Is it illegal to synthesize pseudoephedrine for personal use?

Question by Abdelnaby: Is it illegal to synthesize pseudoephedrine for personal use?
Pseudoephedrine is most famous as an ingredient used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, but its primary role is as a decongestant. It’s very useful in that regard.

It’s not all that difficult for someone with some chemistry background to synthesize pseudoephedrine itself. Basically you just need to vat-ferment dextrose with a Torula (or similar) yeast strain, add some 2-oxo-acid carboxylase (which can be purchased or itself derived from beets), then add some benzaldehyde (found in almonds, or available directly from chemical suppliers), skim off the resulting l-phenylacetylcarbinol, and convert that to psuedoep using reductive amination (basically a traditional Mannich reaction, a technique in use for a century now).

That’s it. Follow those steps, and you’ve got pseudoephedrine.

But are there any legal implications here? Is it illegal to manufacture pseudoep (NOT METH!!!) in the US or Canada?
What is the relevant prohibitive statute?

Best answer:

Answer by Roberto
short answer.. yep, it is illegal to manufacture.. make any drug… medical or not.. check with your local pharmacist.

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