Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are a relatively new and highly popular bodybuilding supplement that was formulated and introduced in the 1990s. Compared to other performance enhancing drugs and body building products focused on muscle growth and recovery, SARMs tend to be more effective, less dangerous to the body, and more affordable – but are they legal?
In this article, we’re going to not only look over the legality of SARMs, but the reason behind their legality and why British and international lawmakers have decided certain laws and positions on them (current as of January 2023).
We’ll look into their current status of legality, as well as related reasons for that current position by major lawmakers around the world (like the safety of taking the drug, possible health concerns, long-term effects of usage and other issues). Finally, we’ll examine the future legality of SARMs: what could harm their status and if there are any major ongoing attempts right now at the moment.
So, let’s answer the question: are SARMS legal?
Are SARMs Legal in the UK in 2023?
First, let’s go over the legality of SARMs in the UK. Let’s just answer the question in as straight of a way as possible: are they legal or not? Can you buy them legally, or not? Are there safe, normal avenues to purchasing and using this product safely?
The answer, unfortunately, isn’t quite as clear-cut as anyone may want it to be: SARMs are legal in many countries as research chemicals (though not all, even then), but in a lot of places while you can buy them as a research chemical, they are not intended to be used for human consumption.
Britain is currently in this state with SARMs legislation. The issue lies in the reality of the issue: you can buy many of these products online, and with unregulated production, shipping, and with a lack of real enforcement of the law, nothing is stopping you from taking SARMs as supplements. It’s just currently illegal to sell them as intended for human consumption.
Why is that? And what about other countries? Let’s look into this a little bit further.
Why are SARMs Banned in Certain Countries?
SARMs are not even legal as research chemicals in certain countries. In the United States, for example, the SARMs Control Act of 2019 was put up but never passed. What this would’ve meant is that SARMs would’ve been moved to a schedule 3 class drug, which would’ve really hurt the ability to sell or consume them in the U.S. SARMs are not currently considered a schedule 3 class drug.
In the U.S., fortunately enough for users of SARMs, they share a very similar legality to their UK laws – which is that you can sell them as research chemicals, but not for human consumption. If any of these bills were to ever pass, this would change. The FDA doesn’t regulate them, however, and many other countries do not, which leads to unregulated SARMs. This can be very dangerous and is one of the only true dangerous aspects of SARMs – the fact that you need to be very careful about what source you buy from.
Other example countries include Australia, where you can only get SARMs with a permit/prescription from a doctor (it’s a schedule 4 class drug there), and other countries such as Norway or Sweden where they have similar rules to the U.S. and the UK.
Are SARMs Detectable in a Drug Test?
When it comes to the legality of SARMs, another common question is whether or not they’re detectable in a drug test. If you work a physical job, are regularly subjected to mandatory drug tests, or are some kind of athlete, then this may be a major concern for you.
To give you the straight answer, SARMs are indeed detectable in a drug test. Now, it depends on which kind of SARM it is, how you take it, and whether or not you’re receiving specific types of drug tests.
Not every drug tests for SARMs – some are much more general. However, if you are any kind of athlete or you happen to compete in some kind of sport, the chances of them testing for anything that could be performance enhancing is much higher. Take this into account when you’re thinking about using SARMs.
It can even spill into your professional life if you’re not careful: many different kinds of professional jobs require drug tests and they can often be randomized and mandatory without warning. Make certain you remember this when using SARMs.
Can You Go to Jail for Possession of SARMs?
Depending on your country or residence, the legality of SARMs where you live, and your actions, legal action is not impossible. One thing, for example, that could land you in hot water fast would be selling SARMs without the appropriate allowances or permits, or selling them labelled for human consumption in a country that specifically forbids such a thing.
As an example, in both the UK and the U.S., SARMs are not approved by the FDA or the FSA (UK government organisation, Food Safety Administration). In the UK, SARMs are labelled as a ‘novel food’ that has no history of consumption since before 1997. Thus, they must be sold as research chemicals only and cannot be guaranteed to be safe for human consumption.
Another way that you could face legal action would be to be caught using SARMs in a professional setting or context, such as playing professional sports or competing in the Olympics. Not only would your name be tarnished and your accomplishments degraded, there are possible legal consequences for things like this.
As with all unapproved drugs, there could be other legal action depending on where you live and laws on SARMs in that area, so we strongly advise anyone considering a course of SARMs to check your laws on a local, state, or federal level just to be sure.
Are SARMs Bad for Your Heart and Do They Have Other Health Consequences?
It’s normal to question the effectiveness and safety of SARMs, especially if the legality and safety of such a product isn’t guaranteed. SARMs in general have had a good amount of research done on them, and the trend overall points towards them being safe for consumption.
Some medical research that has been done on them has pointed towards certain physical health issues being present, but since they’re a newer substance a lot of the research is still out.
A point in SARMs favour, however, would be the fact that they have been found to have health benefits, such as the hardening and strengthening of bones and the prevention of osteoporosis if taken regularly/over a long period of time. This is on top of the obvious benefit of reducing body fat and building or increasing lean muscle mass, which fights and counteracts muscle wastage and weakening in old age.
Are SARMs Legal in Pill Form?
Because SARMs, in most countries, are in a tricky legal situation, their form matters quite a bit. Many different drugs, whether related to increasing physical performance and condition or not, can be purchased in different forms: pills, injections, liquid, and some even in suppository form. While the form of the drug matters little for most common solutions or over-the-counter products, SARMs do not enjoy the same freedoms.
As as SARMs have the specific legal language of not being able to be sold for human consumption, this complicates them being in pill form. In most places, because you can count it as a research chemical, SARMs can be bought and sold for that specific, express purpose. However, to sell them as marked explicitly for human consumption, or in capsule or pill form is illegal in most places.
