As we all know Ephedra will be banned (as a supplement) on April 12 in the USA (another senseless act of government opression, but that's another story). Apparently it already regulated in some (most, all?) European countries, or soon will be. Australia ditto. However, it is somewhat unlikely that the ban is global, i.e. there must be plenty of countries out there where Ephedra can still be bought & sold freely. Does anyone have a (partial) list, or, alternatively, a list of countries where it is (or is about to be) explicitly banned?
Also, how illegal is it, exactly, to a) sell Ephedra to someone in the US (say, via the web), and b) to import the stuff for personal use? Can the US gov actively & effectively prosecute foreign merchants, and will they even bother? What are the risks, realistically speaking?
Also, how illegal is it, exactly, to a) sell Ephedra to someone in the US (say, via the web), and b) to import the stuff for personal use? Can the US gov actively & effectively prosecute foreign merchants, and will they even bother? What are the risks, realistically speaking?
The final rule doesn't apply to conventional foods, such as tea. It also doesn't apply to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preparations. To see the final rule, download this (warning, it's 21 megabytes):
As we all know Ephedra will be banned (as a supplement) on April 12 in the USA (another senseless act of government opression, but that's another story). Apparently it already regulated in some (most, all?) European countries, or soon will be. Australia ditto. However, it is somewhat unlikely that the ban is global, i.e. there must be plenty of countries out there where Ephedra can still be bought & sold freely. Does anyone have a (partial) list, or, alternatively, a list of countries where it is (or is about to be) explicitly banned?
Also, how illegal is it, exactly, to a) sell Ephedra to someone in the US (say, via the web), and b) to import the stuff for personal use? Can the US gov actively & effectively prosecute foreign merchants, and will they even bother? What are the risks, realistically speaking?
It will remain legal for licensed acupuncturists to dispense it under the guidelines of Chinese Herbology. IOW, no ephedra for weightloss or "energy". It is used traditionally for some nasal/sinus conditions, urinary blockage, and a few minor conditions.
