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Is 5-MeO-DMT a "research chemical"?
Q: I noticed that Erowid doesn't label 5-MeO-DMT with the "research chemical" designation. Is this an oversight, or is it the truth? As far as I knew it was a research chemical
like 5-MeO-DiPT is.

A: The term 'research chemical' is a somewhat arbitrary one which first started being used a few years ago. It is intended to point out specifically those psychoactive chemicals which people choose to ingest despite the fact that they have been used by a relatively small number of people and have very little information available about their pharmacology or safety.



5-MeO-DMT has been around for much longer than most of the chemicals which are labelled as research chemicals. It has been used for its psychoactive properties (as a part of plant based shamanic snuffs in the Amazon and Haiti) since at least 1495. It was first synthesized in 1931 and has been found naturally ocurring in both plants and animals. Because of 5-MeO-DMT's long history of use, Erowid does not categorize it as a research chemical.



Many vendors seem to group any semi-legal psychoactive chemical under the "research chemical" category, but that is not how the term was originally intended, nor do I think it's a particularly useful grouping.



The way we conceive of the research chemical category is that over time, eventually chemicals would move OUT of the category. If a chemical stays around for enough years and sees enough use and study that the risks and benefits become more known...it will no longer be considered a research chemical.



Hope that helps.



peace,

fire

Asked By : Anonymous
Answered By : fire
Published Date : 3 / 6 / 2003
Last Edited Date : 3 / 6 / 2003
Question ID : 3039

Categories: [ Chemicals ]



Ask Erowid v1.7 - Jul, 2005

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