2C-T-7, also known as 4-propylthio-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, is a psychedelic

phenethylamine Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace ami ...

of the 2C family. In his book '' PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story'',

Alexander Shulgin Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (June 17, 1925 – June 2, 2014) was an American biochemist, broad researcher of synthetic psychoactive compounds, and author of works regarding these, who independently explored the organic chemistry and ph ...

lists the dosage range as 10–30 mg. 2C-T-7 is generally taken orally, and produces psychedelic and entactogenic effects that last 8 to 15 hours. Up until Operation Web Tryp and three deaths, two of which involved the use of other drugs in addition to 2C-T-7, and one which involved an excessive insufflated dose, 2C-T-7 was sold commercially in Dutch and Japanese smartshops and online. It has been known on the streets as Blue Mystic or 7th Heaven. There has been little real research done on this chemical other than Shulgin's comments in PiHKAL and a few small

animal studies Animal studies is a recently recognised field in which animals are studied in a variety of cross-disciplinary ways. Scholars who engage in animal studies may be formally trained in a number of diverse fields, including art history, anthropology ...

mostly aimed at detecting

metabolites In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

Effects

2C-T-7 is psychedelic. In ''PiHKAL'', Shulgin records that the hallucinations are unique, and that the chemical may cause muscle tension and an altered vocal quality. Shulgin rated it as one of the "magical half-dozen" most important psychedelic phenethylamine compounds, together with

mescaline Mescaline, also known as mescalin or mezcalin, and in chemical terms 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine, is a natural product, naturally occurring psychedelic drug, psychedelic alkaloid, protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, found ...

, 2C-B, and 2C-T-2.

Interactions

2C-T-7 is

metabolized Metabolism (, from ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the co ...

by the

monoamine oxidase Monoamine oxidases (MAO) () are a family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of monoamines, employing oxygen to clip off their amine group. They are found bound to the outer membrane of mitochondria in most cell types of the body. The fi ...

(MAO)

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

MAO-A Monoamine oxidase A, also known as MAO-A, is an enzyme ( E.C. 1.4.3.4) that in humans is encoded by the ''MAOA'' gene. This gene is one of two neighboring gene family members that encode mitochondrial enzymes which catalyze the oxidative deamin ...

and

MAO-B Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''MAOB'' gene. The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the flavin monoamine oxidase family. It is an enzyme located in the outer mitochondrial membrane. It catalyze ...

Monoamine oxidase inhibitor Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a drug class, class of drugs that inhibit the activity of one or both monoamine oxidase enzymes: monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). They are best known as effective antidepressa ...

s (MAOIs) such as

phenelzine Phenelzine, sold under the brand name Nardil among others, is a non-selective and irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) of the hydrazine family which is primarily used as an antidepressant and anxiolytic to treat depression and a ...

tranylcypromine Tranylcypromine, sold under the brand name Parnate among others, is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). More specifically, tranylcypromine acts as nonselective and irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). It is used a ...

moclobemide Moclobemide, sold under the brand names Amira, Aurorix, Clobemix, Depnil and Manerix among others, is a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A (RIMA) drug primarily used to treat Clinical depression, depression and social anxiety. It is not ...

, and

selegiline Selegiline, also known as L-deprenyl and sold under the brand names Eldepryl, Zelapar, and Emsam among others, is a medication which is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and major depressive disorder. It has also been studied and us ...

may potentiate the effects of 2C-T-7. This may result in

overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

and serious

toxicity Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacteria, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect o ...

Toxicity and deaths

There have been at least three reported deaths related to 2C-T-7 use as of August 2007, mainly at insufflated (snorted) doses of 30 mg or more. In the fall of 2000, a young healthy male died following insufflation of an excessive amount of 2C-T-7. Two additional deaths reported in April 2001 have been linked to 2C-T-7. These two deaths were reported by the DEA as being the result of the co-abuse of 2C-T-7 with MDMA. In January 2002, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' published an article about 2C-T-7 entitled "The New (legal) Killer Drug". Although the article suggested that the drug was legal, the legal status of 2C-T-7 was ambiguous at the time due to the United States'

Federal Analogue Act The Federal Analogue Act, , is a section of the United States Controlled Substances Act passed in 1986 which allows any chemical "substantially similar" to a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or II to be treated as if it were listed ...

. A detailed response on the website disinfo.com challenged the accuracy of much of the reporting in the aforementioned ''Rolling Stone'' article. 2C-T-7 has since been officially made illegal and declared a schedule 1 substance in the United States. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reported in 2006 that 2C-T-7 can be lethal even in small doses; however, they provide no source for their claim and of the three known deaths (as of August 2007) of 2C-T-7 intoxicated individuals, all involved either uncommonly large insufflated doses or the concomitant ingestion of other stimulants such as

ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and sympathomimetic agent that is often used to prevent hypotension, low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred ...

and/or

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...

