Exploring the Legal Justifications for Cannibalism: A Complex Debate
November 20, 2025
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Overview
The question of whether cannibalism can ever be legally justified is complex and multifaceted. In the United States, cannibalism is not explicitly outlawed under federal law, which leaves it primarily governed by state laws. Most states have no specific statutes against consuming human flesh; however, related laws regarding murder and the desecration of corpses mean that the act of cannibalism is often entangled with other serious crimes. For instance, Idaho is the only state with a law that directly criminalizes cannibalism, making it a felony to willfully ingest human flesh or blood, though exceptions exist for extreme survival situations. This legal framework indicates that while cannibalism may not be outright illegal, the circumstances surrounding it are typically associated with significant legal penalties, including charges of murder, which is almost always applicable regardless of consent or the context in which the act takes place.