The Psilocybin Record

France

Illegaleffective

Psilocybin is illegal in France as of 16 Aug 2026.1

1. What the law is

Key legislation

Code de la sante publique Art. L3421-1 (Law of 31 December 1970): drug use is a criminal offense (delit) punishable by up to 1 year imprisonment and a 3,750 euro fine; all hallucinogenic mushrooms are classified as narcotics. Since 2020 the same offense may instead be settled by an amende forfaitaire delictuelle, a fast-track CRIMINAL fine and not decriminalization: the statute sets it at 200 euros, reduced to 150 euros and raised to 450 euros. Loi n. 2025-532 of 13 June 2025 (anti-narcotrafic) further hardened enforcement.1

Paying a fine on the spot in France looks like decriminalization and is not. The amende forfaitaire delictuelle, available to police since 2020 and set at EUR 200, settles a criminal offense: Article L3421-1 of the Code de la sante publique punishes drug use and possession for personal use with up to one year imprisonment and a EUR 3,750 fine. Hallucinogenic mushrooms are classified as narcotics whatever the species. Loi 2025-532 of 13 June 2025 hardened enforcement further.

2. Pending legislation

Introduced but not yet law. If a bill passes, this record changes with it.

Loi 2025-532 of 13 June 2025 is enacted. It raises trafficking penalties, creates a specialized prosecutor and expands investigative procedures. A Senate bill proposing depenalisation of drug use, ppl24-272, has been introduced and not adopted.

3. History

The laws behind today’s status, when each took effect, and every review since, in order.

  1. Illegal status takes effect.

  2. France was filed as having decriminalized drug use. The fine police can issue on the spot is a criminal penalty for a criminal offense, and a law of June 2025 hardened enforcement, so the status was corrected to illegal.

    France's entry quoted a 500 euro fixed fine that was announced but never enacted. The statute sets 200 euros, reduced to 150 and raised to 450, and the entry now matches it.

4. Trials in France

Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one study site in France, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS, and ISRCTN. Registry data is reported by sponsors and shown as filed.

2Recruiting
5Active
5Completed
0Closed
12Total

Recruiting, active, completed and closed add up to the 12 trials with a study site in France, as of Aug 2026. Closed covers trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS, and ISRCTN, as of Aug 2026. Showing all 12 trials with a study site in France, recruiting trials first. This site makes no medical claims about psilocybin.
NCT07638553 (opens in new tab)Efficacy in Relapse Prevention: Psilocybin in Alcohol Use Disorder With Depressive Symptoms (opens in new tab)Recruiting at CHU de Nîmes, NîmesPhase Phase 3Sponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NīmesStatus RecruitingStarted
NCT07210112 (opens in new tab)Efficacy of Psilocybin and Trazodone Combination in Treatment-resistant Depression: a Randomized Controlled Proof-of-concept Study (PSILOTRAZ) (opens in new tab)Site at GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, ParisPhase Phase 2Sponsor Centre Hospitalier St AnneStatus Not yet recruitingStarted
2024-512911-34-00 (opens in new tab)Efficacy of psilocybin and trazodone combination in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized controlled proof-of-concept study (PSILOTRAZ) (opens in new tab)Phase Not statedSponsor Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Psychiatrie & NeuroscienceStatus Not statedStarted
NCT07391332 (opens in new tab)Psilocybin AsSisted pSychotherapy for the treatmENt of Gambling disordER : a Pilot Study (opens in new tab)Site at Nantes University Hospital, NantesPhase Phase 2Sponsor Nantes University HospitalStatus Not statedStarted
NCT06647056 (opens in new tab)Evaluation of the Effect of a Single Dose of Psilocybin on Neural Correlates of Cognitive Control in Patients With Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (opens in new tab)Site at CHU de Nîmes, Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau, NîmesPhase Not applicableSponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NīmesStatus CompletedStarted
NCT06650800 (opens in new tab)Effect of Psilocybin on the Positive Valence System in Treatment-resistant Depression (opens in new tab)Site at CHU de Nîmes, Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau, NîmesPhase Not applicableSponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NīmesStatus CompletedStarted
2022-501092-11-00 (opens in new tab)Effect of psilocybin on the positive valence system in treatment-resistant depression: a pilot clinical neuroimaging study (opens in new tab)Phase Not statedSponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De NimesStatus Not statedStarted
2023-509679-17-00 (opens in new tab)Evaluation of the effect of a single dose of psilocybin on neural correlates of cognitive control in patients with CNEP (psychogenic nonepileptic seizures): a single-arm, open-label pilot study. (opens in new tab)Phase Not statedSponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De NimesStatus Not statedStarted
2023-505268-12-00 (opens in new tab)A Phase III, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, controlled study to investigate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of two initial administrations of COMP360 in participants with treatment-resistant depression (opens in new tab)Phase Not statedSponsor Compass Pathfinder LimitedStatus Not statedStarted
2023-506647-42-00 (opens in new tab)Psilocybin in alcohol use disorder with comorbid depression - Randomized double-blind controlled pilot study. (opens in new tab)Phase Not statedSponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De NimesStatus Not statedStarted
NCT06235411 (opens in new tab)Psilocybin in Alcohol Use Disorder With Comorbid Depression (opens in new tab)Site at CHU, NîmesPhase Not applicableSponsor Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de NīmesStatus CompletedStarted
NCT05711940 (opens in new tab)Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Two Administrations of COMP360 in Participants With TRD (opens in new tab)Sites in Nîmes and ParisPhase Phase 3Sponsor COMPASS PathwaysStatus Active, not recruitingStarted

ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

5. Common questions

Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in France?

"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin. Psilocybin is illegal in France as of 16 Aug 2026. Some laws control the compound and the fungus separately, so this record states the position for psilocybin in France.

Sources and confidence

Every status line is checked against the primary sources below. How each record is graded for confidence is set out in the methodology.

  1. 1.Légifrance.Légifrance (opens in new tab) · legifrance.gouv.fr
  2. 2.European Union Drugs Agency.European Union Drugs Agency (opens in new tab) · euda.europa.eu

Cited at the review

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently, and enforcement practice can differ from the letter of the law. Verify current status with local authorities before relying on this record.

Changes to this record

Every change we have made to this record, dated, corrections included. Nothing changes silently.

  1. Correction

    France's entry quoted a 500 euro fixed fine that was announced but never enacted. The statute sets 200 euros, reduced to 150 and raised to 450, and the entry now matches it.

  2. Correction

    France was filed as having decriminalized drug use. The fine police can issue on the spot is a criminal penalty for a criminal offense, and a law of June 2025 hardened enforcement, so the status was corrected to illegal.

Cite this recordFR-001

France: psilocybin legal status. The Psilocybin Record. Accession FR-001. Status as of 16 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/france

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