Mephedrone, methadrone, and methylone

meph, m-cat, MCAT, Miaow, miaew, 4-mmc, bubbles, white magic, plant feeder

What is it?

Mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) is a stimulant which is closely chemically related to amphetamines. Users report that mephedrone produces a similar experience to drugs like amphetamines, ecstasy or cocaine. Mephedrone is a white, off-white or yellowish powder which is usually snorted, but can also be swallowed in bombs (wraps of paper) and may also appear in pill or capsule form.

Mephedrone is probably the most well known of a group of drugs derived from cathinone (the same chemical found in the plant called khat) although two other compounds are also increasingly recognised on the market. These are methadrone and methylone. The effects of methadrone are said to be broadly similar to mephedrone, although methylone is said to give the user an experience more closely related to taking ecstasy.

Prevalence

It is not known how many people use mephedrone, methadrone, methylone or related cathinone derivatives in the UK. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the drugs have become popular among club-goers and among more general recreational drug users. Until the change in legislation, they were able to be bought freely on the internet and there was a significant number of websites selling mephedrone, methadrone and methylone. Usually, the websites advertised the products as ‘plant feeder’ or ‘not for human consumption’. This is because vendors were under the mistaken belief that this offered protection from prosecution under the Medicines Act. Neither mephedrone nor any of the cathinone derivatives have legitimate uses as fertiliser products.

Effects/risks

There is no significant clinical literature on the effects of mephedrone and the other cathinone derivatives currently gaining popularity on the drug scene, so we have to rely on anecdotal reports from users.

Many people who have used mephedrone and similar drugs report that their experiences are similar to taking amphetamines, ecstasy or cocaine, producing a sense of euphoria and wellbeing, with users becoming more alert, confident and talkative. People who have used methylone, which is closely chemically related to ecstasy, particularly report a feeling of empathy with those around them.

People who snort these substances can experience extremely sore nasal passages, throats and mouths, with burns or cuts caused by the chemicals sometimes leading to nose bleeds.

Like other stimulant drugs, the cathinone derivatives can have an impact on the heart. Some users report heart palpitations, or an irregular or racing heartbeat, which may last for some time after taking the drugs. Users can experience blurred vision, hot flushes and muscle tension, particularly in the jaw and face, and some people report that their fingers and other extremities have taken on a blueish pallor after using mephedrone.

As with other stimulants, the substances tend to act as appetite suppressants. Nausea and vomiting has been reported, particularly if mixed with other drugs such as alcohol or cannabis.

A particularly concerning feature of many reports about mephedrone use is that once users have started using the drugs in a particular session, it is very hard to stop, with compulsive use leading to a number of unpleasant side effects including insomnia, involuntary muscle clenching and hallucinations. In some cases, it seems, regular or heavy use may develop into psychological dependency.

Law

The parent drug of all these substances is cathinone, the active constituent in khat. Cathinone is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act as a Class C drug. Also controlled is methcathinone, under Class B because it is an analogue of methamphetamine (a Class A drug).

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was asked by the government to consider the harms associated with cathinone derivatives and whether they should be brought under the control of the Misuse of Drugs Act. On 29 March 2010, the ACMD recommended that mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives should be brought under the control of the Act as Class B drugs.

MPs passed legislation to ban mephedrone on 7 April 2010 and the House of Lords passed the legislation on 8 April. Mephedrone became a Class B drug from 16 April 2010.

Mephedrone is illegal in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Israel. As of the 22nd January 2010 it became a controlled drug in Germany.