Heroin is illegal in the United States. It is a Schedule I drug and persons caught with it, can face jail time. It can not be legally used, purchased and persons can not be in possession of it. However, this may or may not be true in other countries.

For example, in Sweden it is legal for individuals to have heroin if they are involved in related studies. In Germany, individuals addicted to heroin that are older then 23, have been a heroin addict for five years or more and have been through two different rehabilitation programs may take via legally via prescription.