Is hGH Legal? Human Growth Hormone US Laws

Question: Are the legal risks for growth hormone the same as for steroids?

Answer: Human growth hormone (hGH) is a natural occurring hormone produced in the human body by the pituitary gland. It is available as a synthetically produced inject able hormone, and has become a popular but expensive medication prescribed in anti-aging therapies and in the treatment of AIDS related wasting.

Bodybuilders and athletes may illicitly self-administer hGH to improve size and strength, usually by subcutaneous injections. Some of the brand names currently available in the United States are Protropin®, Genotropin®, Humatrope®, Nutropin®, Saizen®, Serostim® and Somatotropin®.

Here is the law: Human growth hormone, hGH is a prescription drug but is not on the federal list of controlled substances (found in 21 USC § 812(c)). The law, passed in 1988, made it a felony to distribute steroids (without criminalizing their personal use).

While hGH is not scheduled, 21 USC § 333(e) prohibits the distribution or possession with intent to distribute hGH for any use in humans other than for recognized medical reasons and pursuant to a valid prescription. Violations may be punishable by imprisonment of up to 5 years (10 years if to a person under 18 years).

All this pertains only to federal law. The individual states are free to pass their own laws about hGH, and many have. Idaho, West Virginia, Oregon, Rhode Island and have all scheduled hGH.

Colorado makes hGH a schedule III controlled substance by including it in the definition of “anabolic steroid,” and curiously making its use a misdemeanor but its possession a felony.

Illinois doesn’t schedule it but makes its non medical prescription distribution a felony. Minnesota controls “anabolic substances” in its Schedule IV, and includes the vaguely described “growth hormones.”

In Maine and Massachusetts, all prescription drugs are controlled substances. [For the state-by-state penalties for steroid and hGH crimes, check out your state laws.

Now you should have a better understanding about hGH laws.