25I-NBOMe Stats & Data
COc1ccccc1CNCCc1cc(OC)c(I)cc1OCZFUOLNAKPBFDIJ-UHFFFAOYSA-NReceptor Profile
Receptor Actions
Receptor Binding
History & Culture
2000–2010
25I-NBOMe was first described in the scientific literature by Ralf Heim and colleagues at the Free University of Berlin around the year 2000, initially appearing in the form of conference abstracts. Heim provided a comprehensive account of the compound in his 2003 doctoral dissertation. The synthesis involved a reductive alkylation procedure using 2C-I as the starting material, which was reacted with 2-methoxybenzaldehyde to produce an imine intermediate, then reduced with sodium borohydride to yield the final product. Following Heim's initial work, a research team at Purdue University led by David Nichols further investigated 25I-NBOMe and related NBOMe compounds between 2006 and 2008. Their work examined the structure-activity relationships and pharmacological properties of various substances in this chemical series. The compound also attracted interest as a research tool for studying the serotonergic system, with the carbon-11 labelled version ([11C]Cimbi-5) being synthesized and validated in Copenhagen as a radiotracer for positron emission tomography. As the first full agonist PET radioligand for 5-HT2A receptors, this labelled compound showed promise as a functional marker for these receptors, particularly in their high-affinity states.
2010–present
25I-NBOMe had virtually no history of human recreational use prior to 2010, when internet vendors began selling the NBOMe series. It was apparently the first of its class to enter the market and quickly became the most popular member of the series. By 2012, NBOMe compounds had reportedly eclipsed more established psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin-containing mushrooms in popularity, at least temporarily. The substance's extreme potency—approximately sixteen times greater than its parent compound 2C-I—allowed even high doses to be dissolved and applied to blotter paper, a format traditionally associated with LSD. This physical similarity, combined with the compound's significantly lower cost (reportedly obtainable for under one dollar per dose when legal), created substantial incentive for misrepresentation. The drug has been distributed in three primary ways: marketed as a legal alternative to LSD (before scheduling made this obsolete), sold under its own name, and fraudulently represented as LSD. Street and media nicknames have included "N-Bomb," "Solaris," "Smiles," and "Wizard." The DEA reported seizures from 35 U.S. states between June 2011 and June 2013, with the first detection occurring in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Russia became the first country to specifically schedule the NBOMe series in October 2011, followed by state-level scheduling in Virginia, Louisiana, and Florida over the subsequent years. The substance has been associated with numerous deaths and hospitalizations, leading to increasingly widespread international control measures throughout the 2010s.
Subjective Effect Notes
cognitive: The head space of 25I-NBOMe is described by many as remarkably light and underwhelming in comparison to the classical psychedelics. It is not uncommon for people to report feeling that their thought stream has maintained general normality in its specific style throughout low to moderate dosages. At high dosages however, mild to overwhelming cognitive alterations become present.
Effect Profile
Curated + 288 ReportsStrong visuals, headspace, auditory effects, and body load
Duration Timeline
BluelightCommunity Effects
TripSitTolerance & Pharmacokinetics
drugs.wikiTolerance Decay
Tolerance builds rapidly after a single dose and partially recovers over 3–7 days; near‑baseline typically returns after 1–2 weeks. Cross‑tolerance with other serotonergic psychedelics is expected. Values are heuristic (community/HR synthesis). Data quality: low/anecdotal.
Cross-Tolerances
Demographics
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reports Over Time
Effect Analysis
Erowid + BluelightEffects aggregated from 276 experience reports (226 Erowid + 62 Bluelight)
Effect Sentiment Distribution
Confidence Distribution
Positive Effects 57
Adverse Effects 58
Dose-Response Correlation
How effect frequency changes across dose levels
View data table
| Effect | Common (n=12) | Heavy (n=47) |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Distortions | 100.0% | 87.2% |
| Color Enhancement | 66.7% | 68.1% |
| Anxiety | 66.7% | 59.6% |
| Introspection | 66.7% | 25.5% |
| Euphoria | 50.0% | 66.0% |
| Music Enhancement | 41.7% | 59.6% |
| Confusion | 58.3% | 46.8% |
| Focus Enhancement | 58.3% | 21.3% |
| Empathy | 58.3% | 42.6% |
| Stimulation | 41.7% | 51.1% |
| Closed-Eye Visuals | 41.7% | 29.8% |
| Tactile Enhancement | 41.7% | 34.0% |
| Auditory Effects | 33.3% | 40.4% |
| Muscle Tension | 16.7% | 31.9% |
| Nausea | 16.7% | 31.9% |
Subjective Effect Ontology
Experience ReportsStructured effect tags extracted from 288 Erowid & Bluelight experience reports using a controlled vocabulary of 220+ canonical effects across 15 domains.
Auditory
Cognitive
Emotional
Motor
Visual
Dose–Effect Mapping
Experience ReportsHow reported effects shift across dose tiers, based on 226 experience reports.
