The drug ketamine should be upgraded from a Class C drug to Class B, government advisers are to recommend.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is set to make the recommendation after new evidence revealed the damage ketamine can have on the bladder.
Under the new classification, illegal possession of ketamine could lead to a five-year jail sentence.
Ketamine is an anaesthetic used for operations on humans and animals that has become a popular recreational drug.
Home Office figures released in the summer showed that in the past year about 120,000 people aged 16-59 in England and Wales took ketamine, which is best known by the street names K, Special K and Vitamin K.
'Bladders removed'Home Secretary Theresa May asked the Council to review the evidence on ketamine last year amid increased concern about its popularity and potential harm the drug can cause.
It has gathered new evidence suggesting some people are taking large amounts of ketamine every day, risking severe damage to their bladders.
In the most serious cases users have had to undergo surgery to have their bladders removed.
An upgrade from Class C to Class B means those found in possession of the drug would face up to five years in prison, up from two, and those caught supplying it up to 14 years prison or an unlimited fine.
The Council is also expected to recommend that ministers consider tighter controls on the way the drug is stored by pharmacies and hospitals.
First reports of ketamine being used as a recreational drug emerged soon after its release on to the market in 1965.
It gained popularity in the UK nightclub scene in the early 1990s as people bought it in the mistaken belief that it was ecstasy.
Ketamine is dose-specific, so the amount taken determines the level of effect.
It comes in various forms, most commonly as a powder, but also as a liquid and a tablet.
At low doses the user may feel euphoric, experience waves of energy, and possibly synaesthesia - sensations such as seeing sounds or hearing colours.
However, some evidence suggests that use of the drug has an effect on memory, which persists for longer than three days after use, and becomes worse for regular users of the drug.
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