yellow2 → orange2 → red2 → brown2 → yellow2
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Cathinone
Cathinone is a monoamine alkaloid that occurs naturally in the khat plant1. It produces amphetamine-like stimulant effects2, including stimulation2, mood lift2, and increased cardiovascular activity2, and khat has long been chewed socially to reduce fatigue and hunger.3 Substituted cathinones are synthetic beta-keto phenethylamine derivatives chemically related to the parent compound cathinone1. Cathinone degrades into cathine during storage.4
Dosage & Duration
Dosage
Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.
Moderate30-60 mg
Duration
Total2-4 hours
Subjective Effects
Subjective Effects not written up yet
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
Cathinone primarily acts as a monoamine releasing agent, increasing dopamine and norepinephrine release and also inhibiting their reuptake, thereby activating central and peripheral catecholaminergic pathways. Dopamine is the main mediator of its central activity, while norepinephrine contributes substantially to peripheral adrenergic effects. Serotonergic activity is weaker and includes increased serotonin release or reduced SERT function, with limited evidence that it contributes substantially to human effects. Cathinone also shows weak agonism at TAAR1 and low-level monoamine oxidase inhibition, reported to favor MAO-B over MAO-A.
Pharmacokinetics
After khat chewing, cathinone is absorbed through the buccal mucosa and from the stomach and small intestine, with peak plasma concentrations reported about 1.5 to 3.5 hours after dosing or approximately 2.3 hours in a separate model. It undergoes substantial hepatic keto reduction to aminoalcohol metabolites, principally cathine and norephedrine, and only a small fraction is excreted unchanged in urine. Reported elimination half-lives vary from approximately 1.5 ± 0.8 hours to about 4 hours, with a reported range of 90 to 260 minutes; the mean residence time has been reported as 5.2 ± 3.4 hours.
Interactions
Interactions not written up yet
An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.
Tolerance
Tolerance not written up yet
Harm Potential
Addiction & Dependence
Psychological
Chronic khat chewing can produce drug dependence5; animal studies showed increasing lever pressing to obtain cathinone as dependence developed.
Physical
Reported withdrawal symptoms include hot flashes, lethargy, and a strong urge to reuse the drug during at least the first two days after stopping.
Toxicity
Khat or cathinone use has been associated with fatalities and medical emergencies, but no human lethal-dose estimate is provided.
Cathinone reliably causes vasoconstriction, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure; overdose, high-dose or frequent use, and susceptibility increase the risk of arrhythmias, myocardial injury or infarction, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, and pulmonary edema.
In Swiss albino male mice, intraperitoneal administration of cathinone hydrochloride once daily for 15 days generated oxidative stress in limbic brain areas and altered antioxidant enzymes, glutathione, and lipid peroxidation7; heavy long-term use has been associated with impaired working memory and cognitive flexibility.
Long-term cathinone use can include gum disease or oral cancer.
Long-term cathinone use can include oral cancer.
Psychosis Risk
Manic states and stimulant psychosis can occur, especially with heavy acute or chronic use, and are described as uncommon. Reported psychotic symptoms include persecutory delusions, auditory hallucinations, fear, and anxiety.
History & Culture
Early cultivation and historical accounts
Khat, the plant through which cathinone was traditionally consumed, was cultivated in the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years. Its origins were disputed.8 Ethiopia was commonly proposed as its place of origin, with subsequent spread to…
Legality
International
Schedule 1
By Country
Illegal3
United StatesIllegalUnder United States federal law, cathinone has been listed among the Schedule I stimulants in 21 C.F.R. § 1308.11(f) since February 16, 1993. The listing covers any quantity of cathinone, including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, unless specifically excepted or listed in another schedule. Unauthorized possession, manufacture, distribution, dispensing, and possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense are unlawful.
CanadaIllegalCathinone, as (-)-alpha-aminopropiophenone, and its salts are listed in Schedule III, item 19 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The Act prohibits unauthorized possession, trafficking, possession for trafficking, import, export, and production of Schedule III substances. Although Schedule 4, item 22 of the Controlled Substances Regulations also lists cathinone and its salts, those Regulations do not come into force until October 1, 2026.
United KingdomIllegalCathinone is listed in Schedule 1 to The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, which came into force on 1 February 2002. It is also named as a Class C drug in Schedule 2 Part III of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Possession, production, and supply are unlawful, subject to regulations and other statutory exceptions.
References
Citations
Further Reading
Article Status
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