DMT

Description

N,N- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a powerful psychoactive chemical in the tryptamine group. It produces strong psychedelic effects (e.g. visual hallucinations), a complete break from ordinary awareness that many people describe as feeling like entering another place.

DMT is relatively versatile and can be taken in many ways The effects vary significantly depending on the method of intake. When it is smoked, the onset is fast and strong but will not last very long; when snorted, they are more gradual and longer lasting. Because of this, users may vary their method of intake depending on their mood, the setting (where they are and who they’re with) and what effect they are after. When smoked or vapourised the effects begin within seconds and are over in roughly 10 to 20 minutes (far shorter than some other psychedelics like LSD or Psilocybin). A brew combining certain plants has been used for centuries in traditional South American shamanistic rituals (Ayahuasca,Yage,etc.) in a brew with DMT-containing leaves with a vine that makes DMT more active when swallowed (Contains an MAOI and makes it build over 30 to 60 minutes and last around 4-6 hours).

Pharmacology

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) belongs to a class of chemical compounds called ‘tryptamines’ and acts as an agonist at serotonin receptors, rather than changing how much serotonin the body makes. Its Psychedelic effects are attributed mainly to partial agonism at the 5-HT2A receptor (the traditional psychedelic receptor and the same target as LSD and Psilocybin). DMT also binds to other serotonin receptors and sigma-1 and trace amine receptors with the roles of these still unclear.

DMT is rapidly broken down by monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A), an enzyme found in the gut wall and liver among other places. Swallowed on its own, most of it is destroyed before it reaches the brain. Ayahuasca avoids this by adding Banisteriopsis caapi, which contains harmala alkaloids (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) that reversibly inhibit MAO-A. This lets DMT act when swallowed and makes the effects slower, stronger and much longer. The same MAO inhibition is what creates the drug-interaction risks described below. When smoked or injected, DMT bypasses most of this first-pass breakdown, and its action is very short because MAO-A clears it quickly. DMT has low physical toxicity, and there are no well-established deaths from DMT alone. Serious harm is mainly linked to psychological distress, accidents and injuries while impaired, and interactions with other drugs, particularly MAOIs.

Research doses have produced short-lived rises in heart rate and blood pressure and in stress-related hormones (such as cortisol, prolactin and growth hormone).

Unlike LSD and psilocybin, there is little evidence of rapid tolerance with repeated DMT doses in close succession in research settings, though this has been studied in only a small number of people. There is no recognised physical dependence or withdrawal syndrome. Some people use it compulsively or repeatedly, and its very short duration makes repeated use in a session easy.

DMT and the enzyme that can make it (INMT) have been detected in trace amounts in humans and other mammals, so DMT is described as an endogenous compound. Whether the body produces meaningful amounts in the brain, and what, if anything, it does, remains unproven and debated. There is no good evidence that it explains dreaming or near-death experiences.

Harm Reduction

• MAOI preparations and serotonergic drugs This is the most important safety issue. MAO inhibitors slow the breakdown of DMT and of many other drugs and foods, so combining them with other substances (particularly medical antidepressants) can cause serotonin syndrome (agitation, sweating, tremor, high temperature, muscle rigidity, fast heart rate) or a hypertensive crisis (severe rise in blood pressure). Both are medical emergencies.
• Drugs and foods that are particularly risky with MAO inhibition include MDMA, amphetamines, cocaine, tramadol, dextromethorphan, SSRIs and other antidepressants, Lithium St John’s wort, and foods very high in tyramine (such as aged cheese, cured meats and fermented products).
• Know what you are taking. Unknown material, plant extracts and especially vape cartridges are often not what they are sold as. Drug checking (where available) can help identify the substance, though it cannot (usually) confirm strength or rule out all contaminants.
• Start low and wait. Everybody responds differently, and DMT is potent in very small amounts. Do not take more because the first experience is short, and do not assume that an amount that suited one product or batch will suit another.
• Think about setting. Choose a safe, familiar, private place that is clear of hazards. DMT can make people lose awareness of their surroundings very quickly, so be seated or lying down, away from stairs, windows, heat sources and sharp furniture.
• Be with someone sober and trusted. A sober ‘sitter’ can reassure you, keep you safe, and call for help if needed. Do not use alone.
• Mind your headspace. Avoid use if you are anxious, unwell, very tired or in a low mood. Psychedelics tend to amplify what you are already feeling.
• Keep equipment clean. Residue left in pipes and vaporisers can mix with the next use, so the next dose may be stronger than expected. Sharing pipes or mouthpieces can spread infections. Harsh, hot vapour irritates the airway, and the long-term effects of regular inhalation are not well studied.

History

Traditional and ancient use: plants containing DMT and related tryptamines have been used in South America for a very long time. Snuffs made from Anadenanthera seeds (such as cohoba and yopo) are documented archaeologically from thousands of years ago, and chemical analysis of a roughly 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from Bolivia found DMT-related compounds alongside harmala alkaloids. Ayahuasca-type brews are used by Indigenous Amazonian peoples in healing and ritual contexts.

The european friar Ramón Pané described the Taíno people’s use of cohoba snuff on Hispaniola in the 1490s. Cohoba is made from Anadenanthera seeds and mainly contains bufotenin, with DMT and other tryptamines present in some preparations.

The first synthesis of DMT synthetically occurred in 1931 when it was synthesised by the scientist Richard Manske and then in 1946 brazilian chemist Oswaldo Gonçalves de Lima isolated DMT from the root bark of Mimosa tenuiflora, then called ‘nigerina’, identifying it as a natural product. In 1956 the Hungarian psychiatrist István Szára reported DMT’s psychedelic effects after injecting it into himself, establishing it as a psychoactive compound in humans and by the 60’s DMT had become part of the wider psychedelic counter culture.

In the 90’s Rick Strassman performed research at the University of New Mexico and gave intravenous DMT to volunteers, producing most of the modern controlled data on its effects. His 2001 book popularised the ‘spirit molecule’ nickname. Ayahuasca has since become better known worldwide through retreats and ceremonies, and legal disputes over religious use reached courts in several countries. Clinical research into DMT (including DMT fumarate for depression) has started, and interest in psychedelic therapies has grown coupled with a rise in street availability through vape cartridges and online sales of extraction materials.

Law

• Class A
• Schedule 1

Possible offences

• Possession
  • Maximum sentence – 7 years imprisonment, a fine, or both
• Possession With Intent To Supply
  • Maximum sentence – life imprisonment, a fine, or both
• Supply (including being concerned in supply, conspiracy to supply, aggravated supply and offer to supply)
  • Maximum sentence – life imprisonment, a fine, or both
• Production
  • Maximum sentence – life imprisonment, a fine, or both

In practice maximum sentences are rarely used, for more detailed and accurate information go to our sentencing page.