Is phenibut illegal to sell, import or distribute in Sweden?

Question

Is Phenibut (cas number: 1078-21-3 ) (sold only as a research chemical) illegal to sell online (e-commerce) in Sweden, and if yes how is it enforceable and who is it enforceable by and how / by whom could it possibly be punishable?

Can a totally legitimate and legal supplement company in sweden offer Phenibut powder (sold only as a research chemical) for sale legally, and if not, what consequences could the sole owner face legally.

and if it is not allowed and the sole owner proactively seeks legal advice to discover this what consequences could the sole owner face?

and if it can be sold legally what steps should the owner take to continue selling this product legally

Answer 1

Hi and thank you for choosing Lawline.

I understand you are asking whether Phenibut is illegal to sell and distribute in Sweden.

Phenibut is not a illicit substance (narcotics) in Sweden, however it falls under the definition of a medical substance. For this reason you are not allowed to sell or distribute phenibut (4 kap. 1 § läkemedelslag). A unlwaful disturbution, sell or import of a controlled substance may result in a fine or jail uptowards 1 year (5 kap. 1 § läkemedelslag). The appropriate authority to deal with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance is the police and prosecutors office.

A permission to sell a medical substance is issued by Medical Products Agency (MPA). If you wish to proceed with a application it should be submitted to the MPA. However, granted the properties of Phenibut it will likely be classified as a prescribed substance which can only be issued by a medical practitioneer.

Conclusively, only a business with the appropriate permission is able to sell, distribute or import phenibut.

Hope you’ll find this response useful,