5-MeO-DMT
Encyclopedia
5-MeO-DMT is a powerful psychedelic
tryptamine
. It is found in a wide variety of plant and psychoactive toad
species and, like its close relatives DMT
and bufotenin
(5-OH-DMT), it has been used as an entheogen
by South American shamans
for thousands of years.
snuff. It was once believed to be a major component of the psychoactive effects of the snuff. It occurs in many organisms that contain bufotenin
(e) (5-hydroxy-DMT), and is the O-methyl analogue
of that compound.
snuff made from virola
bark resin, and may be a trace constituent of ayahuasca
when plants such as Diplopterys cabrerana
are used as an admixture. 5-MeO-DMT is also found in the venom of the Colorado River toad
(Bufo alvarius), although there is no direct evidence this was used as a hallucinogen until recent times.
When used as a drug
in its purified form, 5-MeO-DMT is smoked, insufflated, or injected and is active at a dose of as little as 2 mg. 5-MeO-DMT is also active orally, when taken with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, but according to numerous reports, the combination with MAOI is extremely unpleasant and has a strong body load
. According to the researcher Jonathan Ott
, 5-MeO-DMT is active orally with doses over 30 mg without aid of an MAOI.
The onset of effects occurs within seconds after smoking/injecting, or minutes after insufflating, and the experience is sometimes described as similar to a near-death experience. Peak effects last for approximately 5–10 minutes when smoked. When insufflated, the peak effects are considerably less intense, but last for 15–25 minutes on average.
Although similar in many respects to its close relatives DMT
and bufotenin
(5-OH-DMT), the effects are typically not as visual. Some users report experiencing no visual effects from it even at very high doses.
Some report the effects to be unpleasant causing nausea and the feeling of being "sat on by an elephant".
Erowid
lists the following effects for smoked 5-MeO-DMT:
issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to initiate placing 5-MeO-DMT into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act
(the most restrictive category). Comment DEA-2009-0008-0007.1 requested a 180 day extension of the period for public comment and requests for hearings, objected to the proposed rule on multiple grounds including Constitutional issues, identified the submitter as a person who would be "adversely affected and aggrieved by the proposed ruling" and requested an exemption for religious use if DEA did place 5-MeO-DMT in Schedule I "as an attempt to define and clarify some legal issues."
On September 29 and 30, 2009, the DEA posted the Supporting & Related Materials for the NPRM while retaining the September 21, 2009 Due date for comments.
On October 28, 2009 DEA reopened the period for public comment because it had not posted two Supporting & Related Materials documents online during the original period for public comment. Documents and comments were split between Docket ID: DEA-2009-0008 and Docket ID: DEA-2009-0013 in a manner which creates difficulty and in viewing all documents and determining where and how to submit comments online. The two Supporting & Related Materials documents were not posted to Docket ID: DEA-2009-0013 until November 3, 2009 but the 30 day period for public comment was not changed from November 27, 2009.
5-MeO-DMT has been added to Schedule I, effective Jan 19, 2011. This means it is illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, or distribute (sell, trade or give) without a DEA license.
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...
tryptamine
Tryptamine
Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It is based around the indole ring structure, and is chemically related to the amino acid tryptophan, from which its name is derived...
. It is found in a wide variety of plant and psychoactive toad
Psychoactive toad
Psychoactive toad is a name used for toads from which psychoactive substances from the family of bufotoxins can be derived. The skin and poison of Bufo alvarius contain 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin. Other species contain only bufotenin. 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin both belong to the family of...
species and, like its close relatives DMT
Dimethyltryptamine
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound of the tryptamine family. DMT is found in several plants, and also in trace amounts in humans and other mammals, where it is originally derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, and ultimately produced by the enzyme INMT...
and bufotenin
Bufotenin
Bufotenin , or 5-hydroxy-dimethyltryptamine , is a tryptamine related to the neurotransmitter serotonin...
(5-OH-DMT), it has been used as an entheogen
Entheogen
An entheogen , in the strict sense, is a psychoactive substance used in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Historically, entheogens were mostly derived from plant sources and have been used in a variety of traditional religious contexts...
by South American shamans
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
for thousands of years.
