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Mephedrone

Mephedrone molecule structureMephedrone molecule structure
4-MMC
Psychoactive Class
Chemical Class
StimulantsEntactogensResearch Chemicals

Mephedrone is a synthetic entactogen-stimulant of the substituted cathinone class.citation needed Originally synthesized in 19291, it was rediscovered in 2003 and rapidly gained popularity as an online research chemical between 2007 and 2009, particularly in the United Kingdom. Its effects are frequently compared to a combination of MDMA and cocaine. Mephedrone's short duration1 and intense rush are associated with compulsive redosing, and it is sometimes misrepresented as MDMA.citation needed

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.

Threshold~15 mg
Light15-50 mg
Moderate50-100 mg
Strong100-150 mg
Heavy150+ mg
Bioavailability
~10% (rat data)

Duration

Onset15-45 minutes
Come Up15-30 minutes
Peak45-90 minutes
Offset0.5-1.5 hours
After Effects2-4 hours
Total2-5 hours
Half-life
~2 hours

Subjective Effects

Legacy content. A statistically backed ontology from Mindstate Design Labs is coming soon.

Effects vary widely by individual, dose, and context.

Physical

The physical effects of mephedrone can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage.

Tactile enhancementIncreased heart rateIncreased perspirationIncreased blood pressure

Cognitive

The cognitive effects of mephedrone can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. The general head space of mephedrone is described by many as one of extreme mental stimulation and powerful euphoria. It contains a large number of typical stimulant cognitive effects.

Thought accelerationAnalysis enhancementEgo inflationDisinhibitionMotivation enhancementAnxietyCompulsive redosing
Forked from Subjective Effect Documentation byJosie Kins September 2015.

Reagent Testing

Expected colorimetric results for common reagent tests. Colors show reaction change over 1–2 minutes.

Mandelin(MD)
yellow2 → orange2 → red2 → brown2 → yellow2
Liebermann(LB)
white → orange2 → yellow2
Morr(MO)
pink2 → purple2
Simons(SI)
orange1 → blue1 → blue1 → blue2
Powered by PROtestkit.eu

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Mephedrone acts primarily as a substrate-type releasing agent and reuptake inhibitor at the serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine transporters.citation needed It preferentially releases serotonin over dopamine, functioning as a full releaser of serotonin but only a partial releaser of dopamine.2 Beyond its transporter-mediated effects, mephedrone is a potent near-full agonist at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and shows significant affinity for the 5-HT2B, 5-HT2C, and α2-adrenergic receptors, though it is inactive as an agonist at 5-HT2B. It also activates rodent TAAR1 at micromolar potencies but does not appear to act as an agonist at the human TAAR1.

Pharmacokinetics

Mephedrone is rapidly absorbed following oral or intranasal administration, with peak plasma concentrations typically reached within 0.5 to 1 hour. It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier (brain-to-plasma ratio of approximately 1.85 in rats) and has a plasma elimination half-life of approximately 2 hours. The drug undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism primarily via CYP2D6, with major phase I pathways including N-demethylation, ketone reduction, and tolyl group oxidation. Absolute bioavailability in rats is approximately 10%, consistent with substantial hepatic first-pass metabolism, and plasma protein binding is approximately 22%. Mephedrone exhibits enantioselective pharmacokinetics in which the R-(+) enantiomer reaches higher peak concentrations and persists longer than the S-(-) enantiomer.4

Interactions

Interactions not written up yet

An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.

Check TripSit

Tolerance

Tolerance timelines are rules of thumb, not exact schedules, and vary widely between individuals and use patterns.

Full Tolerance
Repeated mephedrone use over time can blunt many effectscitation needed, often requiring higher doses for similar results. Users often report that overuse degrades the initial 'magic,' a pattern similar to what is described with MDMA.
Baseline Reset
1-2 weeks
Half Tolerance
3-7 days
Cross Tolerance

Dopaminergic stimulants

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

High

Chronic use is considered highly addictive with an extreme potential for abuse and psychological dependence. The urge to redose is notoriously strong, particularly with insufflation, with many users reporting difficulty controlling their intake within a single session. Compulsive redosing patterns similar to or exceeding those of other euphoric stimulants are commonly described, leading to consumption of far more than intended.

Physical

Low

Physical dependence is unlikely to develop significantly. Withdrawal symptoms are minimal and not life-threatening, though dependence may manifest as restlessness, tremors, insomnia, and hyperactivity following cessation of regular use.

Toxicity

Cardiovascular

Acute cardiovascular effects including elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, and vasoconstriction occur during intoxication;6 severe vasoconstriction resulting in bluish discolouration of extremities has been reported with repeated dosing over extended sessions at cumulative doses exceeding 600 mg.

Central Nervous System

Animal studies indicate mephedrone is a monoaminergic neurotoxin inducing serotonergic neurotoxicity; persistent serotonergic deficits have been observed following binge-like use patterns, particularly in warm environments,citation needed though some evidence suggests mephedrone may be less neurotoxic than corresponding amphetamines like MDMA at moderate doses.

Nasal and Upper Respiratory

Insufflation causes local irritation including pain, swelling, nosebleeds, and sinusitis; these effects are route-specific and occur primarily with heavy or repeated intranasal use.

Hematological

One case of acquired methaemoglobinaemia with bluish discolouration of lips and fingers has been reported following insufflation of one gram;8 this appears to be a rare adverse effect.

Psychosis Risk

High doses may lead to psychotic reactions including hallucinations, delusions, and erratic behaviour. Anxiety and paranoia are more commonly reported adverse effects. The most severe psychiatric effects appear to be associated with high doses or prolonged use, and risk may be elevated in individuals with predisposition to schizophrenia.

