The Legal Status of Metandienone in Ukraine and the EU
The question “is metandienone legal” has no single answer: everything depends on the country, on who you are — an athlete or not — and on what exactly you do with the drug: store it, import it, or sell it. The editorial team has systematized the main legal frameworks in Ukraine and the European Union. This material is not legal advice, and legislation changes regularly.
Three levels of regulation
The legal status of any anabolic steroid is determined on at least three levels. The first is legislation on medicines: whether the drug is registered, who can sell it and how, whether a prescription is required. The second is criminal and administrative law: which actions with the substance are punishable and how severely. The third is sports law, that is, anti-doping rules.
These levels do not coincide. A substance may be strictly prohibited in sport, but its storage for personal needs in some countries does not entail criminal liability. And vice versa: in a number of countries even a person who does not participate in competitions risks criminal prosecution.
Metandienone has a special position. It is a former medicine that in most developed countries was long ago withdrawn from circulation. Therefore in many jurisdictions there is no legal way to obtain it even by prescription, and everything circulating on the market comes from unregulated sources.
| Level | What it regulates | Whom it concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical law | Registration, sale, prescription, importation | Everyone |
| Criminal / administrative law | Manufacture, sale, storage, smuggling | Everyone, depending on the country |
| Anti-doping rules | Use and presence in a sample | Athletes and support personnel |
Anti-doping rules: the same for all countries
For athletes the situation is the most unambiguous. Metandienone is on the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in section S1 “Anabolic Agents”, subsection of anabolic androgenic steroids. Substances in this section are prohibited at all times — both in competition and out of it.
The World Anti-Doping Code is applied through national anti-doping organizations and sports federations. Ukraine and the EU states are parties to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport (2005) and the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention (1989). In Ukraine, the functions of the national anti-doping organization are performed by the National Anti-Doping Centre.
Anti-doping rule violations are not only the detection of a substance in a sample, but also its use, attempted use, possession without justification, distribution, and facilitation. The typical sanction for a first violation with anabolic steroids is a multi-year disqualification, and for support personnel who supplied substances to minors — up to a lifetime one.
The metabolism of metandienone has been studied in detail by anti-doping laboratories. Schänzer and colleagues described the long-term metabolites of this substance, which significantly extended the period of its detection. Therefore the notion that an oral steroid “is quickly eliminated and not detected” is outdated.
Ukraine: medicines and criminal law
In Ukraine, the circulation of medicines is regulated by legislation on medicines: only drugs registered in the State Register of Medicines may be sold in the pharmacy network, and prescription ones only by prescription. Metandienone as a medicine, as far as the editorial team is aware, does not have a valid registration in Ukraine, and therefore cannot be legally sold in pharmacies.
The Criminal Code of Ukraine contains Article 321, which establishes liability for the illegal circulation of poisonous or potent substances, in particular for their manufacture, acquisition, storage with intent to sell, and sale. Whether a specific substance belongs to the list of potent ones is determined by subordinate acts of the Ministry of Health, and in each case by an expert examination. In addition, the Criminal Code contains a separate article on inciting minors to use doping.
It is worth emphasizing: in Ukrainian law the purpose and nature of the actions are of key importance. Sale and storage with intent to sell are treated much more severely than other actions. However, the line between “personal needs” and “intent to sell” is established in each specific proceeding, so relying on your own understanding of this line is risky.
Customs rules apply separately. The importation of unregistered medicines, especially by postal shipments, can lead to seizure of the goods and an inspection. A violation of customs rules entails liability regardless of anti-doping questions.
The European Union: a common base and national differences
At the EU level, the circulation of medicines is regulated by Directive 2001/83/EC: a medicine may be placed on the market only with an authorization (registration). Metandienone does not have such an authorization in the EU, so its sale as a medicine is illegal in all member states. At the same time, the EU has no common criminal legislation regarding anabolic steroids — these matters are decided by national parliaments.
The approaches differ significantly. In Germany, since 2015, the Anti-Doping Act in Sport (AntiDopG) has been in force, prohibiting, in particular, the acquisition and possession of a “non-negligible” (defined by law) quantity of listed doping substances, among which is metandienone, and punishing trafficking even more severely. Sweden has a special law on the prohibition of certain doping agents (1991), under which even use and storage are punishable.
Italy, back in 2000, passed Law No. 376, which criminalizes doping in sport and the circulation of doping substances outside medical purposes. In a number of other states the emphasis is placed primarily on trafficking and smuggling, while the storage of a small quantity for personal use is regulated more leniently. Since these norms change, before a trip or a move it is worth checking the current legislation of the specific country.
Outside the EU, for comparison it is worth mentioning the United Kingdom, where anabolic steroids belong to Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971: storage for personal use is generally not prosecuted, while manufacture, supply, and importation with intent to supply are punishable. In the USA, since 1990, anabolic steroids have been classified as Schedule III controlled substances.
- Germany:a special anti-doping law, criminal liability even for possession of a certain quantity.
- Sweden:even use and storage are punishable.
- Italy:criminalization of doping and circulation outside medical purposes.
- United Kingdom (outside the EU):Class C, prosecuted primarily for supply.
Editorial conclusions
For athletes the status of metandienone is unambiguous: it is prohibited by WADA at all times, and modern methods make it possible to detect its metabolites for a long time.
As a medicine, metandienone has no valid registration in the EU and, as far as we know, in Ukraine, so there is no legal medical circulation in these jurisdictions. The criminal consequences depend on the country and the type of action: manufacture, sale, and smuggling are punished most severely.
The differences between EU states are significant — from Germany and Sweden with strict norms to countries that focus on trafficking.
The editorial team also recommends reading our materials on the history of the creation of metandienone and its medical use, on how to recognize a counterfeit, and on the myths about this drug.
References
- World Anti-Doping Agency. World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List. Montreal: WADA; оновлюється щорічно.
- UNESCO. International Convention against Doping in Sport. Paris; 2005.
- Council of Europe. Anti-Doping Convention (ETS No. 135). Strasbourg; 1989.
- Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use. Official Journal of the European Communities. 2001;L311:67–128.
- Gesetz gegen Doping im Sport (Anti-Doping-Gesetz — AntiDopG) vom 10. Dezember 2015. Bundesgesetzblatt. 2015.
- Schänzer W, Geyer H, Fußhöller G, et al. Mass spectrometric identification and characterization of a new long-term metabolite of metandienone in human urine. Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2006;20(15):2252–2258.
- Kanayama G, Pope HG Jr. History and epidemiology of anabolic androgens in athletes and non-athletes. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2018;464:4–13.
Andriy Melnyk
A strength-sports coach and author of programs for beginner and intermediate levels. Writes about training planning.
