JWH-251 (1-pentyl-3-(2-methylphenylacetyl)indole) is a

synthetic cannabinoid Synthetic cannabinoids are a class of designer drug molecules that bind to the same receptors to which cannabinoids ( THC, CBD and many others) in cannabis plants attach. These novel psychoactive substances should not be confused with synthe ...

from the phenylacetylindole family, which acts as a

cannabinoid agonist Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant primarily and most animal organisms (although insects lack such receptors) or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tet ...

with about five times selectivity for CB₁ with a K_i of 29 nM and 146 nM at CB₂. Similar to the related 2'-methoxy compound JWH-250, the 2'-

chloro Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is ...

compound JWH-203, and the 2'- bromo compound JWH-249, JWH-251 has a

phenyl In organic chemistry, the phenyl group, or phenyl ring, is a cyclic group of atoms with the formula C6 H5, and is often represented by the symbol Ph. Phenyl group is closely related to benzene and can be viewed as a benzene ring, minus a hydrogen ...

acetyl In organic chemistry, acetyl is a functional group with the chemical formula and the structure . It is sometimes represented by the symbol Ac (not to be confused with the element actinium). In IUPAC nomenclature, acetyl is called ethanoyl, ...

group in place of the naphthoyl ring used in most aminoalkylindole cannabinoid compounds. In the United States, all CB₁ receptor agonists of the 3-phenylacetylindole class such as JWH-251 are Schedule I Controlled Substances.

References

JWH cannabinoids Phenylacetylindoles Designer drugs CB1 receptor agonists CB2 receptor agonists {{Cannabinoid-stub