Seizure Risk

Seizures have been documented in clinical case series,6 with one hospital report finding 20% of treated patients experienced seizures. A fatal case in Sweden involved convulsions. Individuals with pre-existing seizure disorders may be at elevated risk when using stimulants.

History & Culture

Discovery and Synthesis

Mephedrone was first synthesized in 19291 by Saem de Burnaga Sanchez, who published his work in the Bulletin de la Société Chimique de France under the chemical name "toluyl-alpha-monomethylaminoethylcetone." Following this initial synthesis, the compound remained an obscure

Legality

International

Mephedrone is not scheduled under the 1961, 1971, or 1988 UN drug-control conventions.

By Country

Illegal39
United States flagUnited StatesIllegal
Australia flagAustraliaIllegal
Austria flagAustriaIllegal
Brazil flagBrazilIllegal
China flagChinaIllegal
Croatia flagCroatiaIllegal
Denmark flagDenmarkIllegal
Estonia flagEstoniaIllegal
Finland flagFinlandIllegal
France flagFranceIllegal
Germany flagGermanyIllegal
GuernseyIllegal
Hungary flagHungaryIllegal
India flagIndiaIllegal
Indonesia flagIndonesiaIllegal
Ireland flagIrelandIllegal
Isle of ManIllegal
Italy flagItalyIllegal
Japan flagJapanIllegal
JerseyIllegal
Lithuania flagLithuaniaIllegal
Mexico flagMexicoIllegal
Netherlands flagNetherlandsIllegal
Norway flagNorwayIllegal
Poland flagPolandIllegal
Portugal flagPortugalIllegal
Romania flagRomaniaIllegal
Russia flagRussiaIllegal
Singapore flagSingaporeIllegal
Slovak Republic flagSlovak RepublicIllegal
South Korea flagSouth KoreaIllegal (analog/blanket ban)
Spain flagSpainIllegal
Sweden flagSwedenIllegal
Switzerland flagSwitzerlandIllegal
Thailand flagThailandIllegal
Turkey flagTurkeyIllegal
Ukraine flagUkraineIllegal
United Arab Emirates flagUnited Arab EmiratesIllegal
United Kingdom flagUnited KingdomIllegal
Controlled / restricted3
Belgium flagBelgiumRestricted
Colombia flagColombiaRestricted
Czech Republic flagCzech RepublicRestricted

References

Source Pages

  1. Drug Users Bible
  2. Erowid
  3. Isomer Design (TiHKAL/PiHKAL)
  4. PsychonautWiki
  5. Safer Party
  6. The Drug Classroom
  7. TripSit Factsheets
  8. TripSit Wiki
  9. Wikipedia

Citations

  1. Green AR, King MV, Shortall SE, & Fone KCF. (2014). The preclinical pharmacology of mephedrone; not just MDMA by another name. 171(9), 2251-2268. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.1262812345
  2. Mayer FP, Niello M, Bulling S, Zhang YW, Li Y, Kudlacek O, Holy M, Kooti F, Sandtner W, Rudnick G, Schmid D, & Sitte HH. (2023). Mephedrone induces partial release at human dopamine transporters but full release at human serotonin transporters. Neuropharmacology, 240, Article 109704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.10970412345
  3. Mayer FP, Wimmer L, Dillon-Carter O, Partilla JS, Burchardt NV, Mihovilovic MD, Baumann MH, & Sitte HH. (2016). Phase I metabolites of mephedrone display biological activity as substrates at monoamine transporters. British Journal of Pharmacology, 173(17), 2657-2668. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.13547123
  4. Czerwinska J, Parkin MC, Cilibrizzi A, George C, Kicman AT, Dargan PI, & Abbate V. (2021). Pharmacokinetics of Mephedrone Enantiomers in Whole Blood after a Controlled Intranasal Administration to Healthy Human Volunteers. Pharmaceuticals, 14(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph140100051
  5. Czerwinska J, Parkin MC, George C, Kicman AT, Dargan PI, & Abbate V. (2021). Pharmacokinetics of Mephedrone and Its Metabolites in Whole Blood and Plasma after Controlled Intranasal Administration to Healthy Human Volunteers. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 45(7), 730-738. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkaa1341234
  6. James D, Adams RD, Spears R, Cooper G, Lupton DJ, Thompson JP, & Thomas SHL. (2011). Clinical characteristics of mephedrone toxicity reported to the UK National Poisons Information Service. Emergency Medicine Journal, 28(8), 686-689. https://doi.org/10.1136/emj.2010.09663612
  7. Pantano F, Tittarelli R, Mannocchi G, Pacifici R, di Luca A, Busardò FP, & Marinelli E. (2017). Neurotoxicity Induced by Mephedrone: An up-to-date Review. 15(5), 738-749. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570159x146661611301307181
  8. Ahmed N, Hoy BPS, & McInerney J. (2010). Methaemoglobinaemia due to mephedrone (‘snow’). BMJ Case Reports, 2010, bcr0420102879. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr.04.2010.28791
  9. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—June 2026) Instrument 2026. legislation.gov.au (n.d.). https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2026L00633/latest/text1
  10. Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard—June 2026) Instrument 2026. tga.gov.au (n.d.). https://www.tga.gov.au/products/regulations-all-products/legislation-and-legislative-instruments/poisons-standard-susmp1

Article Status

  • Josie Kins avatar
    Step 1 · Automated synthesis

    An autonomous workflow built by Josie Kins compiled this article's foundation from information published across the web.

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    A first pass manual review and edit of article prose and copy has been performed by subject-matter expert Lyrea. This does not guarantee factual accuracy. An additional human review for each of this article's citations is yet to be performed.

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    No one has reviewed this article's citations yet. That second pass checks each claim against the source it cites.

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  1. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

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