25B-NBOMe (NBOMe-2C-B, Cimbi-36, Nova, BOM 2-CB) is a derivative of the

phenethylamine Phenethylamine (PEA) is an organic compound, natural monoamine alkaloid, and trace amine, which acts as a central nervous system stimulant in humans. In the brain, phenethylamine regulates monoamine neurotransmission by binding to trace amin ...

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

2C-B 2C-B (4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) is a psychedelic drug of the 2C family. It was first synthesized by Alexander Shulgin in 1974. In Shulgin's book '' PiHKAL'', the dosage range is listed as 12–24 mg. As a recreational drug, 2C-B is so ...

, discovered in 2004 by Ralf Heim at the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

. It acts as a potent

full agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...

for the 5HT_2A

receptor Receptor may refer to: * Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse *Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a ...

. Anecdotal reports from users suggest 25B-NBOMe to be an active hallucinogen at a dose of as little as 250–500

µg In the metric system, a microgram or microgramme is a unit of mass equal to one millionth () of a gram. The unit symbol is μg according to the International System of Units (SI); the recommended symbol in the United States and United Kingdom whe ...

, making it a similar potency to other phenethylamine derived hallucinogens such as Bromo-DragonFLY. Duration of effects lasts about 12–16 hours, although the parent compound is rapidly cleared from the blood when used in the radiolabeled form in tracer doses. Recently, Custodio et al (2019) evaluated the potential involvement of dysregulated dopaminergic system, neuroadaptation, and brain wave changes which may contribute to the rewarding and reinforcing properties of 25B-NBOMe in rodents. The carbon-11 labeled version of this compound ( sup>11Cimbi-36) was synthesized and validated as a

radioactive tracer A radioactive tracer, radiotracer, or radioactive label is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide so by virtue of its radioactive decay it can be used to explore the mechanism of chemical reactions by ...

for positron emission tomography (PET) in Copenhagen. As a 5-HT_2A receptor agonist PET radioligand, sup>11Cimbi-36 was hypothesized to provide a more functional marker of these receptors. Also, sup>11Cimbi-36 is investigated as a potential marker of serotonin release and thus could serve as an indicator of serotonin levels

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...

. sup>11Cimbi-36 is now undergoing clinical trials as a PET-ligand in humans.

Toxicity and harm potential

25B-NBOMe has been used in clinical trials with an evaluation dose for safety consideration to humans of only 1 microgram. Such a dose is only 1/300th the dose expected to be hallucinogenic to humans and it is expected that recreational use would greatly exceed doses determined to be safe to humans. One case has been reported on where 25B-NBOMe was identified as the cause of death for a 17-year-old male. The drug was also implicated in the death of an 18-year old male, however it was not reported whether the presence of the drug was confirmed postmortem. Several deaths have been attributed to its close analogue

25I-NBOMe 25I-NBOMe (2C-I-NBOMe, Cimbi-5, Smiles and also shortened to "25I") is a synthetic hallucinogen that is used in biochemistry research for mapping the brain's usage of the type 2A serotonin receptor; it is also sometimes used for recreational pu ...

Analogues and derivatives

Legal status

Canada

As of October 31, 2016; 25B-NBOMe is a controlled substance (Schedule III) in Canada.

Russia

Banned as a narcotic drug since May 5, 2015.

Sweden

In Sweden, the

Riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...

added 25B-NBOMe to schedule I ("substances, plant materials and fungi which normally do not have medical use") as narcotics in Sweden as of August 1, 2013, published by the

Medical Products Agency The Medical Products Agency (MPA; sv, Läkemedelsverket) is the government agency in Sweden responsible for regulation and surveillance of the development, manufacturing and sale of medicinal drugs, medical devices and cosmetics. Its task is al ...

in their regulation LVFS 2013:15 listed as ''25B-NBOMe 2-(4-bromo-2,5-dimetoxifenyl)-N-(2-metoxibensyl)etanamin''.

United Kingdom

United States

In November 2013, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration placed 25B-NBOMe (along with

and

25C-NBOMe 25C-NBOMe (NBOMe-2C-C, 2C-C-NBOMe, Cimbi-82) is a psychedelic drug and derivative of the psychedelic phenethylamine 2C-C. 25C-NBOMe appeared on online vendor sites in 2010 but was not reported in the literature until 2011. It acts as a potent ...

) in Schedule I of the

Controlled Substances Act The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the statute establishing federal government of the United States, federal drug policy of the United States, U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of ...

, making it illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, process, or distribute.

China

As of October 2015 25B-NBOMe is a controlled substance in China.

Czech Republic

25B-NBOMe is banned in the Czech Republic.

References

{{Hallucinogenic phenethylamines 2C (psychedelics) Designer drugs Bromoarenes PET radiotracers