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Ketamine Legal States 2024

Ketamine Legal States 2024

What Is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a very common prescription medication that is typically used in an inpatient setting. It is one of the most common medications that doctors use as anesthesia; it can be used to keep people unconscious during surgery.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, which means that it induces a trance or hypnotic-like state. It leads to pain relief, sedation, and amnesia. It typically acts rapidly as the body metabolizes it very quickly. There are some situations where ketamine can be used in very low doses to treat mental health issues, but this is still something that is actively being researched.

Is Ketamine Legal in the United States?

Yes, ketamine is legal in the United States and the vast majority of other developed countries across the world. It is important to understand that just because ketamine is legal does not mean that it can be used recreationally.

In reality, ketamine is very tightly regulated. It can only be administered by very specific clinicians who have the authority and expertise to use it safely. A doctor is only going to use ketamine to keep someone unconscious during a procedure. Ketamine is not meant to be used recreationally, and if it is used recreationally, it can be dangerous. It is also a controlled substance, so using it recreationally would be illegal.

Some doctors have found that ketamine can be beneficial in treating people who have treatment-resistant depression. This means that the patient may have gone through several different types of medications without achieving any significant remission of his or her mental health issues. When ketamine is administered in a very controlled manner, it could help people recover from treatment-resistant depression.

In 2019, the FDA approved a nasal spray version of ketamine for use in patients with treatment-resistant depression.

Are There Any States Where Ketamine Is Legal for Recreational Use?

No, there are no states where ketamine is legal for recreational use. In all locations across the United States, ketamine is considered a controlled substance, and it cannot be used for recreational purposes legally.

Ketamine is sometimes used as a club drug when it is taken recreationally. It goes by the names vitamin K, ket, kit kat, and Special K. It is important for people not to take this club drug. There are a number of serious side effects and complications that could develop. Some of the most common symptoms include elevated blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, and an elevated heart rate. Therefore, it can be dangerous if taken recreationally.

Ketamine Legal States 2024

  • Although ketamine is legal for medical use in every state, it is also heavily restricted, particularly in states that have adopted CPOM.
  • Corporate Practice of Medicine doctrine (CPOM) is a set of guidelines which prohibits business entities from practicing medicine or employing physicians for the provision of medical services (because such a relationship could create pressure on the physician to make decisions based upon corporate business goals rather than the patient's best interests).
  • CPOM also dictates whether or not licensed physicians may join business ventures with unlicensed individuals or businesses for the provision of healthcare services, and who can finance, develop, manage or market ketamine.
  • CPOM is not a law in and of itself, but states may pass laws that require adherence to various elements of CPOM.
  • Due to CPOM's breadth and versatility, CPOM requirements and adherence take a different form in some states than in others.
State
Ketamine Legality
CPOM Adopted
Additional Details
AlabamaLegal
AlaskaLegal
ArizonaLegal
ArkansasLegal
Ketamine is only legal when used in a licensed and approved medical or veterinary setting
CaliforniaLegal
Ketamine is only legal to possess if the patient has a valid prescription. Moreover, it is rarely pr...
ColoradoLegal
Ketamine is legal for off-label treatments if prescribed by a physician licensed to practice in Colo...
ConnecticutLegal
DelawareLegal
Strictly for medicinal use
District of ColumbiaLegal
FloridaLegal
Ketamine is only legal when it is administered at a medical facility by professionals
GeorgiaLegal
Ketamine use for off-label treatments is legal
HawaiiLegal
IdahoLegal
IllinoisLegal
IndianaLegal
IowaLegal
KansasLegal
KentuckyLegal
LouisianaLegal
MaineLegal
MarylandLegal
MassachusettsLegal
MichiganLegal
MinnesotaLegal
MississippiLegal
MissouriLegal
MontanaLegal
NebraskaLegal
NevadaLegal
New HampshireLegal
New JerseyLegal
New MexicoLegal
New YorkLegal
North CarolinaLegal
North DakotaLegal
OhioLegal
OklahomaLegal
OregonLegal
PennsylvaniaLegal
Rhode IslandLegal
South CarolinaLegal
South DakotaLegal
TennesseeLegal
TexasLegal
UtahLegal
VermontLegal
VirginiaLegal
WashingtonLegal
West VirginiaLegal
WisconsinLegal
WyomingLegal
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