a scientific, educational, or commercial laboratory. Importation of any nitrous oxide requires a Director-General of Health permit, while the Ministry's permit guidance expressly allows lawful industrial, medicinal, scientific, educational, food-preparation and other lawful uses. Therapeutic nitrous oxide presented as such remains a prescription medicine under the Medicines Act. The prohibition therefore applies to recreational circulation/use; lawful medical, industrial, food, laboratory and other permitted activity is not inferred to be prohibited.
PortugalIllegalPortaria n.º 232/2022 and Decreto-Lei n.º 54/201385
Portugal expressly lists nitrous oxide as a new psychoactive substance. The listed-substance regime prohibits production, import, export, advertising, distribution, sale, possession and making available. The listing applies to nitrous oxide as N2O.
South KoreaIllegalChemical Substances Control Act, arts. 22 and 59; Enforcement Decree of the Chemical Substances Control Act, art. 11(4)9293949596
Nitrous oxide, except when used for medical purposes, is a hallucinogenic substance under Article 11(4) of the Enforcement Decree of the Chemical Substances Control Act. Article 22 prohibits its ingestion or inhalation, possession for that purpose, and knowing sale or provision to a person intending to ingest or inhale it. Article 59 provides up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 50 million. The designation has applied since 1 August 2017.
Controlled / restricted8
BrazilRestrictedAnvisa IN nº 301, de 17/05/2024, Art. 1 and Annex item 6; Anvisa RDC nº 870, de 17/05/2024, Arts. 1-6, 14-21 and 24-25, current text with amendments; Anvisa RDC nº 1.031, de 26/06/2026, Arts. 1-3 and Annex I.16171819
Brazilian law regulates medicinal nitrous oxide but does not establish a blanket rule for all nitrous oxide or online sales. Brazilian Anvisa regulates the medicinal presentation: IN 301 lists Óxido Nitroso Medicinal as a medicinal gas medicine subject to notification, specifies anesthetic, sedative, analgesic and dental indications, and identifies compressed or liquefied medicinal gas as the production line. RDC 870 requires production and commercialization of medicinal gases classified as medicines to be preceded by Anvisa notification or registration and limits notification, manufacture and filling to appropriately certified, authorized and licensed companies. The current label text, as amended by RDC 1.031, requires “Uso sob Prescrição Médica” and “Produto Exclusivamente de Uso Medicinal”; RDC 1.031 entered into force on publication, with notified-gas labeling transition through 31 December 2026 and lots filled from 1 January 2027 required to comply. The medicinal-gas regime is restricted, not a general criminal prohibition or permission for all nitrous oxide, industrial gas, food-use gas, possession, recreational use or online sales. Brazilian law sets no general retail or internet-sale rule for non-medicinal nitrous oxide.
DenmarkRestrictedLBK nr 264 af 11/02/2026 (current consolidated Act on marketing and possession of nitrous oxide), §§ 1-6, 9-12 and 14; Lov nr 732 af 13/06/2023, §§ 1 and 3 (effective 01/07/2023); Lov nr 708 af 20/06/2025, §§ 1 and 3 (digital enforcement provisions, effective 01/07/2025).30313233
As of 27 August 2026, Denmark regulates the product category under the Lattergasloven rather than under a general narcotics schedule. The statutory definition covers a container predominantly containing N2O whose contents are not intended for medical purposes. Marketing means making it available with or without payment, including online. A consumer or apparent consumer may not be marketed more than 17 g per day, and consumers under 18 may not be marketed or import nitrous oxide. Marketing for intoxication is prohibited regardless of quantity. Consumer possession is prohibited in publicly accessible places, educational institutions, youth clubs, leisure programs and similar places unless connected with business activity or another recognizable legitimate purpose; the Act therefore does not state a blanket prohibition on possession everywhere. Retailers must not market it to consumers from outlets that market alcohol, crackers, tobacco products or e-cigarette-related products, must verify age (including through an effective online age-control system), and must verify and retain a valid CVR-number check for business purchases above the consumer quantity limit. Violations of the marketing/import, location-possession and specified control duties are punishable by fine; under aggravating circumstances the § 12 penalty for the core offences can rise to imprisonment for up to two years. The 2025 amendment adds authority to use fictitious profiles, order unlawful online content removed and seek court-ordered blocking of non-compliant online interfaces. The consolidated Act expressly excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland; these provisions apply to Denmark proper.
