5-APB

5-APB (5-(2-aminopropyl)benzofuran), also known by the street name "Benzofury," is a synthetic entactogen and stimulant belonging to the substituted benzofuran and substituted amphetamine chemical classes. It is structurally analogous to MDMA, with the methylenedioxy ring replaced by a benzofuran ring system, and is considered one of the more pharmacologically complex compounds in the novel psychoactive substance landscape. Users report an experience that blends empathogenic warmth, emotional openness, and mild psychedelic character — generally compared to a longer-lasting MDMA with gentler stimulation and more pronounced serotonergic depth.

5-APB emerged prominently in UK and European markets around 2010–2012 as part of the "legal high" wave. Its activity profile — triple monoamine reuptake inhibition combined with releasing-agent activity and direct 5-HT2A/5-HT2B agonism — produces effects qualitatively distinct from pure stimulants. Users describe pronounced emotional empathy, enhanced introspection, mild visual enhancement, and warm physical sensations with a softer comedown than MDMA. Community experience strongly emphasizes that the extended duration (6–9 hours) makes timing and planning important, and that the 5-HT2B agonism raises cardiac concerns with frequent use analogous to those documented for MDA and MDMA.

Neurotoxicity concerns parallel those of MDA — the unfluorinated benzofuran structure may expose the serotonin system to oxidative metabolites with repeated heavy use. While controlled studies on 5-APB neurotoxicity in humans are absent, the harm-reduction consensus urges infrequent use, adequate nutrition, and antioxidant preloading.