Legislation
A guide to Psychoactive Map’s legislation layer
2026-09-06 · 4 min read
Psychoactive Map’s legislation layer brings source-linked legal records onto the map, so you can move from a place and a compound to the wording and evidence behind a record.
It is a starting point for research. As of 12 September 2026, the public layer contains 13 source-linked records across 12 countries: 12 national records and one state-level record, for Oregon. There are no published provincial, Australian state/territory, or municipal records yet. These records collectively reference six compounds, but coverage varies by compound and activity. A record may describe a particular access pathway or defined conduct; it is not a complete account of the law throughout that place. Missing coverage does not establish either permission or prohibition.
What a map color means
A color summarizes the category of the published records that match your selection. It does not mean that every psychoactive substance, product, or activity has the same status throughout a country.
For example, a medical or research pathway is about a particular route of access. Its conditions may matter as much as its headline category: authorization, a licensed setting, or other restrictions can be part of the record’s scope. A reduced-penalty category also needs careful reading; it is not a statement that an activity is lawful.
Read the named compound and activity together. A record about one compound cannot establish the status of another, and a record about a clinical pathway does not answer every question about possession, cultivation, sale, or travel.
An unassessed place means the layer has insufficient published evidence for the selected view. Missing coverage does not establish either permission or prohibition. If records conflict, examine them individually instead of treating a single color as a settled conclusion.
How to explore a record
- Open Psychoactive Map and choose Legislation in the map controls.
- Use the filters to narrow the view by compound or record category. Keep your selection in mind when interpreting the map: the visible result reflects those filters.
- Select a place to see its available records, then open the record you want to examine. Check the jurisdiction, the substances covered, and the explanation of what the record actually describes.
- Follow the primary source and any supporting source links. Look for the relevant section, schedule, page, or named access pathway, rather than relying on the record title alone.
The detail view is where a map summary becomes useful evidence. Read any conditions or exceptions alongside the category, and consider whether the source addresses the activity you are researching. National, regional, and local rules can concern different parts of the same question.
Read the dates carefully
The layer distinguishes an effective date recorded in the row from a source-review date. These fields answer different questions.
An effective date relates to the instrument or pathway described by that record. It should not be read as the date a country first controlled a substance. A source-review date records when the source was checked; it does not certify that all later amendments, decisions, or related rules have been captured.
Where a date is missing, the detail view says so. Check the linked source for its version and scope before relying on a date or summary. The label “source-linked” means that evidence is provided for inspection; it is not a guarantee of independent legal certification.
Help improve the evidence
The next stage is to improve existing records and expand coverage through small, source-specific reviews. Additional candidates remain private while their evidence and wording are assessed. A larger map is useful only if readers can understand what each record supports.
If you spot an error or a relevant update, use the contact form and choose Data Issue. Include the country or region, compound, record title, and the wording that needs attention. An official source link, relevant section or page, and amendment or effective date make a correction easier to evaluate. Please leave out sensitive personal details.
Use the layer to locate and compare evidence. It is not legal advice or a substitute for checking the rules that apply to your specific circumstances.