Chemistry
5-MeO-DMT was first synthesized in 1936, and in 1959 it was isolated as one of the psychoactive ingredients of Anadenanthera peregrina seeds used in preparing yopoYopo
"Ebene" redirects here. For the city in Mauritius, see Ebene City.Anadenanthera peregrina, also known as Yopo, Jopo, Cohoba, Mopo, Nopo, Parica or Calcium Tree, is a perennial tree of the Anadenanthera genus native to the Caribbean and South America. It grows up to 20 m tall, having a thorny bark...
snuff. It was once believed to be a major component of the psychoactive effects of the snuff. It occurs in many organisms that contain bufotenin
Bufotenin
Bufotenin , or 5-hydroxy-dimethyltryptamine , is a tryptamine related to the neurotransmitter serotonin...
(e) (5-hydroxy-DMT), and is the O-methyl analogue
Analog (chemistry)
In chemistry, a structural analog , also known as chemical analog or simply analog, is a compound having a structure similar to that of another one, but differing from it in respect of a certain component. It can differ in one or more atoms, functional groups, or substructures, which are replaced...
of that compound.
History
Traditionally 5-MeO-DMT has been used in psychedelicPsychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
snuff made from virola
Virola
Virola, also known as Epená, Patricá, or Cumala, is a genus of medium-sized trees native to the South American rainforest and closely related to other Myristicaceae, such as nutmeg...
bark resin, and may be a trace constituent of ayahuasca
Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is any of various psychoactive infusions or decoctions prepared from the Banisteriopsis spp. vine, usually mixed with the leaves of dimethyltryptamine-containing species of shrubs from the Psychotria genus...
when plants such as Diplopterys cabrerana
Diplopterys cabrerana
Diplopterys cabrerana is a South American rainforest vine, commonly known as Chaliponga, Chagropanga and, in parts of Ecuador, Chacruna...
are used as an admixture. 5-MeO-DMT is also found in the venom of the Colorado River toad
Colorado River Toad
The Colorado River toad, Bufo alvarius, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is a psychoactive toad found in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States...
(Bufo alvarius), although there is no direct evidence this was used as a hallucinogen until recent times.
Religious use
5-MeO-DMT is a sacrament of the Church of the Tree of Life. From approximately 1971 to the late 1980s 5-MeO-DMT was discreetly available to members of the Church of the Tree of Life from Inner Center and after 1986 was also available to some other religious groups from Inner Center. Between 1970 and 1990 smoking of 5-MeO-DMT on parsley was probably one of the two most common forms of ingestion in the United States. A member of the Church of the Tree of Life estimates there were less than 6000 active members in 1979.Use and effects
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
in its purified form, 5-MeO-DMT is smoked, insufflated, or injected and is active at a dose of as little as 2 mg. 5-MeO-DMT is also active orally, when taken with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, but according to numerous reports, the combination with MAOI is extremely unpleasant and has a strong body load
Body load
Body load is a term used to describe specific tactile sensations brought on by psychoactive drugs, especially psychedelics. Generally, body load is an unpleasant physical sensation that is difficult to describe either in terms of other sensations or in its specific location. Nausea may be present...
. According to the researcher Jonathan Ott
Jonathan Ott
Jonathan Ott is an ethnobotanist, writer, translator, publisher, natural products chemist and botanical researcher in the area of entheogens and their cultural and historical uses, and helped coin the term "entheogen".-Writings:...
, 5-MeO-DMT is active orally with doses over 30 mg without aid of an MAOI.
The onset of effects occurs within seconds after smoking/injecting, or minutes after insufflating, and the experience is sometimes described as similar to a near-death experience. Peak effects last for approximately 5–10 minutes when smoked. When insufflated, the peak effects are considerably less intense, but last for 15–25 minutes on average.
Although similar in many respects to its close relatives DMT
Dimethyltryptamine
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound of the tryptamine family. DMT is found in several plants, and also in trace amounts in humans and other mammals, where it is originally derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan, and ultimately produced by the enzyme INMT...
and bufotenin
Bufotenin
Bufotenin , or 5-hydroxy-dimethyltryptamine , is a tryptamine related to the neurotransmitter serotonin...
(5-OH-DMT), the effects are typically not as visual. Some users report experiencing no visual effects from it even at very high doses.
Some report the effects to be unpleasant causing nausea and the feeling of being "sat on by an elephant".
