4-AcO-MET, also known as 4-acetoxy-''N''-methyl-''N''-ethyltryptamine or metacetin, is a

psychedelic drug Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluc ...

of the

tryptamine Tryptamine is an indolamine metabolite of the essential amino acid tryptophan. The chemical structure is defined by an indole—a fused benzene and pyrrole ring, and a 2-aminoethyl group at the second carbon (third aromatic atom, with the firs ...

family. It is the

acetate An acetate is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. alkaline, earthy, metallic, nonmetallic, or radical base). "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called ...

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

4-HO-MET 4-HO-MET, also known as 4-hydroxy-''N''-methyl-''N''-ethyltryptamine or as metocin, is a lesser-known psychedelic drug of the tryptamine family related to psilocin. It is a close structural and functional analogue of psilocin (4-HO-DMT) and is ...

, and a homologue of

4-AcO-DMT 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 psiloc ...

. It is a novel compound with very little history of human use. It is sometimes sold as a

research chemical Research chemicals are chemical substances which scientists use for medical and scientific research purposes. One characteristic of a research chemical is that it is for laboratory research use only; a research chemical is not intended for human ...

by online retailers.

Pharmacology

Due to its similarity to the

psilocin Psilocin, also known as 4-hydroxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (4-HO-DMT), is a substituted tryptamine alkaloid and a serotonergic psychedelic. It is present in most psychedelic mushrooms together with its phosphorylated counterpart psilocy ...

prodrug A prodrug is a pharmacologically inactive medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be ...

4-AcO-DMT, which is deacetylated to form psilocin ''

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, an ...

'', it is expected that 4-AcO-MET is also quickly

hydrolyzed Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water is the nucleophile. Biological hydrolysi ...

into

serum Serum may refer to: Biology and pharmacology *Serum (blood), plasma from which the clotting proteins have been removed **Antiserum, blood serum with specific antibodies for passive immunity *Serous fluid, any clear bodily fluid Places *Serum, Ind ...

esterase In biochemistry, an esterase is a class of enzyme that splits esters into an acid and an alcohol in a chemical reaction with water called hydrolysis (and as such, it is a type of hydrolase). A wide range of different esterases exist that differ ...

s, but human studies concerning the metabolic fate of this drug are lacking. The

pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...

of 4-AcO-MET has been studied.

Society and culture

Legal status

Switzerland

In Switzerland, 4-Acetoxy-MET is a controlled substance under Verzeichnis E.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, 4-AcO-MET is a Class A drug in the United Kingdom because it is an

of the drug 4-HO-MET, which is a Class A drug under the tryptamine catch-all clause.

United States

In the United States, 4-Acetoxy-MET is not scheduled. It may be considered an analogue of

, a Schedule I drug under the

Controlled Substances Act The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the statute establishing federal government of the United States, federal drug policy of the United States, U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of ...

. As such, the sale for human consumption or the use for illicit non-medical purposes could be considered a crime under the Federal Analogue Act.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acetoxy-MET, 4- 5-HT2A agonists Acetate esters 4-Acyloxytryptamines Designer drugs N,N-Dialkyltryptamines Prodrugs Psychedelic tryptamines pl:4-Acetoksy-N,N-dietylotryptamina sv:4-acetoxy-DET