Methoxetamine Information
Methoxetamine (MXE) or 3-MeO-2-Oxo-PCE is a chemical of the arylcyclohexylamine class which has been sold as a designer drug.[1] It is a derivative of ketamine that also contains structural features of eticyclidine and 3-MeO-PCP. Methoxetamine is thought to behave as a NMDA receptor antagonist and dopamine reuptake inhibitor, though it has not been formally profiled pharmacologically.[2] Methoxetamine differs from many other dissociative anesthetics of the arylcyclohexylamine class in that it was designed for grey market distribution.[3] Methoxetamine is a product of rational drug design: its N-ethyl group was chosen to increase potency.[3]
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Emergence
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which monitors the internet for new psychoactive substances within the European Union, first identified methoxetamine in November 2010.[1] By July 2011, they had identified 58 websites selling the compound, at a cost of 145–195 euros for 10 grams.[4]
Effects
It is reported to have similar desirable and unwanted effects to ketamine, although some users have reported that the unwanted effects last longer than for ketamine.[5] Nothing is known about the potential toxicity of methoxetamine, but people have been hospitalized in the US and UK after using it recreationally.[2][6] It has been marketed as "bladder friendly", referencing the bladder damage associated with chronic ketamine use, but further scientific research is required to determine whether this is the case.[6][7] From the limited information available based on user reports on internet discussion forums, toxicologists have stated it has "potential to be associated with significant acute harm/toxicity if used as a recreational drug."[5]
Legal status
Methoxetamine powder- MXE is not included in the UK's Misuse of Drugs Act.[8]
- MXE has been a controlled substance in Russia since October 2011[9] and in Switzerland since December 2011.[10]
- In March 2012, the Home Office referred MXE to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for possible temporary controlling.[11] The ACMD will give advice by April 2nd 2012.[12]
Media coverage
Mixmag reported in January 2012, that people in the dance music and clubbing community have given methoxetamine the slang name 'roflcoptr'.[13] Vice commented that it was likely that the phrase will only be used by "the same politicians, parents and journalists" who called mephedrone 'meow meow'.[14]
On march 6th 2012, methoxetamine has been referred to the UK parliament's drugs advisers in a bid to impose a temporary banning order. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has up to 20 working days to recommend whether the substance should be banned under a temporary drug class order, which would see it made illegal for 12 months. If banned, the advisers would then consider whether it should be placed under permanent control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [15]
A literature review was published in March 2012 which looked at scientific literature and information on the web. It concluded that "the online availability of information on novel psychoactive drugs, such as methoxethanine, may constitute a pressing public health challenge. Better international collaboration levels and novel forms of intervention are necessary to tackle this fast-growing phenomenon."[16]
See also
References
- ^ a b c EMCDDA Annual Report 2010 (Report). European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. 2010. http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_132857_EN_EMCDDA-Europol%20Annual%20Report%202010A.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
- ^ a b Ward, J.; Rhyee, S.; Plansky, J. (2011). "Methoxetamine: A novel ketamine analog and growing health-care concern". Clinical Toxicology: 1. doi:10.3109/15563650.2011.617310.
- ^ a b Morris, H. (2011-02-11). "Interview with a ketamine chemist: or to be more precise, an arylcyclohexylamine chemist". Vice Magazine. http://www.viceland.com/int/v18n2/htdocs/interview-with-ketamine-chemist-704.php?page=1. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
- ^ Online sales of new psychoactive substances/‘legalhighs’: Summary of results from the 2011 multilingual snapshots (Report). European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. 2011-11-15. http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_143801_EN_SnapshotSummary.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
- ^ a b Wood, D. M.; Davies, S.; Calapis, A.; Ramsey, J.; Dargan, P. I. (2011). "Novel drugs--novel branding". QJM. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcr191.
- ^ a b Wood, DM; Davies, S, Puchnarewicz, M, Johnston, A, Dargan, PI (2011). "Acute toxicity associated with the recreational use of the ketamine derivative methoxetamine.". European journal of clinical pharmacology. PMID 22205276.
- ^ Max Daly and Peter Simonson (November 2011). "Street drug trends survey 2011". Drugscope. http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Publications/StreetDrugsSurvey2011.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
- ^ Poppy McPherson (2012-02-13). "Health alert over drug sold as 'safe ketamine'". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/health-alert-over-drug-sold-as-safe-ketamine-6804824.html. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation on October 6, 2011 N 822". http://www.rg.ru/2011/10/19/narko-dok.html. Retrieved 2012-02-20. (Russian)
- ^ "Ordinance on the lists of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, precursors and auxiliary chemicals". http://www.admin.ch/dokumentation/gesetz/00068/index.html?lang=de&download=NHzLpZeg7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1acy4Zn4Z2qZpnO2Yuq2Z6gpJCDeHx2gWym162epYbg2c_JjKbNoKSn6A--. Retrieved 2012-02-20. (German)
- ^ http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/news/mexxy
- ^ http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/alcohol-drugs/drugs/methoxetamine-referral
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (2012-01-18). "Methoxetamine is a new chemical analogue of ketamine. It's legal, it's cheap and it's trippy as hell - but is it safe?". London, UK: Mixmag. p. 60.
- ^ Alex Miller (2011-02-11). "We Interviewed the Inventor of Roflcoptr, the New Drug Britain's Panicking About". Vice Magazine. http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/we-interviewed-the-man-who-invented-roflecoptr. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ^ . http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/bid-to-ban-safe-drug-methoxetamine-after-deaths-7542175.html.
- ^ Corazza, O.; Schifano, F.; Simonato, P.; Fergus, S.; Assi, S.; Stair, J.; Corkery, J.; Trincas, G. et al (2012). "Phenomenon of new drugs on the Internet: The case of ketamine derivative methoxetamine". Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 27 (2): 145. doi:10.1002/hup.1242.
External links
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