ketamine

Under Danish law, ketamine is a controlled narcotic substance listed among the prohibited substances in the Danish executive order on euphoriant substances (bekendtgørelsen om euforiserende stoffer), and possession, sale or distribution without lawful authority is a criminal offence. Clinically, the substance is an anaesthetic, but in narcotics law it appears as a drug of abuse that is traded illegally and can produce euphoric and dissociative effects.

In Danish criminal law, unlawful dealings with ketamine are governed primarily by the Danish Act on Euphoriant Substances (lov om euforiserende stoffer). Minor offences — typically possession for personal use — may result in a fine or a shorter custodial sentence under that Act. More serious matters, including organised sale or distribution on a larger scale, may fall under the Danish Penal Code (straffeloven) § 191, which covers particularly aggravated narcotics offences and authorises a penalty of up to ten years.

In connection with the case concerning the death of the actor Matthew Perry in 2023, US prosecutors charged five people with unlawful distribution of ketamine. The case attracted international attention and illustrated how the substance can be distributed outside lawful medical frameworks — including through doctors and intermediaries acting outside the applicable rules. Although the prosecution itself took place in the United States, the case is described in Krimidex in a Danish legal dictionary context, where the corresponding Danish rules are relevant.

Danish law distinguishes between ketamine used lawfully as a medicinal product — which requires a prescription and takes place under medical supervision — and ketamine possessed, sold or imported without such authority. Only the latter situation constitutes a narcotics offence. Classification as a euphoriant substance means that the authorities treat ketamine on a par with other hard drugs when it is traded illegally.