Erowid
Erowid
Erowid, also called The Vaults of Erowid, is an online library of information about psychoactive plants and chemicals and other topics on altered states of consciousness such as meditation and lucid dreaming. It provides information about legal and illegal substances, including their desired and...
lists the following effects for smoked 5-MeO-DMT:
Positive
- immersive experiences
- powerful "rushing" sensation
- radical perspective shifting
- profound life-changing spiritualSpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
experiences - some people experience erotic / sensual enhancement
- occasional euphoriaEuphoria (emotion)Euphoria is medically recognized as a mental and emotional condition in which a person experiences intense feelings of well-being, elation, happiness, ecstasy, excitement and joy...
- internal visions (actual visual effects not as common)
Neutral
- short duration
- change in perception of time
- experience of "the voidShunyataŚūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...
" - lack of memoryMemoryIn psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
of experience - muscleMuscleMuscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
jerking, twitchingMuscle contractionMuscle fiber generates tension through the action of actin and myosin cross-bridge cycling. While under tension, the muscle may lengthen, shorten, or remain the same...
, abnormal vocalizations - unconsciousness / nonresponsiveness lasting 5–20 minutes
- dissociation
Negative
- overly intense experiences, Fear, Dysphoria, Panic
- nausea
- sense of pressure in the body
- difficulty integrating experiences
- fast onset and intensity can lead to problems if not prepared (dropped pipe, knocking things over, falling & hitting head, etc.)
Denmark
As of December 1, 2004, 5-MeO-DMT is legally restricted to "medical or scientific purposes". See EMCDDA.Germany
Schedule I / Highest level of control, unable to be prescribed, manufactured, or possessed as of Sep, 1999. (listed as [2-(5-Methoxyindol-3-yl)ethyl]dimethylazan)Greece
5-MeO-DMT became a controlled substance in Greece on Feb 18, 2003 [EU Legal Database].US Federal Law
On August 21, 2009, the Drug Enforcement AdministrationDrug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to initiate placing 5-MeO-DMT into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act was enacted into law by the Congress of the United States as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain...
(the most restrictive category). Comment DEA-2009-0008-0007.1 requested a 180 day extension of the period for public comment and requests for hearings, objected to the proposed rule on multiple grounds including Constitutional issues, identified the submitter as a person who would be "adversely affected and aggrieved by the proposed ruling" and requested an exemption for religious use if DEA did place 5-MeO-DMT in Schedule I "as an attempt to define and clarify some legal issues."
On September 29 and 30, 2009, the DEA posted the Supporting & Related Materials for the NPRM while retaining the September 21, 2009 Due date for comments.
On October 28, 2009 DEA reopened the period for public comment because it had not posted two Supporting & Related Materials documents online during the original period for public comment. Documents and comments were split between Docket ID: DEA-2009-0008 and Docket ID: DEA-2009-0013 in a manner which creates difficulty and in viewing all documents and determining where and how to submit comments online. The two Supporting & Related Materials documents were not posted to Docket ID: DEA-2009-0013 until November 3, 2009 but the 30 day period for public comment was not changed from November 27, 2009.
5-MeO-DMT has been added to Schedule I, effective Jan 19, 2011. This means it is illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, or distribute (sell, trade or give) without a DEA license.
See also
- 4-MeO-DMT4-MeO-DMT4-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine , is a tryptamine derivative which has some central activity in animal tests similar to that of related hallucinogenic tryptamine drugs, although with significantly lower potency than either 5-MeO-DMT or 4-hydroxy-DMT...
- 5-MeO-AMT5-MeO-AMT5-MeO-AMT or 5-methoxy-α-methyltryptamine, α,O-Dimethylserotonin is a potent psychedelic tryptamine. It is soluble in alcohol.-Pharmacology:...
- 5-MeO-DIPT5-MeO-DIPT5-methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine is a tryptamine psychedelic used as a recreational drug under the street names "foxy" and "foxy methoxy". 5-MeO-DiPT is orally active, and dosages between 6–20 mg are commonly reported. Many users note an unpleasant body load accompanies higher dosages...
- 5-EtO-DMT
- Bufotenin (5-HO-DMT)BufoteninBufotenin , or 5-hydroxy-dimethyltryptamine , is a tryptamine related to the neurotransmitter serotonin...
- DimemebfeDimemebfeDimemebfe is a compound which acts as an agonist for the 5-HT1A and 5-HT2 family of serotonin receptors. It is related in structure to the hallucinogenic tryptamine derivative 5-MeO-DMT, but with the indole nitrogen replaced by oxygen, making dimemebfe a benzofuran derivative...
- List of entheogens