MMDA-2
Encyclopedia
2-Methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MMDA-2; 6-Methoxy-MDA) is a psychedelic
drug
of the amphetamine
class. It is closely related to MMDA and MDA.
Alexander Shulgin
was likely the first to synthesize
MMDA-2. In his book PiHKAL
, the dose is listed as 25–50 mg, and the duration is listed as 8–12 hours. Shulgin reports that MMDA-2 produces effects such as enhanced awareness
, empathy
, and visual facilitation and distortion, as well as some side effect
s like gastrointestinal upset
and appetite loss. He states that 30 mg is very similar to 80 mg of MDA, and also remarks that it would be impossible for anyone to have a bad experience on the drug at that dose.
Scientific research has shown that MMDA-2, unlike MMDA, but similarly to 6-methyl-MDA
, is only very weak at inducing the release of serotonin
or dopamine
, and accordingly, does not produce amphetamine
-appropriate responding in animals in drug discrimination studies. Instead, MMDA-2 is likely to act as a pure 5-HT2 receptor
agonist
similarly to the DOx
series of compounds, with activation of the 5-HT2A receptor
conferring its psychedelic effects.
MMDA-2 has been sold as a designer drug
in Japan
.
Psychedelic drug
A psychedelic substance is a psychoactive drug whose primary action is to alter cognition and perception. Psychedelics are part of a wider class of psychoactive drugs known as hallucinogens, a class that also includes related substances such as dissociatives and deliriants...
drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
of the amphetamine
Substituted amphetamine
Substituted amphetamines are a chemical class of stimulants, entactogens, hallucinogens, and other drugs. They feature a phenethylamine core with a methyl group attached to the alpha carbon resulting in amphetamine, along with additional substitutions...
class. It is closely related to MMDA and MDA.
Alexander Shulgin
Alexander Shulgin
Alexander "Sasha" Theodore Shulgin is an American pharmacologist, chemist, artist, and drug developer.Shulgin is credited with the popularization of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially for psychopharmaceutical use and the treatment of depression and...
was likely the first to synthesize
Chemical synthesis
In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions to get a product, or several products. This happens by physical and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions...
MMDA-2. In his book PiHKAL
PiHKAL
PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story is a book by Dr. Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin which was published in 1991. The subject of the work is psychoactive phenethylamine chemical derivatives, notably those that act as psychedelics and/or empathogen-entactogens...
, the dose is listed as 25–50 mg, and the duration is listed as 8–12 hours. Shulgin reports that MMDA-2 produces effects such as enhanced awareness
Awareness
Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of...
, empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
, and visual facilitation and distortion, as well as some side effect
Side effect
In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequences of the use of a drug.Occasionally, drugs are...
s like gastrointestinal upset
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...
and appetite loss. He states that 30 mg is very similar to 80 mg of MDA, and also remarks that it would be impossible for anyone to have a bad experience on the drug at that dose.
Scientific research has shown that MMDA-2, unlike MMDA, but similarly to 6-methyl-MDA
6-Methyl-MDA
6-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine is an entactogen and psychedelic drug of the amphetamine class. It was first synthesized in the late 1990s by a team including David E...
, is only very weak at inducing the release of serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
or dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
, and accordingly, does not produce amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
-appropriate responding in animals in drug discrimination studies. Instead, MMDA-2 is likely to act as a pure 5-HT2 receptor
5-HT2 receptor
The 5-HT2 receptors are a subfamily of 5-HT receptors that bind the endogenous neurotransmitter serotonin . The 5-HT2 subfamily consists of three G protein-coupled receptors which are coupled to Gq/G11 and mediate excitatory neurotransmission, including 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C...
agonist
Agonist
An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...
similarly to the DOx
DOx
DOx is a term used to refer to a chemical class of substituted amphetamine derivatives featuring methoxy groups at the 2- and 5- positions of the phenyl ring, and a substituent such as alkyl or halogen at the 4- position of the phenyl ring...
series of compounds, with activation of the 5-HT2A receptor
5-HT2A receptor
The mammalian 5-HT2A receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT2 receptor that belongs to the serotonin receptor family and is a G protein-coupled receptor . This is the main excitatory receptor subtype among the GPCRs for serotonin , although 5-HT2A may also have an inhibitory effect on certain areas such...
conferring its psychedelic effects.
MMDA-2 has been sold as a designer drug
Designer drug
Designer drug is a term used to describe drugs that are created to get around existing drug laws, usually by preparing analogs or derivatives of existing drugs by modifying their chemical structure to varying degrees, or less commonly by finding drugs with entirely different chemical structures...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
See also
- 6-Methyl-MDA6-Methyl-MDA6-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine is an entactogen and psychedelic drug of the amphetamine class. It was first synthesized in the late 1990s by a team including David E...
- Methyl-MMDA-2Methyl-MMDA-2N-Methyl-2-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine is a psychedelic drug of the amphetamine class. It is the N-methylated derivative of MMDA-2, and is also an analogue of MDMA and 6-methyl-MDA....
- MMDA
- MDA3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine , also known as tenamfetamine , is a psychedelic and entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes...
- LophophineLophophineLophophine, also known as 3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxyphenethylamine , is a psychedelic and entactogen drug of the phenethylamine class...