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Methcathinone

Methcathinone is an addictive recreational drug that is cheap and simple to synthesize. It is usually snorted, but can be smoked, injected, or taken orally. Methcathinone is currently a DEA Schedule I chemical. more...

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History

Methcathinone was first synthesized in Germany in 1928. It was used in the Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s as an anti-depressant. Since the 1960s, methcathinone has been used as a recreational drug in the Soviet Union.

Circa 1994, the United States government informed the UN Secretary-General of its opinion that methcathinone should be added to Schedule I of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

Chemistry

Methcathinone is very similar in structure to cathinone, a stimulant alkaloid occurring in the shrub Catha edulis (Khat), the synthetic stimulant methamphetamine, and other phenethylamines.

Methcathinone has a single asymmetric carbon atom, thus yielding enantiomeric + and - forms. Chemical Abstract Services registry numbers for the racemic base and hydrochloride forms are 5650-44-2 and 49656-78-2, respectively. The Chemical Abstract Services registry numbers for the base and hydrochloride forms of the S absolute stereochemical configuration are 112117-24-5 and 66514-93-0, respectively.

Various names for methcathinone include:

2-(methylamino)-propiophenone
α-methylamino-propiophenone
α-N-methyl-aminopropiophenone
2-(methylamino)-1-phenylpropan-1-one
N-methylcathinone
N-monomethylcathinone
Methylcathinone
AL-464 (L isomer)
AL-422 (racemate)
AL-463 (D-isomer)
UR1431
UR(W)1431

Methcathinone hydrochloride increases spontaneous rodent locomotor activity, potentiates the release of radio-labelled dopamine from dopaminergic nerve terminals in the brain, and causes appetite suppression.

Methcathinone is most commonly made by the oxidation of ephedrine. Oxidation of ephedrine to methcathinone requires almost zero chemistry experience, making it easy to synthesize. Potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) is most the commonly used as the oxidant.

Methcathinone can also be synthesized via the oxidation of l-ephedrine using sodium dichromate and sulfuric acid. This process is just as simple as oxidizing the ephedrine with potassium permanganate.

Synthesizing methcathinone from either potassium permanganate or various chromates is considered undesirable because of the low yields. A method that yields more methcathinone is oxidizing ephedrine with sodium hypochlorite.

Methcathinone acts on the body & brain much like methamphetamine & amphetamine do.

Effects

The effects of methcathinone are similar to those of methamphetamine, but generally less intense, and often more euphoric. The effects have been compared to those of cocaine, since it commonly causes hypertension (elevated blood pressure) and tachycardia (elevated heart rate). Reported effects include:

Read more at Wikipedia.org

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Herbal drug sellers could face jail
From Independent, The (London), 8/28/97 by Jason Bennetto Crime Correspondent

Suppliers of herbal drugs - sold as an alternative to substances such as ecstasy and cannabis - could face two years in jail as part of a government clamp-down announced yesterday.

The pills and powders, which contain natural ingredients and until now have been legal, are becoming increasingly popular at nightclubs and raves.

Alan Milburn, the Health Minister, said yesterday that despite claims that the drugs, known as "herbal highs", are harmless, they can have dangerous side effects and, in some circumstances, prove potentially lethal. The Department of Health is particularly concerned by evidence that 15 deaths in the United States have been associated with products containing ephedra, one of the main active ingredients in herbal highs. There has not, however, been any detailed research into the effects of the bulk of the products or their popularity. Marketed under names such as "druid's fantasy", "skull cap", "purples", "herbal ecstasy" and "road runner", the drugs are often sold in clubs, festivals, through mail order and from specialist retailers known as "head shops". One of the most popular herbal drugs is methcathinone, a white powder with the street name "cat", which producers claim has a similar effect to cocaine. Some herbal drugs are equivalent in price to their illegal counterparts - "cat" costs pounds 55 a gram, just pounds 5 or pounds 10 less than cocaine itself. The Medicines Control Agency, who control the sale of drugs, have identified a number of potentially hazardous ingredients. These include ephedra, which was linked to the reported deaths in America, khat, which can cause a form of psychosis and yohimbe, which is potentially hazardous when taken with other drugs which can be found in cough and cold remedies. A year ago the Agency contacted companies who were selling the herbal drugs who agreed to stop the trade. However, they failed to keep their promise. The MCA will now give the suppliers one last chance before they take them to court, where they could face a maximum two year jail sentence and an unlimited fine. People who take the drugs will not be breaking the law and would not be prosecuted for possession. Substances containing the potentially dangerous ingredients can now only be sold by licence-holders.

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