Chapter 06 of 06
Is Syrian rue legal? The Netherlands, UK, Germany, US and France
Legal status of Peganum harmala seeds, harmine and harmaline in the Netherlands, UK, Germany, the US and France, checked against the law in October 2026.
In the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom, Syrian rue seeds are legal to buy and own, and the plant is legal to grow; neither the plant nor harmine or harmaline appears on those countries' narcotics lists. The UK does make it an offence to supply or import the seeds for people to consume for their effects. In the United States the problem is plant law: several western states ban the plant as a noxious weed. France is the strict exception: there the plant itself is a narcotic. We checked the law texts on 10 October 2026.
This page is information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the current text for the country you live in.
Overview
| Country | Seeds and plant | Harmine and harmaline | Source checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | legal to buy, own and grow | not listed | Opiumwet, lists I and II |
| United Kingdom | legal to own and grow; supply or import for consumption is an offence | not controlled drugs | Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 |
| Germany | legal to buy, own and grow | not listed | BtMG, Anlagen I to III |
| United States | no federal ban; banned or restricted as a noxious weed in several states | not federally scheduled | 7 CFR 360.200; 21 CFR 1308.11; Oregon OAR 603-052-1200 |
| France | illegal: the plant is a narcotic | illegal | ministerial order of 20 April 2005 (Journal officiel, 3 May 2005) |
Netherlands
The Dutch Opium Act (Opiumwet) has two lists of controlled substances. Neither list names Peganum harmala, harmine, harmaline or any other harmala alkaloid. We checked the version in force since 17 September 2026 (wetten.overheid.nl). Buying, owning and growing the seeds is therefore not an offence under drug law.
Dutch shops sell the seeds as a botanical product. Avalon Magic Plants, based in the Netherlands, offers them "strictly intended for horticultural use", not for consumption.
United Kingdom
Harmine and harmaline are not controlled drugs under Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (legislation.gov.uk).
The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 works differently. It covers any substance that can affect someone's mental functioning or emotional state by acting on the central nervous system (section 2). The offences turn on consumption:
- Producing a psychoactive substance is an offence if it is likely to be consumed for its psychoactive effects (section 4).
- Supplying or offering to supply it is an offence on the same condition (section 5).
- Importing or exporting it is an offence if the person intends to consume it for its psychoactive effects or knows it is likely to be consumed that way (section 8).
- Simple possession is only an offence in a custodial institution (section 9).
Seeds bought to grow a plant or dye wool fall outside these offences. Section 2(3) of the Act counts fumes that enter the body as consumption, so importing seeds to inhale their smoke for its effects is covered as well. Plant-health rules for bringing seeds into Great Britain are separate; check the current guidance on gov.uk before you order from abroad.
Germany
Harmine, harmaline and Peganum harmala do not appear in Anlagen I, II or III of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG Anlage I). The New Psychoactive Substances Act (NpSG) bans whole groups of substances by chemical structure; its tryptamine group is defined as indol-3-alkylamines, and we found no provision that names beta-carbolines such as harmine (NpSG). On that basis seeds for growing, incense and dyeing are legal to buy and own.
United States
At federal level, Peganum harmala is not on the Federal Noxious Weed List (7 CFR 360.200), and harmine and harmaline are not in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (21 CFR 1308.11). Importing any seed for planting is regulated by the USDA's plant protection service.
State law is stricter where the plant has spread. Oregon rates it an "A" noxious weed under quarantine: plants may not enter the state and may not be transported, bought, sold or propagated there (OAR 603-052-1200). Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico also list it as a noxious weed (Texas State University invasives database). If you live in one of those states, do not order seeds.
France
France is the strict case. A ministerial order of 20 April 2005, published in the Journal officiel of 3 May 2005, added Peganum harmala to the national list of narcotics (stupéfiants), together with harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine, harmol and harmalol and several plants used in ayahuasca. Buying, owning and growing the seeds is illegal there, and so is bringing them into France from a country where they are legal.
Buying from the Netherlands
The seeds on this site are sold by Avalon Magic Plants in the Netherlands, where they are legal. Order only if they are also legal where you live and where they will be delivered. That rules out France and the US states listed above.
For sizes and what each bag is good for, see which bag to choose. For the reasons behind the restrictions, read the plant and risks.