Methylone

Entactogen drug

Methylone, also known as 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (MDMC), is an entactogen and stimulant drug of the amphetamine, cathinone, and MDxx families related to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; "ecstasy"). It is the β-keto or cathinone analogue of MDMA. The drug is usually taken orally, but can also be administered by other routes.

It acts as a serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA). The drug has much less activity at the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) than MDMA and may have less serotonergic neurotoxicity. In contrast to certain other entactogens like MDMA, methylone does not appear to be a significant agonist of the serotonin 5-HT2 receptors. Methylone is similar in its effects to MDMA, producing entactogenic effects and euphoria, but has a reputation of being gentler than MDMA and only lasts about half as long. Side effects of methylone include tachycardia, hangover, and insomnia. It may have reduced negative after-effects compared to MDMA. Methylone's onset is about 0.5hours and its duration is about 2 to 3hours.

Methylone was first synthesized by Peyton Jacob III and Alexander Shulgin in the mid-1990s and was first described in the literature in 1996. It was patented by Jacob and Shulgin as a potential antidepressant and antiparkinsonian agent, but was never developed or marketed for such uses. Methylone was encountered as a designer and recreational drug by 2004 and has become a controlled substance in many countries. Similarly to MDMA, it is being developed for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).