Dun more research n yea u are right!
Not to be confused with methedrine, methedrone, methadone, or methylone.
Mephedrone (2-methylamino-1-p-tolylpropane-1-one) [2], also known as 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC) or 4-methylephedrone, is a stimulant and entactogen drug of the phenethylamine, amphetamine, and cathinone chemical classes. It is sometimes sold as "plant food" online, is reported to be contained in some legal highs and is sometimes sold mixed with methylone, also known as “Bubbles”,[3] "miaow miaow", or MMCAT.[4]
It has been reported that manufacturers are making "huge amounts of money" from selling the drug.[5]
Appearance
Mephedrone is most commonly sold as a white powder or crystal form or capsules containing the powder.[6] It can also be found in pill form.
History
The Pyschonaut Research Project, an EU organisation that searches the internet for information regarding new drugs, first identified mephedrone in 2008. Their research suggests that the drug first became available in 2007.[4] The drug was used in early products, such as Neodoves pills, by the legal high company Neorganics, but the range was discontinued in January 2008 after the government of Israel, where the company is based, made mephedrone illegal. It has been reported to be sold as a designer drug,[7] but little is known about its pharmacology or toxicology as of yet. Mephedrone has recently been reported as having been sold as "ecstasy" in the Australian city of Cairns, along with ethylcathinone,[8][9][10] and has also been reported in Europe and the United States.[11][12] It is reportedly currently manufactured in China.[13]
Effects
Intended effects
According to the company Crew2000, intended effects include increased alertness, euphoria, excitement, feeling of stimulation, urge to talk, and openness.[3]
Side effects
According to the Darlington Drug and Alcohol Action Team it can cause nose bleeds, nose burns, hallucinations, blood circulation problems, rashes, anxiety, paranoia, fits and delusions.[1] According to the company Crew2000, other problems may include poor concentration, poor short-term memory, tachycardia, palpitations, anxiety, depression, hyperhidrosis, mydriasis, trismus, and bruxism.[3]
Long-term effects
The BBC News reported that one person who used the drug regularly for 18 months had to be admitted to a psychiatric unit after he started experiencing hallucinations, agitation, excitability and mania.[14] Due to the short history of the use of mephedrone, nothing is known about long-term effects.
Typical usage and consumption
The Guardian reported that some users compulsively redose, consuming their whole supply when they only meant to use a small dose.[15]
Toxicity
At present, very little is known about the toxicity of 4-methylmethcathinone. Reported side effects suggest it may cause pronounced peripheral vasoconstriction, which has been speculated to result from formation of the potent vasoconstrictor 4-methylephedrine as a metabolite,[2] a compound known to have significantly more cardiovascular toxicity than ephedrine itself.[16] Reports of addiction and problematic use have also emerged.
Deaths
On December 14, 2008, an 18-year-old Swedish woman died in Stockholm after taking mephedrone in combination with other drugs. The 18-year-old and some friends took the substance in combination with cannabis on the night of Friday, 12 December. An ambulance was soon called to Bandhagen after the girl went into convulsions and turned blue in the face, Svenska Dagbladet reports.[17] Mephedrone was scheduled to be classified as a "dangerous substance" in Sweden even before the girl's death at Karolinska University Hospital on Sunday, 14 December, but the death brought much more media attention to the drug. The handling of mephedrone became classified as a criminal offence in Sweden on Monday 15 December (2008).[18]
Legal status
United Kingdom: Mephedrone/4MMC is currently not covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; psychiatrists have lobbied for it to be banned.[13] It is, however, an offense to sell it for human consumption. On the 20th of November 2009 it was announced by county Durham police that anyone found in possession of mephedrone will be arrested on suspicion of being in possession of an illegal substance such as cocaine or amphetamines.[1]