Even in countries where the laws for SARMs are a bit more relaxed or flexible, such as the UK and a few other European countries, you still cannot sell SARMs as marked for human consumption. This marks SARMs sold in a pill or capsule form illegal, at least for now. We don’t know what avenue every future legal process holds, so this may change at some point. For now, however, getting SARMs in pill form is illegal – and often dangerous, since the quality and safety of these drugs isn’t guaranteed.
Make certain to keep this in mind when searching for a seller for SARMs online. Almost half of all SARMs have a dangerous chemical or compound in them because they’re sold through, or bought from, a suspicious seller who doesn’t have the proper backing or authenticated products to sell. While we can hope people like this go out of business, safeguarding yourself and purchasing from the right place is a safer way to do it altogether.
Do SARMs Cause Gynecomastia and Does it Ever Go Away?
Gynecomastia, simply put, is when an overly large amount of breast tissue can develop in a man or a boy. While this can be attributed to hormone issues – and there are a variety of medical conditions that can cause this – this can also result from the improper use of different chemicals or drugs.
For a long time, anabolic steroids have been touted as the cause of such adverse effects in many men. This and the shrinking of the testicles are commonly reported medical side effects from regular consumption of steroids. Worse yet, for many men, these side effects can be permanent in many cases.
It isn’t 100% determined that SARMs can cause gynecomastia, and if so, which brands and versions of SARMs can do so. However, it has also been reported several times by different users of SARMs that using the drug did cause some of these issues to develop in their own bodies.
Similar to steroids in this specific instance, Gynecomastia is a hard thing to completely get rid of once it begins. A doctor’s assistance in this case is incredibly helpful, as they can offer common treatments and help mitigate or possibly cure the effects.
Overall, while it doesn’t completely remove the chances of breast tissue developing or the reduction of size in your testicles, SARMs on average represent a much less chance of this occurring, with overall safer side effects if you choose to use and consume them.
Will SARMs be Illegal In the Future?
It’s difficult to speak with any degree of certainty on the future legality of SARMs – both in big landmark/battleground countries such as the US and the UK, where regulation could affect how other countries view the drug – as well as general worldwide legality and legislation. As things are right now, the current state of affairs benefits SARMs, more or less. While they can’t be sold for human consumption, they’re still mostly available to the general public and they’re not too difficult to get your hands on.
This really helps if you’re someone who wants to use them for some of the health benefits they offer for older people or if you’re someone who wants better athletic or physical performance.
However, in the future, this may not quite be the same. SARMs could become illegal in just a few years if the right bills pass from the right countries. Countries often repeat legislation that is seen from bigger countries with more thorough organizations or testing for foods, substances, etc.
This isn’t to say that SARMs will one day be illegal everywhere. Most likely if it became illegal in a few countries that effect could spread, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the supplement will be outlawed overnight.
At the moment, many bills have been passed against SARMs in a few different countries. Few countries have them completely outlawed or totally illegal, but in many countries they’re in a finicky situation at this point in time. Luckily, at least for now, in most places they’re legal.
Is anyone looking to change that, however?
Is There Any Current Legislation Against SARMs in Major Countries?
In the past few years, there have been a few big pushes by various politicians, lawmakers, and organisations to try and control the production (and sale) of SARMs. These attempts have ranged from a more general control of the drug (successful overall, in countries like the U.S. and the UK), to outright banning the drug (not as successful in most countries).
The SARMs Control Act of 2019, in the U.S., is the most recent major attempt at curtailing the sale and manufacture of SARMs, filed as “Other Anabolic Agents” under section S1.2 of the WADA Prohibited List per USADA. While previous versions of the bill succeeded partially, full banning and illegality of SARMs in the U.S. has yet to take place. Its current state still allows SARMs to be bought and sold on the open market without issue.
The U.S. is not the only country in the world, however. What about other big pushes or legislation in other countries? Some pretty populous countries have taken drastic action against SARMs, actually.
In 2019, in China, the Chinese government passed a SARMs Control Act of 2019 as well. This control act made two important changes: SARMs were not only blacklisted from consumption, but future SARMs were no longer allowed to be produced and exported in China. These laws came into effect a few months after the law was passed, on January 1st, 2020.
Other countries, such as Australia, Germany, France, the UK, Canada, and various other countries have different laws, but most of them trend toward keeping SARMs in the state of being for sale as research chemicals, but not for human consumption.
Finally, in the current legislation in most major countries, SARMs don’t seem to be on the chopping block. That could change, of course, if one of the major countries make a big push to make SARMs illegal – and other countries follow suit in the wake of that – but until that time comes, SARMs are enjoying far more freedoms than steroids, with better health benefits and far fewer risks and side effects.
Conclusions on the International Legality of SARMs
Hopefully, this article answered the question in depth for you on whether or not SARMs were legal. If you need a good place to buy SARMs, or if you want to know more about what kind of different SARMs are available for purchase, consider looking more into products available from reputable sellers like UK Sarms.
Seek out trusted sellers like UK SARMs if you want to purchase SARMs from a safe, trustworthy website that has official certification to sell the product. This way, you know the product is safe and legitimate and you’re buying it from a trusted source that hasn’t tampered with the supplement.
You can click here to view what kind of SARM products are available and explore which product would be best for you.
You can also view some posts available that explain other information: such as some basic background information about SARMs, or even why you should buy from UK SARMs. We are one of the only online sellers that has a really high purity and is a safe SARMs seller to buy from, you can also view some alternatives here for reference.
All of our SARMs come through rigorous Certificate of Analysis (COA) Testing to ensure the utmost in quality assurance with everything we sell.
If you’re unsure of anything of have any questions for our team, please browse our FAQ section or feel free to contact us today and we’ll do our utmost to help you.
