Provided are pamoate salts of ketamine having a stoichiometry of 2:1 of ketamine to pamoate, including R, S-ketamine pamoate, S-ketamine pamoate, or R-ketamine pamoate, and crystalline or amorphous forms of the pamoate salts, and having excellent safety and properties for pharmaceutical applications. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions including the pamoate salts of ketamine and their uses in treating a CNS disease or serving as an anesthetic.