Benocyclidine, also known as benzothiophenylcyclohexylpiperidine (BTCP), is a
psychoactive
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, psychoactive agent or psychotropic drug is a chemical substance, that changes functions of the nervous system, and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior.
Th ...
recreational drug
Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
of the
arylcyclohexylamine class which is related to
phencyclidine (PCP). It was first described in a patent application naming Marc Caron and colleagues at Duke University in 1997.
It acts as a
potent and
selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor (DRI) and a
psychostimulant
Stimulants (also often referred to as psychostimulants or colloquially as uppers) is an overarching term that covers many drugs including those that increase activity of the central nervous system and the body, drugs that are pleasurable and inv ...
.
Unlike related
compounds like
phencyclidine and
ketamine, benocyclidine is a pure DRI with negligible
affinity for the
NMDA receptor
The ''N''-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (also known as the NMDA receptor or NMDAR), is a glutamate receptor and ion channel found in neurons. The NMDA receptor is one of three types of ionotropic glutamate receptors, the other two being AMPA rece ...
, and it therefore lacks any
anticonvulsant
Anticonvulsants (also known as antiepileptic drugs or recently as antiseizure drugs) are a diverse group of pharmacological agents used in the treatment of epileptic seizures. Anticonvulsants are also increasingly being used in the treatment of b ...
,
anesthetic,
hallucinogenic, or
dissociative effects.
It has been used to label the
dopamine transporter.
BCP was used to try to find a common
pharmacophore for DRI type stimulants.
More recently, benocyclidine has been found in several ecstasy tablets, sold as
MDMA.
Legal status in the United States
Benocyclidine is not scheduled at the federal level in the
United States, but may be considered an analog of PCP, in which case purchase, sale, or possession could be prosecuted under the
Federal Analog Act.
Benocyclidine (BCP) or benzothiophenylcyclohexylpiperidine (BTCP) is a Schedule I
controlled substance in the state of
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess in Florida.
See also
*
Tenocyclidine
References
{{Monoamine reuptake inhibitors
Arylcyclohexylamines
Stimulants
Piperidines
Benzothiophenes
Dopamine reuptake inhibitors