What is Methylone?

Methylone is a phenethylamine drug with similar effects to those of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as ecstasy. This chemical has been sold online as a plant food and in shops as a “room odorizer.” The drug is very similar, chemically, to MDMA. Methylone is classed as a “drug of abuse” in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark, and it is regulated for use in the United States on the grounds of its similarity to other illegal drugs.

The effects of methylone include an overwhelming sense of euphoria, increased talkativeness, sense of well-being and increased perception of sensory stimuli. The drug can also cause an increase in heart rate and body temperature, and it can cause the dilated pupils commonly associated with MDMA. Users of methylone can also experience side effects such as muscle tension around the jaw, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting and paranoia or fear. Along with this, there are other more vague effects, such as a noted “shift in perception” that is common from psychoactive drugs. Some users have also reported chest pains when taking methylone.

Methylone's effects begin to occur within 20 minutes and can last about two hours. There has not been a sufficient amount of research done into its effects to provide a definite timeline. The similarity to MDMA is generally given as an indicator of degree of its safety, and researchers have suggested that any side effect of MDMA can be assumed to be a side effect of methylone.

The issue of the legality of the substance has been uncertain in many countries. The reason for this is that although drug laws can ban identifiable substances, there are endless variations to the chemical makeup of drugs. These variations can render an otherwise illegal substance legal, or at least unclassified.

The full chemical name of methylone is 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone. Doses generally are 120-180 milligrams at a time, but many users report using “bump-doses” of 50-100 milligrams as the effects wear off. This is a potentially dangerous activity because of the uncertainty over the safety of methylone.