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3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (also known as M1, MDMC, βk-MDMA, and Methylone) is an entactogenic and stimulant substance of the cathinone chemical class that produces a mixture of entactogenic, stimulating, and euphoric effects when administered. It was first synthesized by chemists Peyton Jacob III and Alexander Shulgin in 1996 for potential use as an antidepressant.
This compound is often used as a substitute for MDMA due to similarities in their effects. Alexander Shulgin commented that the substances has "almost the same potency of MDMA, but it does not produce the same effects." He also stated that it "has an almost antidepressant action, pleasant and positive, but not the unique magic of MDMA. What Is Methylone? Methylone is a designer drug that acts on the brain much like MDMA or ecstasy. The substance releases a flood of dopamine and serotonin to increase alertness, excitability, and physical energy. However, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), methylone may not have the same toxicity as the other amphetamine-based stimulants, meaning the drug may not have the same potential for addiction as MDMA.
Chemical structure of methylone This was based on a study involving rats that monitored the levels of neurotransmitters released by the brain over time. The study found that repeated, high doses of both methylone and mephedrone, another synthetic cathinone, did not deplete serotonin in the brain in the same way that MDMA did. However, the initial studies on similarities between methylone, MDMA, and mephedrone are small and do not involve humans, so understanding how addictive and toxic new chemicals like methylone are can take time. It is still unknown if methylone and related chemicals are addictive or predominantly toxic. The rats in the study mostly did not escalate their abuse of methylone. This makes the drug unique from other chemicals that could lead to bingeing behavior like meth or cocaine. Because of the intensely energetic high it brings, methylone is one of the many chemicals that may be found in bath salts or sold on its own. It is made in a clandestine lab in large batches, so methylone is often much less expensive than cocaine, MDMA, or even methamphetamine. Although methylone is not a well-understood substance of abuse, the drug has killed people because of its intense side effects when it has been accidentally taken instead of ecstasy at raves, concerts, or parties. When it is intentionally abused, methylone is abused as bath salts or Molly, a drug chemically similar to MDMA.
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