FranceRestrictedCode de la santé publique arts. L. 3611-1, L. 3611-2, L. 3611-3, L. 3611-4, L. 3611-5, L. 3621-1 and D. 3621-1; Law no. 2021-695 of 1 June 2021; Law no. 2026-798 of 18 August 2026, art. 30 (current 20 August 2026 provisions and 1 February 2027 deferred amendment); Arrêté of 19 July 2023 setting the maximum quantity for consumer sales; Decree no. 2023-1224 of 20 December 2023.343536373839404142
As of 27 August 2026, inhalation outside a medical act is a criminal offence and private possession or transport above the statutory maximum is prohibited, while compliant consumer sales remain possible in some channels and the product remains regulated as a consumer/medical/food-use product rather than being classified as a narcotics-schedule substance. Current Article L. 3611-3 (in force 20 August 2026 and scheduled to be replaced on 1 February 2027) still prohibits selling or offering N2O to minors, requires majority proof, prohibits sale or offer even to adults in specified alcohol-serving premises and tobacconists, and prohibits products specifically intended to facilitate psychoactive extraction; it also prohibits a private person from possessing or transporting more than the quantity fixed under L. 3611-2. The current penalty for violating those restrictions is two years' imprisonment and EUR 7,500, with a EUR 500 fixed-fine route (EUR 400 reduced/EUR 1,000 increased). Law 2026-798's broader seller/individual/professional regime is deferred to 1 February 2027 and must not be reported as operative on the access date. The 2023 order limits each consumer sale to cartridges of at most 8.6 g each and a box of at most 10 cartridges, cumulatively; it excludes final sales to qualifying food or restaurant professionals from those quantity provisions. Article L. 3621-1 and Decree 2023-1224 require a danger warning on packaging, with a seven-month transition for non-compliant products. These provisions do not address every industrial cylinder, customs treatment, or medicinal authorization.
GermanyRestrictedSince 12 April 2026, the Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz (NpSG) lists nitrous oxide (Lachgas) in Anlage 2. The Act prohibits dealing, placing on the market, manufacture, import, export, transit, acquisition, possession and administration where it is packaged in a container holding more than 8.4 grams. It also prohibits supplying more than ten containers of up to 8.4 grams in one sales transaction; mail-order and vending-machine supply are prohibited, as are supply to under-18s and acquisition or possession by under-18s. Recognized commercial, industrial and scientific uses are exempt.
IndiaRestrictedDrugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 as implemented by NPPA's Nitrous Oxide scheduled-medicine page; Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (CDSCO compilation amended through 1 July 2024); CDSCO New Drugs Approved database; Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and Department of Revenue schedule amendment S.O. 906(E) dated 18 February 2026.474849505152
CDSCO's official approvals database records nitrous oxide as a medical premixed gas (50% N2O/50% oxygen) approved 20 December 2001 for pain relief in emergency and invasive procedures. NPPA classifies Nitrous Oxide Inhalation as a scheduled medicine (unit: cubic metre) and applies DPCO price-ceiling, MRP, returns and overcharge consequences to that scheduled formulation; its historical table lists 2013 and 2014 notifications but gives no current price. Under the current CDSCO Drugs Rules, prescription-only retail treatment attaches to substances placed in Schedules H, H1 or X; not all nitrous oxide or every medical formulation is listed in those schedules. The DOR NDPS Act defines a psychotropic substance by inclusion in the Act's Schedule, and the 18 February 2026 amendment adds HHC and carisoprodol entries; the NDPS Schedule does not list nitrous oxide or create a nitrous-oxide-specific consumption or possession offence. Nitrous oxide is not unrestricted: product grade, representation, medical formulation, licensing, cylinder and storage safety requirements, state drug-control practice and any later product-specific measure remain relevant. Nitrous oxide is a regulated scheduled medical formulation; it is not subject to a blanket prohibition as a chemical across all uses.
NorwayRestrictedForskrift om omsetning og innførsel av produkter med lystgass, FOR-2026-03-05-34075
Norway prohibits supplying nitrous-oxide products for intoxicating purposes and supplying them to persons under 18. Consumer sales are limited to 17 grams per day, subject to stated exceptions. Consumer importation is prohibited.
