Novel Psychoactive Substances

Novel Psychoactive Substances

This section provides information on emerging and poorly characterized psychoactive substances, with a focus on compounds that appear in unregulated or rapidly changing drug markets.

Human evidence varies sharply across this collection. Some substances have little to no controlled clinical data, while others—such as 2C-B—have controlled human studies but still have important toxicology, product-identity, and long-term safety gaps. The content here keeps those evidence levels separate instead of treating every NPS as equally studied or equally risky.

For dependence, withdrawal, opioid-pharmacology, and treatment-context questions, start with the broader Substance Use, Dependence & Harm Reduction evidence hub.

Important Context

• A significant number of novel psychoactive substances have little to no controlled human clinical data.
• Having controlled human data does not establish broad real-world safety, especially when product identity, co-exposures, or long-term effects remain uncertain.
• Product composition in unregulated markets can be inconsistent or mislabeled.
• The absence of robust human safety data does not indicate that a substance is low-risk.
• Receptor potency, product potency, dependence risk, and clinical treatment evidence are separate questions.
• This section is intended to support informed decision-making and harm reduction, not to encourage use.

Human-evidence reference point: 2C-B

2C-B is useful as a contrast with much thinner NPS evidence bases because controlled human studies document acute psychedelic, cognitive, cardiovascular, and pharmacokinetic effects. Its page also covers poison-center data, rare severe toxicity, and the fact that modern “tusi” or “pink cocaine” products often do not contain 2C-B. That stronger acute evidence does not resolve long-term safety or make unregulated products predictable.

Key Articles

• Substance Use, Dependence & Harm Reduction evidence hub
• 2C-B: Human Evidence, Risks, Pharmacology & What We Still Don't Know
• Tianeptine: Opioid Activity, Dependence, Withdrawal, and U.S. Safety Evidence
• Mitragynine evidence review
• 7-Hydroxymitragynine evidence review
• MGM-15 / Dihydro-7-Hydroxymitragynine evidence review
• Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl evidence review
• Corynoxine B: Opioid Activity, Addiction Relevance, and Safety Evidence
• The Rise of Novel Psychoactive Substances in 2026
• Kratom-Derived Semi-Synthetic Opioids: What's Actually Happening
• 7-Hydroxymitragynine vs MGM-15 vs Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl
• Harm Reduction Considerations for Kratom-Derived Semi-Synthetic Opioids

This section will be updated as new information becomes available.