. All of the three aforementioned known deaths of individuals under the influence of 2C-T-7 occurred in those known to be either intoxicated with other stimulants such as

(which are known to be potentially lethal in certain situations or at excessive doses) or after the individual insufflated an amount of 2C-T-7 much greater than necessary to induce the full range of effects typically sought after by users of the drug; for example, the reported 35 mg insufflated dose taken by the individual who died in the fall of 2000. This reported dose was characterized as "excessive" by the US DEA.

Pharmacology

The mechanism that produces the psychedelic and entactogenic effects of 2C-T-7 is most likely to result from action as a 5-HT_2A

serotonin receptor 5-HT receptors, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors, or serotonin receptors, are a group of G protein-coupled receptor and ligand-gated ion channels found in multiple tissues including the central and peripheral nervous systems. They mediate both ex ...

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a Receptor (biochemistry), receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are Cell (biology), cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an R ...

in the brain, a mechanism of action shared by most currently-known hallucinogenic

tryptamines Substituted tryptamines, or simply tryptamines, also known as serotonin analogues (i.e., 5-hydroxytryptamine analogues), are organic compounds which may be thought of as being derived from tryptamine itself. The molecular structures of all trypt ...

and

phenethylamines Substituted phenethylamines (or simply phenethylamines) are a chemical class of organic compounds that are based upon the phenethylamine structure; the class is composed of all the derivative (chemistry), derivative compounds of phenethylamine ...

. 2C-T-7 has structural and pharmacodynamic properties similar to those of 2C-T-2.

Society and culture

Legal status

Around the year 2000, 2C-T-7 began to change from an obscure chemical to a drug used at parties and clubs in North America and Europe as it became available through a number of grey-market commercial vendors. This aroused the attention of the authorities, and many countries have since scheduled the chemical.

Australia

In Australia, 2C-T-2 and 2C-T-7 are covered by the country's analogue drug laws.

Canada

As of October 31, 2016, 2C-T-7 is a controlled substance (Schedule III) in Canada.

China

As of October 2015 2C-T-7 is a controlled substance in China.

Germany

2C-T-7 is scheduled in Germany. (BTMG)

The Netherlands

The Netherlands was the first country in the world to ban 2C-T-7, after being sold in smartshops for a short period. After 2C-T-2 was first banned, 2C-T-7 quickly appeared on the market, but was soon banned as well. 2C-T-7 is a list I drug of the

Opium Law The Opium Law (''Opiumwet'' in Dutch) is the section of the Dutch law which covers nearly all psychotropic drugs. Origin and history In 1912, the First International Opium Conference took place in The Hague, where agreements were made about ...

Sweden

Schedule I in Sweden. 2C-T-7 was first classified as "health hazard" under the act ''Lagen om förbud mot vissa hälsofarliga varor'' (translated ''Act on the Prohibition of Certain Goods Dangerous to Health'') as of April 1, 1999, under SFS 1999:58 that made it illegal to sell or possess.

United Kingdom

In 1999,

was sent a copy of a letter from the British Home Office to several of its administrative associates that in effect placed all compounds listed in

PiHKAL ''PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story'' is a book by Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin published in 1991. The subject of the work is Psychoactive drug, psychoactive phenethylamine Derivative (chemistry), chemical derivatives, notably those that act ...

into Class A.

United States

On September 20, 2002, 2C-T-7 was classified as a Schedule I substance in the United States by an emergency ruling by the DEA. On March 18, 2004, the DEA published a Final Rule in the Federal Register permanently placing 2C-T-7 in Schedule I. (69 FR 12794) As of April 2024, law enforcement have encountered 2C-T-7 in 16 states, with the highest number of encounters being in Florida. Purchases made over the internet are believed by the DEA to be the most common source by which users of the drug acquire it in the United States, and one laboratory manufacturing the drug was discovered by police in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

References

External links

2C-T-7 - Isomer Design

2C-T-7 - PsychonautWiki

2C-T-7 - Erowid

2C-T-7 - PiHKAL - Erowid

2C-T-7 - PiHKAL - Isomer Design

2C-T-7: A Mixed Bag of Psychedelic Tricks - Tripsitter
{{Phenethylamines 5-HT2A agonists 5-HT2B agonists 2C (psychedelics) Alexander Shulgin Designer drugs Propyl compounds Psychedelic phenethylamines TAAR1 agonists Thioethers