RussiaRestrictedFederal Law No. 472-FZ of 29 December 2020, On Restricting the Circulation of Nitrous Oxide in the Russian Federation (current text as amended by Federal Law No. 267-FZ of 23 July 2025); Government Resolution No. 1259 of 24 July 2021, On Approving the List of Intoxicating Substances; Code of Administrative Offences, Article 6.13.1 (introduced by Federal Law No. 4-FZ of 4 February 2021).8687888990
Law No. 472-FZ took effect on 1 January 2021 and was amended on 3 August 2025. Article 1(2) prohibits the listed circulation activities only when they are not for food production/food products or medical, industrial or technical application; Article 1(3) prohibits a person's non-medical use to change their state. Resolution No. 1259 lists закись азота (оксид азота (I), динитрогена оксид) as an intoxicating substance and took effect on 4 August 2021. The 2025 amendment changed Article 1(4) so that the Government approves both the intoxicating-substance list and its formation/amendment procedure. Article 6.13.1 supplies administrative fines for promotion of nitrous-oxide use and dissemination of sales information outside the permitted purposes, but does not provide a comprehensive penalty provision for every prohibited circulation activity. Nitrous oxide is subject to restricted circulation rather than prohibition or prescription-only control: food, medical, industrial and technical uses are expressly permitted, and nitrous oxide is not placed in the narcotic/psychotropic schedule itself.
Prescription2
AustriaPrescription onlyAustria lists dinitrogen monoxide in the prescription-only medicines annex with the designation NR. The official legend defines NR as prescription required with repeat dispensing prohibited. The authorised product information identifies the substance as medical nitrous oxide and limits use to trained medical professionals.
SwitzerlandPrescription onlySwissmedic Guideline ZL000_00_016d, Zulassung von Medizinalgasen101
Swissmedic places compressed or liquefied nitrous-oxide medical gas, including oxygen/nitrous-oxide mixtures, in dispensing category B. Category B medicines require a prescription. The classification concerns authorised medicinal-gas products.
Legal / decriminalized7
United StatesLegal (regulated)Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 360ddd–360ddd-1; 21 C.F.R. §§ 201.161, 184.1545104105106107108109
Nitrous oxide meeting official-compendial standards is a federally designated medical gas. Certified designated nitrous oxide is deemed approved for analgesia and is subject to prescription-drug requirements; its final-use medical container must bear “Rx only.” Separately, food-grade nitrous oxide is affirmed GRAS for specified food uses subject to current good manufacturing practice. Nitrous oxide is not controlled under the federal Controlled Substances Act.
By state
Across the 50 states, D.C., and the permanent territories, nitrous oxide is federally uncontrolled as a designated medical gas and GRAS food additive. A large majority of states nonetheless restrict retail sale, possession with intent to inhale, or distribution of nitrous oxide for recreational use, typically through age-of-sale, quantity, or venue restrictions distinct from controlled-substance scheduling.
AlabamaRestrictedAla. Code §§ 13A-12-360–361 (Act 2025-65)110
Alabama prohibits possession or use of nitrous oxide and classifies unlawful possession as a Class A misdemeanor. Producing, manufacturing, selling, offering, or transferring nitrous oxide is a Class D felony, subject to medical, industrial, culinary, and automotive exceptions.
CaliforniaRestrictedCalifornia Penal Code § 381b; Rialto Municipal Code chapter 9.44 (Ordinance No. 1588)111112113114115116117
Penal Code § 381b makes it a misdemeanor to possess nitrous oxide or a substance containing it with intent to breathe, inhale, or ingest it to cause intoxication, elation, euphoria, dizziness, stupefaction, sensory dulling, or altered audio, visual, or mental processes; knowingly and intentionally being under its influence for that purpose is also covered. The section does not apply to administration for medical, surgical, or dental care by a person duly licensed to administer the agent. Section 381c defines nitrous oxide to include N2O, dinitrogen monoxide, dinitrogen oxide, nitrogen oxide, and laughing gas, and makes supplying a nitrous-oxide-only device, canister, tank, or receptacle to a person under 18 a misdemeanor; it includes a reasonable-belief age defense, medical/dental and food-propellant exceptions, and repeat-offense business-license suspension authority. Section 381d adds a misdemeanor where a distributor knows or should know the recipient will use nitrous oxide in violation of § 381b and that use proximately causes great bodily injury or death. Section 381e requires transaction records, purchaser signature, complete residential address, government photo identification, seller signature/date, one-year retention, and specified warnings, with medical/dental, food-propellant, licensed-wholesaler, and specified manufacturer exceptions; misuse of collected information is separately punishable. HSC §§ 11054–11058 schedule text contains no nitrous oxide, dinitrogen monoxide, dinitrogen oxide, nitrogen oxide, or laughing-gas entry, but that absence does not erase the Penal Code restrictions. SB 936 was listed by the official status page as an Active Bill - Passed with Aug. 27, 2026 Assembly-amendment concurrence and engrossing/enrolling action; it was not current operative law.
