mCPP

Description

mCPP is a phenylpiperazine that has been sold as, or found in, tablets passed off as ecstasy. It is a non-selective serotonin receptor agonist and serotonin releaser, and it is also the active metabolite of the antidepressants trazodone and nefazodone. It has never been licensed as a medicine in its own right.

Although it was marketed as an MDMA alternative, it is generally described by people who have taken it as unpleasant, with anxiety, nausea, headache and a heavy comedown more common than euphoria or empathy. In human trials it did not produce the rewarding effects seen with MDMA and amphetamine.

It entered the European ecstasy market in the mid-2000s. In the Netherlands it was found in roughly one in eight tablets sold as ecstasy at the peak, and in about 9% of tablets tested in 2006. It has been reported far less often since then, and the main concerns in current UK drug checking are very high-strength MDMA tablets.

Pharmacology

The piperazines are a large chemical family. Recreational compounds fall into two groups: the benzylpiperazines (BZP and relatives), which are weak amphetamine-like stimulants, and the phenylpiperazines (mCPP, TFMPP, MeOPP and others). mCPP belongs to the second group, and the two groups act quite differently.

mCPP binds many serotonin receptors and the serotonin transporter. Its strongest actions are at 5-HT2C and 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C appears to drive its distinctive subjective effect. It also inhibits serotonin reuptake, acts as a serotonin releaser, and binds alpha-2 adrenoceptors. Unlike MDMA and BZP it has little effect on the dopamine system, which helps explain why it feels so different from MDMA.

mCPP has been given to humans for decades as a probe of serotonin function in psychiatric research, and its anorectic effect fed into the development of selective 5-HT2C agonists. There is however, limited is research on recreational use.

After an oral dose of 0.5 mg/kg in volunteers, peak blood level came at about 3 hours and the elimination half-life was about 4 hours. Across studies the half-life is reported as roughly 3 to 16 hours. Excessive serotonergic stimulation can cause serotonin syndrome (see Harm reduction). A forensic case report describes a fatal cardiorespiratory arrest in a man with asthma after about 20 mg, so respiratory disease is a recognised risk factor.

Harm Reduction

• Serotonergic Syndrome- This is an adverse drug reaction to serotonergic drugst. It can occur as a consequence of normal therapeutic drug use, repeated high dose use of serotonin boosting drugs, self-poisoning and drug interactions. The syndrome is the consequence of excessive stimulation of the central nervous system and peripheral serotonin receptors. There is a wide spectrum of illness ranging from barely noticeable minor symptoms such as tremors and malaise, autonomic behaviours to life-threatening acute illness.
• Similar to tips for ecstasy use:
  • You should avoid using these substances if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, epilepsy (or family history of epilepsy), diabetes or liver problems. Take advice if you are unsure.
  • Taking serotonergic pills and dancing in hot clubs can cause dehydration and overheating. Non-alcoholic drinks such as water or isotonic drinks help to prevent this. However, it can be dangerous to drink too much fluid. It is therefore advisable to sip one pint of non-alcoholic liquid (not more) per hour.
  • Regular rests from dancing will also reduce the risks of dehydration and overheating.
  • It is advisable that only a quarter of a pill (if in pill form) is taken first in order to try and determine the potency. Wait for up to 2 hours before re-dosing. If in a powdered form, again only take very little and wait at least 2 hours before considering re-dosing.
  • Avoid combining with antidepressants like MAOIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, trazodone and nefazodone. These add to mCPP's serotonergic effect, and fluoxetine, paroxetine and bupropion also raise mCPP levels by blocking CYP2D6.

History

mCPP has long been made industrially as a chemical building block for antidepressants such as trazodone and nefazodone, and is available commercially as the base or hydrochloride salt. Pharmacological studies of it as a serotonin agonist date from the late 1970s onward.

Recreational use was first picked up in the Netherlands in 2004 by the Dutch drug-checking service (DIMS), at first in tablets containing mCPP alone and from late 2005 in tablets containing both mCPP and MDMA. European monitoring recorded a tenfold rise in seizures in 2006 compared with the year before, including more than 13 kg of powder, and mCPP made up about 9% of tablets sold as ecstasy and tested in the Netherlands that year. It was also sold online as a supposedly legal alternative to MDMA. As a street drug it has faded since then, with several European countries controlling it.

Law

• Class C
• Schedule 1

Possible offences

• Possession
  • Maximum sentence – 2 years/fine/both
• Possession With Intent To Supply
  • Maximum sentence – 14 years/fine/both
• Supply (including being concerned in supply, conspiracy to supply, aggravated supply and offer to supply)
  • Maximum sentence – 14 years/fine/both
• Production
  • Maximum sentence – 14 years/fine/both

In practice maximum sentences are rarely used, for more detailed and accurate information go to our sentencing page.