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Escaline

Escaline molecule structureEscaline molecule structure
3,5-Dimethoxy-4-ethoxyphenethylamine
E
Psychoactive Class

Escaline is a synthetic psychedelic of the substituted phenethylamine class and the 4-ethoxy analog of mescalinecitation needed. First synthesized by Benington et al. in 1954, its psychoactive effects were later characterized by Alexander Shulgin in PiHKAL. Escaline is distinguished from mescaline by a notably faster onset and an absence of nausea, while otherwise sharing a similar time course and qualitative character. It remains a relatively obscure research chemical.

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.

Threshold~20 mg
Light20-45 mg
Moderate45-60 mg
Strong60-150 mg
Heavy150+ mg

Duration

Onset1.5-2 hours
After Effects3-5 hours
Total8-12 hours

Subjective Effects

Legacy content. A statistically backed ontology from Mindstate Design Labs is coming soon.

Effects vary widely by individual, dose, and context.

Forked from Subjective Effect Documentation byJosie Kins February 2016.

See also: Psychedelic Intensity Scale, Effects of psychedelics (visual, cognitive, miscellaneous)

Reagent Testing

Expected colorimetric results for common reagent tests. Colors show reaction change over 1–2 minutes.

Marquis(MQ)
white → orange2
Mecke(ME)
white → brown3 → black3
Mandelin(MD)
yellow2 → brown3
Liebermann(LB)
white → brown3 → black3
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Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Escaline acts as a partial agonist at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, with agonist activity approximately 5 to 8 times greater than that of mescaline. It produces the head-twitch response in rodents, a behavioral proxy for psychedelic-like activity, and partially substitutes for LSD in rodent drug discrimination tests.1

Pharmacokinetics

There have been no studies on the pharmacokinetic profile of escaline and the metabolism of escaline is unknown.

Metabolitesnone documented yet

Interactions

Dangerous

Highest risk

These combinations are considered extremely harmful and should always be avoided. Reactions to these drugs taken in combination are highly unpredictable and have a potential to cause death.

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Tolerance

Tolerance timelines are rules of thumb, not exact schedules, and vary widely between individuals and use patterns.

Full Tolerance
Develops almost immediately after ingestion.
Baseline Reset
7 days
Half Tolerance
Approximately 3 days
Cross Tolerance

All psychedelics

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Extremely Low

Escaline is not habit-forming and the desire to use it can actually decrease with use. It is most often self-regulating.

Psychosis Risk

Delusions are listed among the possible cognitive effects, as is typical for psychedelics. The specific psychosis risk from escaline use has not been studied.

History & Culture

Escaline was first described in the scientific literature by George S. Grace in 1934. It was subsequently synthesized and reported by F. Benington and colleagues in 1954. The compound was later re-examined in the laboratory of David E. Nichols, who prepared a series of mescaline analogues including

Legality

By Country

Illegal3
United States flagUnited StatesIllegal
Germany flagGermanyIllegal
United Kingdom flagUnited KingdomIllegal
Controlled / restricted2
Japan flagJapanControlled substance2
Switzerland flagSwitzerlandRestricted

References

Source Pages

  1. Bluelight: The Big & Dandy Escaline Thread
  2. Erowid: Escaline Experience Vault
  3. Isomer Design (TiHKAL/PiHKAL)
  4. Isomer Design: Escaline (PiHKAL Entry #72)
  5. PsychonautWiki
  6. Shulgin (1978) - Psychotomimetic Drugs: Structure-Activity Relationships
  7. Shulgin & Shulgin (1991) - PiHKAL Entry #72
  8. TripSit Factsheets
  9. Wikipedia

Citations

  1. Halberstadt AL, Chatha M, Chapman SJ, & Brandt SD. (2019-02-21). Comparison of the behavioral effects of mescaline analogs using the head twitch response in mice. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 33(3), 406-414. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811198266101
  2. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. (2026-06-27). Designated Substances. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11120000/001712381.pdf1
  3. NIH PubChem PUG compound properties, CID 38240. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug/compound/cid/38240/property/IUPACName,CanonicalSMILES,IsomericSMILES,MolecularFormula,MolecularWeight/JSON1
  4. NIH PubChem PUG synonyms, CID 38240. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug/compound/cid/38240/synonyms/JSON123
  5. NpSG § 2, definitions. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/npsg/__2.html1
  6. NpSG Anlage 1, substance-group definitions. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/npsg/anlage_1.html1
  7. § 3 NpSG. gesetze-im-internet.de (2019). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/npsg/__3.html1
  8. § 4 NpSG. gesetze-im-internet.de (2019). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/npsg/__4.html1
  9. NpSG - Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz, consolidated text. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/npsg/BJNR261510016.html1
  10. BtMG Anlage I, non-marketable narcotics. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/btmg_1981/anlage_i.html1

Further Reading

  1. Benington et al. (1954) - Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
  2. Blaazer et al. (2008) - ChemMedChem
  3. Blaazer et al. (2008) - Structure-Activity Relationships of Phenylalkylamines
  4. Halberstadt & Geyer (2018) - PMC
  5. Nichols et al. (1977) - Asymmetric Synthesis of Psychotomimetic Phenylisopropylamines

Article Status

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