FloridaRestrictedFla. Stat. §§ 877.111(1)-(5), 499.039, 893.03, 893.145; CS/SB 432 (2026), ch. 2026-148, § 2 (creating § 569.216, effective October 1, 2026)118119120121122123124125126127128
As of 27 August 2026, Florida does not treat nitrous oxide (dinitrogen monoxide; N2O; laughing gas) as a named Schedule I-V controlled substance in the current § 893.03 schedules, but it imposes substance-specific restrictions. Section 877.111(1) makes it unlawful to inhale or ingest nitrous oxide, or possess it with intent to breathe, inhale, or drink it, for intoxication or to distort or disturb auditory, visual, or mental processes. Section 877.111(2) separately prohibits possessing, buying, selling, or transferring a listed chemical to induce or aid another person's violation. Ordinary violations of subsections (1)-(2) are second-degree misdemeanors under subsection (3), with statutory maximums of 60 days' imprisonment and a $500 fine under §§ 775.082(4)(b) and 775.083(1)(e). Knowingly distributing, selling, purchasing, transferring, or possessing more than 16 grams is instead unlawful distribution of nitrous oxide, a third-degree felony under § 877.111(4), generally carrying up to 5 years' imprisonment and a $5,000 fine under §§ 775.082(3)(e) and 775.083(1)(c). Discharging nitrous oxide to inflate a balloon or another object suitable for later inhalation creates a statutory inference of knowledge of unlawful purpose. Section 877.111(4) exempts specified legitimate uses: care or treatment by licensed practitioners; food-processing propellant; semiconductor oxidizer; analytical-chemistry oxidizer in atomic-absorption spectrometry; production of chemicals used to inflate airbags; oxidizer for chemical production, combustion, or jet propulsion; and motor-vehicle induction additive when mixed with sulfur dioxide. Section 499.039 separately prohibits selling, delivering, or giving a chemical containing nitrous oxide to anyone under 18 when intended to induce intoxication or distort or disturb physical or mental processes, and provides agency warning/fine/prosecution mechanisms. Section 893.145 includes nitrous-oxide cartridges, chargers or crackers, charging bottles, whip-its, tanks, balloons, hoses or tubes, and similar objects within drug paraphernalia when used or intended for unlawful inhalation under § 877.111; such paraphernalia is contraband subject to civil forfeiture. CS/SB 432 (2026), chapter 2026-148, creates § 569.216 to prohibit licensed or permitted tobacco/nicotine dealers and their agents or employees from possessing or selling nitrous oxide on or from licensed premises, but the enrolled act makes that provision effective October 1, 2026, so it is prospective rather than operative on the access date; grocery stores/supermarkets are excepted and finished food products using nitrous oxide solely as a propellant are preserved. The current Florida Administrative Register portal was checked for rule/emergency-rule developments; the enrolled act directs DBPR to adopt implementing rules, but no additional current rule was used to expand the statute's scope.
GeorgiaRestrictedO.C.G.A. §§ 16-13-71(c)(16), 16-13-79(b)–(d)129
Georgia imposes a substance-specific felony for distributing nitrous oxide, or possessing it with intent to distribute, outside the enumerated medical and dangerous-drug exceptions. Medical-grade nitrous oxide may be sold only to licensed practitioners or medical suppliers. The statute separately preserves specified food-preparation, food-service, household-product, and limited industrial uses.
IllinoisRestrictedIllinois criminalizes possessing nitrous oxide with intent to inhale or ingest it for intoxication, and knowingly being under its influence for that purpose. A first violation is a Class A misdemeanor and a subsequent violation is a Class 4 felony; medical, surgical, and dental administration by a duly licensed person is excepted. Intentional manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver for a prohibited purpose is a Class 3 felony.
IowaRestrictedIowa Code § 126.22132
Iowa criminalizes possessing nitrous oxide with intent to inhale or ingest it for intoxication and knowingly being under its influence for that purpose. It also criminalizes distribution or possession with intent to distribute when intended or known to induce unlawful inhalation. Licensed medical, surgical, and dental administration is excepted.
