3-MeO-PCP placed in Schedule I

3-MeO-PCP, an arylcyclohexylamine related to phencyclidine (PCP), is placed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act by a final rule the Drug Enforcement Administration published on March 23, 2026, with an effective date of April 22, 2026.

The placement, controls, and sanctions don't take effect before that date [1]. From April 22, 2026, Schedule I controls and sanctions apply to 3-MeO-PCP, and anyone who handles it must register with DEA and meet the schedule's other requirements [1]. The scheduling covers 3-MeO-PCP's salts, isomers, and salts of isomers wherever those can exist [1], and the rule adds the substance to the Schedule I hallucinogen list at 21 CFR 1308.11(d)(109) [1]. Anyone holding 3-MeO-PCP who isn't going to register with DEA has to surrender or transfer it to a registered person before the effective date [1]. After April 22, unauthorized possession of any amount is a federal offense that can be prosecuted [1].

DEA's findings: 3-MeO-PCP has high abuse potential, which the agency compares to PCE and TCP (both already Schedule I), PCP (Schedule II), and ketamine (Schedule III) [1]. It has no currently accepted medical use in the US [1] and lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision [1]. It produces hallucinogenic effects similar to PCP [1], and it has been identified in the US illicit drug market [1].

Procedurally, this is finished, not proposed. DEA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 10, 2025, with comment and hearing-request deadlines of July 10, 2025 [1]. No one requested a hearing [1]; DEA received a single anonymous comment arguing recreational use was minor and that the drug's primary use was research [1]. Separately, in April 2021 the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs placed 3-MeO-PCP under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances (CND Decision 64/4) [1], and notified the US of that decision that June [1]; as a party to the Convention, the US is required to apply controls meeting its minimum requirements [1]. The next relevant date is April 22, 2026, when the rule takes effect. For what this means for people currently in possession, see the legal status page.

References

1. Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of 3-Methoxyphencyclidine (1-(1-(3-Methoxyphenyl)cyclohexyl)piperidine) in Schedule I — Federal Register