# 2C-P
**2C-P** (2,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylphenethylamine) is a synthetic hallucinogenic phenethylamine of the so-called 2C series, a family of recreational designer drugs in which a primary amine is separated from a 2,5-dimethoxy-substituted benzene ring by two carbon atoms and the 4-position carries a hydrophobic substituent, in this case an n-propyl group.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X) • [2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25120185/) It is active at doses of a few milligrams and produces effects lasting 10 to 16 hours, among the longest durations in the 2C series.[3](https://erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal036.shtml)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chemical identity | 2,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylphenethylamine; 2C-series phenethylamine with an n-propyl group at the 4-position of the ring[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X) |
| Active dose and duration | 6–10 mg orally, with effects lasting 10–16 hours (PiHKAL entry #36)[3](https://erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal036.shtml) |
| First monitoring report | First reported to the EMCDDA in 2005, after 2C-D and 2C-E in 2004[4](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073812003416) |
| Documented intoxication | Five men aged 17–21 with mydriasis, severe agitation, confusion, visual hallucinations, sinus tachycardia and high blood pressure; all recovered[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X) |
| Pharmacology | Interacts with serotonergic 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptors and rat TAAR1, with most Ki and EC50 values below 1 μM[5](https://edoc.unibas.ch/entities/publication/dbac9e0f-01b4-4c08-afee-b6406a4bc818) |
| Detection | Parent drug and metabolites detectable in urine by standard GC-MS and LC-MS(n) screening approaches[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25120185/) |
| Legal status | Controlled in the United States (DEA reference number 7524) and listed as a stupéfiant in France[6](https://www.co.coos.or.us/media/57461) • [7](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000533085/2026-03-10) |
## Origin and the 2C series
The 2C compounds are analogs of mescaline popularized by the chemist [Alexander Shulgin](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-shulgin)'s book *PiHKAL: Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved* (1991), which describes a phenethylamine backbone with methoxy groups at positions 2 and 5 of the aromatic ring and an alkyl, halo, or alkylthio substituent at position 4.[8](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073817300798) 2C-P appears as entry #36 in that book, where the reported dosage is 6 to 10 mg and the duration 10 to 16 hours.[3](https://erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal036.shtml) The name follows the series convention in which "2C" refers to the two carbon atoms between the ring and the amine and the letter denotes the 4-substituent, here P for propyl.[9](https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.2171)
Shulgin's self-experiment notes record a narrow margin between an adequate and an excessive dose: a single 16 mg dose was described as a clear overdose and a physical disaster, and the commentary concludes that individual titration would be most important with this compound.[3](https://erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal036.shtml)
## Pharmacology
The exact mechanism of the 2C compounds is unknown, but they show affinity for the 5-HT2 serotonin receptors.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X) In a systematic in vitro comparison, 2C-P and the other 2C drugs tested all interacted with 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C receptors and with rat TAAR1, with most binding and activation values below 1 μM.[5](https://edoc.unibas.ch/entities/publication/dbac9e0f-01b4-4c08-afee-b6406a4bc818) Animal work supports abuse liability: 2C-P produced conditioned place preference in a dose-dependent manner in mice and increased self-administration in rats.[10](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33515270/)
## Human intoxication cases
The first analytically documented case series appeared in 2015, from a French hospital toxicology group reporting five men aged 17 to 21 who ingested 2C-P as powder or liquid in a festive setting. Their major symptoms were mydriasis, severe agitation, confusion, visual hallucinations, sinus tachycardia, and high blood pressure, and the outcome was favorable for all five patients.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X) Toxicological analysis identified 2C-P as the main active substance in the urine of all five cases and in the plasma of only one case, at 20 μg/L, leading the authors to conclude that 2C-P is active at very low levels and that exposure should be confirmed by blood and urine analysis.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X) According to the French Monitoring Centre of Drugs and Drug Addiction, French police had first seized 2C-P in [Marseille](https://www.edgepedia.org/marseille) in August 2012, and no poisoning cases had been reported in the literature before this series.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X)