KentuckyRestrictedKRS § 438.343133
Kentucky prohibits retailers from selling, distributing, or giving away receptacles containing nitrous oxide. The statute preserves licensed-wholesaler medical gases, clinician-administered medical or dental use, manufacturing and industrial uses, culinary propellant uses, and automotive uses. Violating retailers face escalating civil fines and potential jail time after a third citation.
LouisianaRestrictedLa. R.S. 40:989134
Louisiana prohibits inhaling, ingesting, using, or possessing nitrous oxide and separately prohibits producing, manufacturing, possessing, buying, selling, or transferring it. Exceptions cover specified medical treatment, manufacturing and industrial use, food-service propellant use, adult houseware-product use, and adult automotive use. Flavored-product labeling creates a rebuttable presumption against the statutory exceptions.
MaineRestricted22 M.R.S. § 2383-C135
Maine prohibits knowingly or intentionally inhaling a gas to cause intoxication, euphoria, excitement, stupefaction, or dulling of the brain or nervous system. Possession with intent to commit that conduct is also prohibited. Medical and dental anesthesia is expressly excluded, and violations are civil violations subject to escalating forfeitures.
MarylandRestrictedMd. Code, Crim. Law § 5-708136
Maryland makes deliberate inhalation of nitrous oxide in an intoxicating amount a misdemeanor. The statute expressly excludes inhalation of anesthesia for medical or dental purposes. A violation is punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment, a $500 fine, or both.
MichiganRestrictedMCL § 752.272a137
Michigan prohibits selling or distributing a device containing or dispensing nitrous oxide for the purpose of causing intoxication, euphoria, excitement, stupefaction, or sensory or nervous-system dulling. It separately restricts sales of devices solely containing nitrous oxide to persons under 18. The law exempts denatured product and specified grocery, catering, industrial, medical, pharmacy, and health-care transactions.
NebraskaRestrictedNeb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1484138
Nebraska prohibits business entities and corporations from selling, furnishing, distributing, or allowing consumers to take nitrous oxide products. The statute excepts non-flavored products denatured for human consumption, industrial and manufacturing products, automotive products, prescribed medical or dental products, and culinary propellants. Violations carry misdemeanor penalties, civil penalties, and product seizure and forfeiture.
New JerseyLegal (regulated)N.J.S.A. 24:6G-1 through -3139
New Jersey requires a Department of Health permit for nonmedical handling and transactions involving nitrous oxide. Food-preparation sales remain lawful subject to confirming the buyer's age and recordkeeping requirements. The substance is regulated through a dedicated permit regime rather than a controlled-substance schedule.
New YorkRestrictedN.Y. Public Health Law § 3380(5)–(6)140
New York prohibits using nitrous oxide to cause intoxication and prohibits nonexempt sales of nitrous-oxide canisters. Industrial, medical, dental, and specified food-product uses remain exempt. Violations of the nitrous-oxide provisions are class A misdemeanors.
North DakotaRestrictedN.D.C.C. § 19-03.1-22.1141
North Dakota expressly includes nitrous oxide in its volatile-chemical inhalation law. Recreational inhalation is a class B misdemeanor, escalating to a class A misdemeanor for a third or subsequent violation within one year. Prescribed medical, dental, and optometric inhalations are excluded.
OhioLegal (regulated)Ohio regulates retail nitrous oxide through a terminal-distributor license, transaction records, labeling, and purchaser identification. It prohibits distribution to persons under twenty-one except for lawful medical, dental, or clinical purposes, and makes specified supply violations felonies. Unauthorized possession of an open nitrous-oxide cartridge in a motor vehicle is a misdemeanor.
