Pakistan
Psilocybin is illegal in Pakistan as of 17 Aug 2026.1
- Checked against 2 cited sources at this review.
1. What the law is
Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 (Act No. XXV of 1997), as amended by the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Act 2022 (XX of 2022): section 6 prohibits the production, manufacture, extraction, preparation, possession, offer for sale, sale, purchase, distribution, delivery, transport and despatch of any narcotic drug, psychotropic substance or controlled substance, except for medical, scientific or industrial purposes in the manner and subject to such conditions as may be specified by or under the Act or any other law for the time being in force. Schedule-I, headed 'SCHEDULE - I' with the marginal reference 'See Section 2(za)' and the title 'PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES', lists 'PSILOCYBINE' at entry 69 and 'psilcine, psilotsin' among the trivial names. Section 2(za) defines a psychotropic substance as those specified in Schedule-I and such substances as the Federal Government may declare by notification in the official Gazette; section 74A empowers the Federal Government to amend the Schedules by notification in the official Gazette.1
The Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 names psilocybin outright, in a Schedule-I headed PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES and read with the definition of psychotropic substance in section 2(za), which lists PSILOCYBINE at entry 69 and carries psilcine and psilotsin among the trivial names. Section 6 bars the production, possession, sale, purchase, distribution and transport of any narcotic drug, psychotropic substance or controlled substance, except for medical, scientific or industrial purposes in the manner and subject to conditions specified by or under the Act or any other law for the time being in force. The list can move without Parliament: section 74A, inserted by the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Act 2022, lets the Federal Government amend the Schedules by notification in the official Gazette. No decriminalization or reform measure naming psilocybin is pending.
2. Pending legislation
No bill is on file in Pakistan that would change this record, as of the 17 Aug 2026 review.
3. History
The laws behind today’s status, when each took effect, and every review since, in order.
Illegal status takes effect.
Pakistan's listing was checked against the government's own text of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act. Schedule-I names psilocybine at entry 69, and section 6 permits only medical, scientific or industrial use.
Pakistan's entry quoted a Schedule-I heading that does not appear in the Act, and cut off its quotation of section 6 one clause early. Both are corrected against the Government of Pakistan's own consolidated text, which also carries a 2022 amendment the entry had never mentioned. Psilocybin's listing itself is confirmed.
4. Trials in Pakistan
Interventional psilocybin trials with at least one study site in Pakistan, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov, EU CTIS, and ISRCTN. Registry data is reported by sponsors and shown as filed.
Recruiting, active, completed and closed add up to the 2 trials with a study site in Pakistan, as of Aug 2026. Closed covers trials terminated, suspended, withdrawn or left unverified.
| Registry ID | Trial | Phase | Sponsor | Status | Started |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07703722 (opens in new tab) | Effect of Psilocybin and Structured Integrated Reframing Therapy on Gut-Brain Axis Biomarkers and Depression in Major Depressive Disorder (opens in new tab)Recruiting at Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar, Peshawar | Phase Phase 3 | Sponsor Khyber Medical University Peshawar | Status Recruiting | Started |
| NCT06746441 (opens in new tab) | Effect of Psilocybin Only and Psilocybin Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Management of Major Depressive Disorder and Associated Metabolic, Immune, Inflammatory, Neuroplasticity and Electrical Activity Markers (opens in new tab)Site at Lady Reading Hospital, Pakistan, Peshawar | Phase Phase 2 | Sponsor Khyber Medical University Peshawar | Status Completed | Started |
ClinicalTrials.gov data courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
5. Common questions
Is psilocybin legal in Pakistan?
Psilocybin is illegal in Pakistan as of 17 Aug 2026.
Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in Pakistan?
"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin. Psilocybin is illegal in Pakistan as of 17 Aug 2026. Some laws control the compound and the fungus separately, so this record states the position for psilocybin in Pakistan.
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.pakistancode.gov.pk (opens in new tab) · pakistancode.gov.pk
- 2.United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (opens in new tab) · unodc.org
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.
Pakistan's entry quoted a Schedule-I heading that does not appear in the Act, and cut off its quotation of section 6 one clause early. Both are corrected against the Government of Pakistan's own consolidated text, which also carries a 2022 amendment the entry had never mentioned. Psilocybin's listing itself is confirmed.
Pakistan's listing was checked against the government's own text of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act. Schedule-I names psilocybine at entry 69, and section 6 permits only medical, scientific or industrial use.
Pakistan: psilocybin legal status. The Psilocybin Record. Accession PK-001. Status as of 17 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/pakistan
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