Legal Status of Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) in Nepal

Nepal’s primary drug law – the Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act, 2033 B.S. (1976) – defines “narcotic drugs” very narrowly. Section 3 of the Act explicitly lists only cannabis/marijuana (and its medicinal extracts), opium (and its processed/medicinal forms), and coca (and opium–coca mixtures) as controlled narcotics. Psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) or the mushrooms themselves are not named in these categories. The Act does include a general catch-all clause – “any natural or synthetic narcotic or psychotropic substances… as may be specified by government notification” – but no public notification has been found that adds psilocybin/mushrooms to the controlled list.

Definitions in the Narcotics Act

The Act’s text shows that “Narcotic Drug” means:

1. Cannabis/marijuana

2. Medicinal cannabis/marijuana

3. Opium

4. Processed opium

5. Medicinal opium

6. Plants and leaves of coca

7. Any mixture of opium and coca

8. Any other specified narcotic/psychotropic by government notification

Nowhere in these clauses are mushrooms or psilocybin mentioned by name.

Control Lists and Rules

Nepal’s Department of Drug Administration maintains lists of controlled substances (variously called Samūha K, Kha, Ga). These lists – which include common narcotics (opioids, stimulants, benzodiazepines, etc.) – contain no entry for psilocybin or psilocybin-containing fungi. Published schedules and import lists in Nepal focus on opiates, cocaine, and pharmaceutical psychotropics; hallucinogenic mushrooms are absent.

Expert and Media Commentary

Analysts explicitly note that Nepali law does not explicitly ban psilocybin mushrooms. For example, a recent review observes that Nepal’s narcotics law prohibits “psychoactive compounds” generally but “psilocybin or magic mushrooms aren’t explicitly included in the legislation.” Likewise, a cannabis/psychedelics industry article states that magic mushrooms are effectively legal in Nepal and are not regulated – they grow wild and are traded only informally.

These sources confirm that there is no express statutory provision targeting psilocybin mushrooms in Nepal.

Amendments and Debates

No evidence has been found of recent amendments or parliamentary action adding psilocybin or mushrooms to controlled lists. Public debates in Nepal have focused on cannabis legalization, with no mention of mushrooms. In short, no Nepali legal text or official report currently lists psilocybin or magic mushrooms as a prohibited substance. All available sources agree that they are not explicitly scheduled under Nepali law.

Sources

• Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act, 2033 (1976) — Read Here

• Where is Psilocybin Legal? | Psycle Health — Read Here

• Are Magic Mushrooms Legal in Nepal? | Terpenes and Testing Magazine — Read Here