OregonRestrictedOregon Revised Statutes 167.808(1)-(5) (unlawful possession and use of inhalants), 475.390 (retail sale of nitrous oxide to individuals under 18; proof of age; online orders; penalties), and 153.018(2)(c) (maximum fine for a Class C violation); Oregon Laws 2025, chapter 66 (HB 3447), effective January 1, 2026; Oregon Administrative Rules 855-080-0020 through 855-080-0026 (Board of Pharmacy controlled-substance schedules, current rule page amended effective June 17, 2026).144145146147148
Oregon's current 2025 Revised Statutes expressly list nitrous oxide in the definition of inhalant. A person may not possess an inhalant intending to induce intoxication in self or another, or use an inhalant for that purpose. The prohibition does not apply to a substance prescribed by a health practitioner and used as prescribed, or administered or used under a health practitioner's supervision. A first violation is a Class C violation (the general individual maximum fine for a Class C violation is $500 under ORS 153.018(2)(c)); a second or subsequent violation is a Class B misdemeanor. Separately, ORS 475.390 prohibits a business or employee making retail sales of canisters from which a person may directly inhale nitrous oxide from selling or delivering them to a person under 18. Before sale or delivery, the seller must require listed identification establishing that the buyer is at least 18 and accurately describes the buyer. For an online order delivered to an Oregon recipient, delivery requires the recipient's signature and inspection of identification; reliable, accurate industry identification-checking software or an application may be used. Under ORS 475.390(4), the first retail-sale violation is a Class A violation and a repeat violation is a Class C misdemeanor. HB 3447 (Oregon Laws 2025, chapter 66) added the online-delivery and revised identity-checking and penalty provisions and states that the amendments apply to retail sales on or after January 1, 2026. Oregon controlled-substance schedules consist of federal Schedules I-V as modified by the Board and are set out in OAR 855-080-0021 through 0026. Nitrous oxide is subject to the specific inhalant and retail restrictions described above and is not separately listed in those controlled-substance schedules.
PennsylvaniaRestricted18 Pa.C.S. § 7303149
Pennsylvania expressly includes nitrous oxide in its definition of a noxious substance. It prohibits intentional inhalation for intoxication, possession for that use, and retail sale when the seller has reasonable cause to suspect unlawful use. Medical and dental anesthesia is excepted, and violations are third-degree misdemeanors.
South CarolinaRestrictedS.C. Code Ann. §§ 44-53-2510 through 44-53-2540150
South Carolina generally prohibits selling, furnishing, distributing, or possessing nitrous oxide with intent to sell or distribute. It also prohibits possession, sale, marketing, or representation of nitrous oxide for recreational inhalation. Enumerated medical, culinary, automotive, industrial, research, and governmental uses remain exempt under specified conditions.
TennesseeRestricted2026 Tenn. Pub. Ch. 702 (SB 1843)151
Tennessee's Nitrous Oxide Abuse Prevention and Retail Sale Prohibition Act creates dedicated restrictions on nitrous-oxide retail sales and recreational misuse. The Act preserves specified medical, dental, and food-related uses while imposing state penalties for prohibited conduct. It took effect July 1, 2026.
TexasLegal (regulated)Texas regulates consumer-product nitrous oxide as an abusable volatile chemical. Retail establishments selling it to consumers must hold an Abusable Volatile Chemical sales permit and comply with the state program. Nitrous oxide sold as an FDCA-regulated drug for hospital or dental anesthetic use is exempt from that retail-permit requirement.
UtahRestrictedUtah Code § 76-9-1111154
Utah separately criminalizes abuse of nitrous oxide. Possessing nitrous oxide with intent to breathe, inhale, or ingest it for intoxicating effects is prohibited, subject to stated exceptions for licensed medical, surgical, and dental administration. This creates a substance-specific criminal restriction beyond the federal medical-gas and food-additive framework.
VirginiaRestrictedVa. Code § 18.2-264155
Virginia includes nitrous oxide within its statutory definition of noxious chemical substances and criminalizes intentional inhalation for intoxicating effects outside practitioner direction. The statute also criminalizes specified sales and distribution of inhalation-delivery devices, flavored nitrous oxide, and containers exceeding eight grams, while preserving enumerated medical, industrial, food-service, research, and other exemptions. These are substance-specific criminal and commercial restrictions beyond federal scheduling status.
WashingtonRestrictedEngrossed Substitute House Bill 2532, 69th Leg., Reg. Sess. (2026)156
Washington makes sale, furnishing, administration, distribution, gifting, or offers involving nitrous-oxide devices, canisters, tanks, and receptacles a gross misdemeanor. The law exempts licensed medical, veterinary, and dental administration; food products used as propellants; and specified manufacturing, industrial, automotive, and lawful gas-distribution uses. The statewide offense materially restricts nonexempt commercial distribution.
West VirginiaRestrictedW. Va. Code § 60-7-12(a)(9), (c)157
West Virginia prohibits an alcohol-licensee and associated personnel from selling, giving away, facilitating the use of, or allowing use of nitrous oxide for human consumption on licensed premises unless authorized by the commissioner. Violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine, jail, or both. The restriction is limited to the licensed-premises context but is a substance-specific criminal control.
