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2C-B: The Forgotten Psychedelic That Could Be a Game-Changer

  • 14 January 2025
    Переглянуто: 170
The growing interest in psychedelics can be explained by the global increase in mental disorders and the search for new effective tools for their correction and healing. As is known, interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy arose back in the 1960s, but due to a number of bureaucratic restrictions, it did not receive the necessary attention or development. Today we will look at the history of a psychoactive compound that chemist Alexander Shulgin described in his scientific work as one of the most important results of his research activity.
During his life, Shulgin created more than 200 psychoactive substances, among which the most well-known are the 2C family of compounds (belonging to the category of tryptamines and phenethylamines). One of these psychedelics — 2C-B — is the focus of this article.
2C-B was synthesized in 1974 and was initially used in experimental psychiatry, but in the early 1980s, its recreational use became widespread, and in 1995 it was classified as a controlled substance. 2C-B is a phenethylamine and belongs to the group of new psychoactive substances with a structure similar to the classic psychedelic mescaline. Unlike other more well-known psychoactive substances, such as MDMA, psilocybin, or LSD, the number of studies conducted on 2C-B remains small. Nevertheless, the results already obtained allow for positive forecasts regarding its potential use in psychotherapy.

Effects on the emotional sphere

2C-B affects the psyche in a way similar to MDMA and psilocybin, but with certain differences. Like MDMA, it increases social engagement, friendliness, and evokes a sense of pleasure, and like psilocybin, it enhances associative thinking. However, the hallucinogenic effect of 2C-B is less pronounced compared to other substances. Unlike MDMA, 2C-B does not cause emotional excitation but rather has a mild sedative effect [1,2,5].
Unlike psilocybin, which induces a broad spectrum of emotional experiences, 2C-B has a less pronounced effect on the emotional domain and does not cause significant emotional fluctuations. Studies have also observed a decrease in aggression levels after taking 2C-B [2,5].
This makes 2C-B highly promising for psychotherapeutic use, as increased anxiety is a common side effect of many psychedelics. Additionally, its ability to reduce aggression makes this psychedelic a potentially useful therapeutic tool for treating disorders associated with violence and aggression.

Effects on memory

There are several studies that describe the impact of psychoactive substances on memory encoding and recall. Psilocybin and 2C-B generally impair negative and neutral metamemory during encoding, but enhance positive metamemory [5,6]. However, these effects were not consistent and require further experimental investigation.

Physiological responses

During experiments involving 2C-B, continuous monitoring of participants’ physiological indicators was conducted. The increase in cortisol levels was very slight with this substance, unlike with other compounds (such as MDMA, ayahuasca, and psilocybin) [1]. Increases in blood pressure and heart rate were lower than those observed with MDMA, amphetamine, and similar substances administered under controlled conditions. No significant changes in heart rhythm were observed among participants [1,2].

Potential risks

To date, there have been no registered deaths associated with the use of 2C-B, and only one officially documented case of persistent psychosis [8].
In 2012, a study was published showing that 2C-B causes an increase in dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in rats when administered subcutaneously, which may indicate a potential for addiction. However, it is worth noting that the doses used were quite high (25 mg/kg) [7].
Other reported side effects of 2C-B include nausea, headache, tachycardia, hypertension, increased emotional arousal, and insomnia. As a rule, these side effects occur with high doses of the substance.
Overall, 2C-B has a low potential for addiction and a relatively small number of side effects, which tend to occur with prolonged use or high doses [1].

Conclusions

The use of 2C-B in treating mental disorders within the framework of psychedelic-assisted therapy has not yet been systematically studied, and currently there are no published results of clinical trials involving this substance. However, some cases of successful therapeutic application have been described in the literature [3], and existing descriptions of the mechanisms of action and side effects of 2C-B allow us to assume that this substance has potential for treating mental health disorders.
In his book “Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved: A Chemical Love Story”, Alexander Shulgin poetically describes 2C-B as perhaps the most “refined and sensual” of his creations. Our main task is to find a balance between honoring the depth and uniqueness of the subjective psychedelic experience and applying a scientific approach that provides a stable foundation for achieving the best therapeutic outcomes. This approach allows us to see any psychedelic not merely as a substance that temporarily alters perception of reality and the self, but as a potential agent of profound positive change for patients with PTSD, depression, eating disorders, and a wide range of other psycho-emotional conditions.This is what reveals the true magic of psychedelics.

References:

  • Papaseit, E., Farré, M., Pérez-Mañá, C., Torrens, M., Ventura, M., Pujadas, M., de la Torre, R., & González, D. (2018a). Acute pharmacological effects of 2C-B in humans: An observational study. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00206
  • Mallaroni, P., Mason, N. L., Reckweg, J. T., Paci, R., Ritscher, S., Toennes, S. W., Theunissen, E. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., & Ramaekers, J. G. (2023). Assessment of the acute effects of 2c‐b vs. psilocybin on subjective experience, mood, and cognition. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 114(2), 423–433. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.2958
  • Sessa, B., & Fischer, F. M. (2015). Underground MDMA-, LSD- and 2-CB-assisted individual and group psychotherapy in Zurich: Outcomes, implications and commentary. Drug Science, Policy and Law, 2. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050324515578080
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  • Doss, M., Mallaroni, P., Mason, N., & Ramaekers, J. (2024). 1. psilocybin and 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) at encoding distort episodic familiarity and positively bias emotional metamemory. Biological Psychiatry, 95(10). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.179
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