A Swiss emergency department case series included a 22-year-old man who reported dizziness after drinking about 3 liters of beer together with a tablet initially thought to contain MDMA but later found to contain 2C-P; because of the co-use of alcohol, the authors could not attribute the dizziness to 2C-P toxicity alone.[11](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4882845/)
## Metabolism and detection
In research conducted at Saarland University, the phase I and II metabolites of 2C-P were identified, and the suggested metabolic routes were: acetylation at nitrogen; deamination with subsequent reduction yielding the matching alcohol and oxidation giving carbonic acid; hydroxylation at one or two distinct sites; and removal of one or both O-methyl groups followed by glucuronidation, sulfation, or both, together with mixtures of these processes.[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25120185/) Proof of an intake of a common user's dose was possible with both standard urine screening approaches, GC-MS and LC-MS(n).[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25120185/) Published analytical methods for 2C-P in biological matrices include GC-MS in urine at 10.0 ng/mL and LC-MS/MS in blood, plasma, or serum at 25.0 ng/mL.[12](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9849320/)
## Legal status
In the United States, 2C-P appears in the DEA's *Drugs of Abuse* resource guide (2024 edition) with DEA reference number 7524.[6](https://www.co.coos.or.us/media/57461) In France, 2C-P (2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylphenethylamine, also named 1-(4-propyl-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-ethanamine) is on the list of substances classified as narcotics in the arrêté of 22 February 1990.[7](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000533085/2026-03-10) The 2015 French case report noted that at the time of writing there was no specific legislation or regulation for the compound in France.[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X)
## References
1. [Bretaudeau Deguigne M. et al. (2015). Report of five cases of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylphenethylamine (2C-P) intoxication following recreational use. Toxicologie Analytique et Clinique 27(2):99–104.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235200781500030X)
2. [Wink C.S.D., Meyer M.R., Braun T., Turcant A., Maurer H.H. (2015). Biotransformation and detectability of the designer drug 2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylphenethylamine (2C-P) studied in urine by GC-MS, LC-MS(n), and LC-high-resolution-MS(n). Anal Bioanal Chem 407(3):831–843.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25120185/)
3. [Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin, PiHKAL entry #36: 2C-P (Erowid online edition).](https://erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal036.shtml)
4. [Zuba D., Sekuła K., Buczek A. (2012). Identification and characterization of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitro-β-phenethylamine (2C-N) – a new member of the 2C-series of designer drugs. Forensic Science International.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073812003416)
5. [Rickli A. et al. (2015). Receptor interaction profiles of novel N-2-methoxybenzyl (NBOMe) derivatives of 2,5-dimethoxy-substituted phenethylamines (2C drugs). University of Basel repository.](https://edoc.unibas.ch/entities/publication/dbac9e0f-01b4-4c08-afee-b6406a4bc818)
6. [Drugs of Abuse: A DEA Resource Guide, 2024 Edition.](https://www.co.coos.or.us/media/57461)
7. [Arrêté du 22 février 1990 fixant la liste des substances classées comme stupéfiants, Légifrance.](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000533085/2026-03-10)
8. [Analysis of synthetic phenethylamine street drugs using direct sample analysis coupled to accurate mass time of flight mass spectrometry. Forensic Science International.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073817300798)
9. [Pasin D. et al. (2017). Characterization of hallucinogenic phenethylamines using high-resolution mass spectrometry for non-targeted screening purposes. Drug Testing and Analysis.](https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.2171)
10. [New designer phenethylamines 2C-C and 2C-P have abuse potential and induce neurotoxicity in rodents. PubMed.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33515270/)
11. [Presentations due to acute toxicity of psychoactive substances in an urban emergency department in Switzerland: a case series. PMC.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4882845/)
12. [Analysis of 2,5-dimethoxy-amphetamines and 2,5-dimethoxy-phenethylamines aiming their determination in biological matrices: a review. PMC.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9849320/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Physical world and mathematics › Chemistry › Organic substances › Amines and nitrogen functional groups › Psychoactive amine substance families › Phenethylamine substance families › 2C series (2,5-dimethoxy-4-substituted phenethylamines)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license