WisconsinRestrictedWis. Stat. § 941.315158
Wisconsin makes possession of nitrous oxide with intent to inhale it and inhalation of nitrous oxide Class A misdemeanors. It separately makes specified distribution, delivery, and possession-with-intent-to-distribute conduct a Class H felony, including distribution to persons under 21 and knowing distribution for prohibited use. Medical and dental administration is expressly exempted under stated conditions.
AustraliaLegal (regulated)Nitrous oxide is a Schedule 4 prescription-only medicine when for therapeutic use and is otherwise a Schedule 6 poison under Australia’s current Poisons Standard. The current edition commenced on 1 June 2026 and classifies the substance for implementation through state and territory poisons legislation.
CanadaLegal (regulated)The Food and Drug Regulations prohibit selling nitrous oxide to the general public and advertising it for sale to the general public. The provision applies to nitrous oxide itself and is not limited to products marketed for inhalation. Medical uses remain regulated as drug uses; the provision does not create a possession offence.
ColombiaLegal (regulated)En Colombia, el óxido nitroso está regulado como gas medicinal altamente estable desde la publicación de la Resolución 1497 de 2023, el 22 de septiembre de 2023.22 Los gases medicinales destinados al mercado sanitario están sujetos a registro sanitario y a requisitos de estabilidad, envase y almacenamiento aprobados por el INVIMA. La norma asigna al óxido nitroso una vida útil estándar de 24 meses cuando cumple esas condiciones; la sedación odontológica con el gas requiere formación clínica específica del profesional.
MexicoLegal (regulated)NOM-073-SSA1-2015, Estabilidad de fármacos y medicamentos, así como de remedios herbolarios5758596061626364656667
The current Ley General de Salud (last reform 15 January 2026) lists controlled narcotics in Article 234 and five psychotropic groups in Article 245; nitrous oxide/óxido nitroso/óxido de dinitrógeno is not expressly named in those lists. Articles 253-254 authorize sanitary control of dangerous industrial substances with psychotropic action and inhalant-expenditure controls, but no current implementing determination specifically names nitrous oxide; these provisions neither expressly permit nor prohibit it. The current transport NOM expressly classifies ÓXIDO NITROSO as UN 1070, division 2.2 with subsidiary hazard 5.1 and packaging instruction P200, and makes the transport framework mandatory for shippers, carriers and consignees. NOM-002-1 has been in force since 25 January 2025. NOM-016 is also in force and regulates hospital fixed installations supplying oxygen and nitrous oxide, restricted gas-central access, manifolds, medical-gas labeling and medical use; its Appendix B describes nitrous oxide as an analgesic and induction agent. NOM-010 is in force and sets a workplace exposure limit of 50 ppm for Óxido de dinitrógeno (CAS 10024-97-2), identifying central-nervous-system, hematological and embryo/fetal effects. The 2012 food-additive agreement lists ÓXIDO NITROSO as SIN 942 with packaging-gas, propellant, antioxidant and foaming-agent functions; that is a product-manufacturing authorization context, not a recreational-use rule. The affirmative non-narcotic controls do not establish a universal prescription-only, age-limit, possession, sale or recreational-use rule.
SwedenLegal (regulated)Since 1 July 2025, Sweden regulates nitrous oxide (lustgas; dikväveoxid, N2O) under the Lag (2025:621) om lustgas, except where it is covered by the Medicines Act. Commercial sale or other supply is prohibited when there is particular reason to assume it will be used as an intoxicant, and supply to persons under 18 is prohibited; supply to a private person is normally limited to 18 grams in no more than two containers of up to 9 grams each. Import is limited to persons aged 18 or older and normally subject to the same limit, although holders of a special motorsport nitrous-oxide competition licence may import up to 60 kilograms per occasion. Retail sale requires prior notification to the Public Health Agency, and specified unlawful sales are punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to six months.
