4-Acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (4-AcO-DMT or 4-acetoxy-DMT), also known as O-acetylpsilocin or psilacetin, is a psychedelic drug of the tryptamine family related to psilocybin and psilocin. It is a synthetic derivative of psilocin (4-HO-DMT) in which the hydroxyl group has been acetylated, and is the analogue of psilocybin (4-PO-DMT) in which the phosphate ester has been replaced with an acetate ester. The drug is a prodrug of psilocin and is used orally similarly to psilocybin.
As a prodrug of psilocin, 4-AcO-DMT acts as a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist, including of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. The hallucinogenic effects of psilocin are thought to be mediated by activation of this receptor, although other receptors also contribute to its effects. 4-AcO-DMT's effects are reported to be similar to those of psilocybin and psilocybin mushrooms. However, it has been said to have reduced side effects such as nausea and body load that can be caused by ingestion of whole psilocybin mushrooms. It is also said to have a faster onset and shorter duration than psilocybin. The drug is not expected to differ from psilocybin or psilocin in terms of safety. 4-AcO-DMT is modestly less potent by weight than psilocybin in animals when they are given at equimolar doses.
4-AcO-DMT was first described in a patent by Albert Hofmann in 1963 and its chemical synthesis was improved by David E. Nichols and colleagues in 1999. It was suggested by Nichols as a more economical and accessible alternative to psilocybin for use in scientific research, as the synthesis of psilocybin is more challenging and as psilocybin is a controlled substance. 4-AcO-DMT was first detected as a designer drug in Europe in 2009. It became increasingly prevalent as a recreational drug in the 2010s and has been the most commonly used novel tryptamine. In the 2020s, 4-AcO-DMT became widely encountered in the form of mushroom edibles in the United States as an alternative to psilocybin. Relatedly, it has sometimes been referred to as "synthetic shrooms". Mushrooms edibles may contain 4-AcO-DMT, Amanita muscaria mushroom constituents, or non-mushroom drugs such as bath salts, and have been linked to poisonings and deaths.
4-AcO-DMT is not scheduled under United States law or any international drug schedules, including the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, making it a potentially more accessible alternative to psilocybin for research. It can be imported and possessed for research in the United States if labeled “not for human consumption,” but using it in vivo is illegal and violates the Federal Analogue Act.