Not scheduled2
PolandNot scheduledMinister of Health regulation of 17 August 2018 on the list of psychotropic substances, narcotic drugs and new psychoactive substances (consolidated Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1139), as amended by Dz.U. 2025 poz. 598 and Dz.U. 2026 poz. 934; Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction of 29 July 2005 (consolidated Dz.U. 2023 poz. 1939, with Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1004 amendment); Pharmaceutical Law (consolidated Dz.U. 2026 poz. 612); RPL product record for Podtlenek azotu SIAD, permit 23145.767778798081828384
Nitrous oxide is unscheduled under Poland's controlled-substance regulation, not a blanket declaration that every product or use is unrestricted. The complete consolidated controlled-substance regulation contains no podtlenek azotu, Dinitrogenii oxidum, nitrous oxide, N2O, or CAS 10024-97-2 entry; the latest schedule amendment (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 934, effective 28 July 2026) adds other substances and does not add nitrous oxide. The Drug Addiction Act's authorization, use, possession and criminal-possession rules apply to substances in the listed narcotic/psychotropic/NPS categories, so those drug-schedule prohibitions do not attach to N2O. Separate product regulation remains material: the food-production regulation expressly permits nitrous oxide as an extraction solvent according to good manufacturing practice, subject to its food-use and labeling conditions. Poland's official RPL records an authorized medicinal product, Podtlenek azotu SIAD, 100% v/v, permit 23145; its package category is Lz (medicine used exclusively in closed/inpatient healthcare), not ordinary Rp or OTC. Its approved product information requires inhalation with oxygen, appropriate equipment and trained medical personnel. Thus ordinary N2O is not drug-scheduled, while food and medicinal presentations remain subject to their own statutory/product-specific controls; no general retail-sale, recreational-use, age-limit, or inhalation-specific prohibition is inferred from schedule silence.
SingaporeNot scheduledMisuse of Drugs Act 1973, Fifth Schedule91
Singapore expressly excludes nitrous oxide from the Fifth Schedule’s psychoactive-substance coverage. The exclusion means nitrous oxide is not controlled as a substance under that Act’s psychoactive-substance mechanism. Other product, food and workplace rules may still apply to particular uses.
References
Citations
- World Health Organization. (2023). Nitrous oxide: Critical Review Report. 46th Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, 1-40. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/46th-ecdd/nitrous-oxide_46th-ecdd_critical-review_public-version.pdf123
- Tomohiro Yamakura, & R. Adron Harris. (2000). Effects of gaseous anesthetics nitrous oxide and xenon on ligand-gated ion channels. Comparison with isoflurane and ethanol. Anesthesiology, 93(4), 1095–1101. https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200010000-000341234
- Marco Gruss, Trevor J. Bushell, Damian P. Bright, William R. Lieb, Alistair Mathie, & Nicholas P. Franks. (2004). Two-pore-domain K+ channels are a novel target for the anesthetic gases xenon, nitrous oxide, and cyclopropane. Molecular Pharmacology, 65(2), 443–452. https://doi.org/10.1124/mol.65.2.44312
- Michael C. Kalmoe, Amanda M. Janski, Charles F. Zorumski, Peter Nagele, Ben Julian A. Palanca, & Charles R. Conway. (2020). Ketamine and nitrous oxide: The evolution of NMDA receptor antagonists as antidepressant agents. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 412, Article 116778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2020.116778123456
- P. Orestes, D. Bojadzic, J. Lee, E. Leach, R. Salajegheh, M. R. Digruccio, M. T. Nelson, & S. M. Todorovic. (2011). Free radical signalling underlies inhibition of CaV3.2 T-type calcium channels by nitrous oxide in the pain pathway. The Journal of Physiology, 589(1), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2010.1962201
- Daniel E. Becker, & Morton Rosenberg. (2008). Nitrous Oxide and the Inhalation Anesthetics. Anesthesia Progress, 55(4), 124–131. https://doi.org/10.2344/0003-3006-55.4.1241
- Cyrille De Halleux, & David N. Juurlink. (2023). Diagnosis and management of toxicity associated with the recreational use of nitrous oxide. CMAJ, 195(32), E1075–E1081. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.2301961
- Nosaiba K Ezzelarab, & Tarek Matar. (2025). Recreational Nitrous Oxide Misuse: Anaesthetic Challenges and Perioperative Complications Including Airway Burns and Neurological Sequelae. Cureus, 17(8), Article e89232. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.892321
- Abderrahim Oussalah, Mélissa Julien, Julien Levy, & Jean-Louis Guéant. (2019). Global Burden Related to Nitrous Oxide Exposure in Medical and Recreational Settings: A Systematic Review and Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(4), Article 551. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm804055112
- Home Office. (2014). Drug Misuse: Findings from the 2013 to 2014 Crime Survey for England and Wales. UK Home Office. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/drug-misuse-findings-from-the-2013-to-2014-csew/drug-misuse-findings-from-the-201314-crime-survey-for-england-and-wales1
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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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