Limited tier coverage — most reports fall within the Common / Heavy range. Effects at other dose levels may not be represented.
| Effect | Common (n=12) | Heavy (n=47) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| visual distortions | → | ||
| color enhancement | → | ||
| anxiety | → | ||
| introspection | ↓ | ||
| euphoria | ↑ | ||
| music enhancement | ↑ | ||
| confusion | ↓ | ||
| focus enhancement | ↓ | ||
| empathy | ↓ | ||
| stimulation | ↑ | ||
| closed-eye visuals | ↓ | ||
| tactile enhancement | ↓ | ||
| auditory effects | ↑ | ||
| muscle tension | ↑ | ||
| nausea | ↑ | ||
| open-eye visuals | ↑ | ||
| sedation | — | → | |
| ego dissolution | ↓ | ||
| body high | ↓ | ||
| dissociation | ↑ |
Showing top 20 of 32 effects
Risk Escalation
Sentiment AnalysisAverage frequency of positive vs adverse effects across dose tiers
View effect breakdown
Adverse Effects
| Effect | Common (n=12) | Heavy (n=47) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | -10% | ||
| Confusion | -19% | ||
| Muscle Tension | +91% | ||
| Nausea | +91% | ||
| Pupil Dilation | +14% | ||
| Memory Suppression | — | 0% | |
| Increased Heart Rate | -36% | ||
| Jaw Clenching | — | 0% | |
| Thought Loops | — | 0% | |
| Motor Impairment | — | 0% | |
| Seizure | — | 0% | |
| Headache | — | 0% |
Positive Effects
| Effect | Common (n=12) | Heavy (n=47) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color Enhancement | 2% | ||
| Introspection | -61% | ||
| Euphoria | +32% | ||
| Music Enhancement | +42% | ||
| Focus Enhancement | -63% | ||
| Empathy | -26% | ||
| Stimulation | +22% | ||
| Tactile Enhancement | -18% | ||
| Body High | -32% | ||
| Creativity Enhancement | — | 0% | |
| Pain Relief | — | 0% |
Dosage Distribution
Dose distribution from experience reports
Sublingual
Insufflated
Oral
Real-World Dose Distribution
62K DosesFrom 261 individual dose entries
Sublingual (n=80)
Insufflated (n=28)
Oral (n=14)
Common Combinations
Most co-occurring substances in experience reports
Form / Preparation
Most common forms and preparations reported
Body-Weight Dosing
Dose relative to body weight from reports with weight data
Unknown
Sublingual
Insufflated
Oral
Redose Patterns
Redosing behavior across 200 reports
Legal Status
| Country | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Controlled (state-level) | Possession, production, and sale is prohibited. Queensland explicitly scheduled 25I-NBOMe in April 2012, followed by New South Wales in October 2013. The federal government has no specific legislation concerning N-benzyl phenethylamines, with control occurring at state level. |
| Austria | Illegal (SMG) | Prohibited under the Suchtmittelgesetz (SMG) since June 26, 2019. Possession, production, and sale are criminal offenses. |
| Brazil | Illegal (Portaria SVS/MS nº 344) | The entire NBOMe series became controlled as of February 18, 2014, including 25I-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, 25B-NBOMe, and related compounds. Listed on Portaria SVS/MS nº 344. |
| Canada | Schedule III (CDSA) | Controlled under Schedule III of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act as of October 31, 2016. Classified as a derivative of 2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine, with the scheduling covering 2C-phenethylamines and their salts, derivatives, and isomers. |
| China | Controlled substance | Became a controlled substance in October 2015. Production, possession, and distribution are prohibited. |
| Denmark | Controlled | Regulated through the generic classification of phenethylamines in the Executive Order on Euphoriant Substances. |
| Finland | Schedule I | Initially controlled under the Medicines Act (395/87) as of March 15, 2013. Subsequently scheduled in the government decree on narcotic substances, preparations and plants as of 2022, making possession and use illegal. |
| Germany | Anlage I BtMG | Listed in Anlage I of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (Narcotics Act) as of December 13, 2014. Manufacturing, possessing, importing, exporting, buying, selling, procuring, or dispensing without a license is prohibited. |
| Hungary | Schedule C | Falls within the generic definition of phenethylamines in Schedule C of Government Decree 66/2012. |
| Israel | Illegal | Banned in 2012-2013. The NBOMe series of psychoactives became controlled substances. |
| Italy | Schedule 1 (Tabella I) | Added to Tabella I in February 2015. Classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance with criminal penalties for possession, production, and distribution. |
| Japan | Narcotic drug | Designated as a narcotic drug effective November 1, 2015. Subject to strict criminal penalties under Japanese narcotics legislation. |
| Latvia | Schedule I | Classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. Possession, production, and distribution are prohibited. |
| Netherlands | List I (Opiumwet) | Classified as a Lijst 1 substance under the Opiumwet (Opium Law). This is the most restrictive category for controlled substances in Dutch law. |
| New Zealand | Schedule 2 | Classified as a Schedule 2 controlled substance under New Zealand drug legislation. |
| Norway | Controlled | Regulated through the generic scheduling of phenethylamines as of February 14, 2013. |
| Poland | Substitution drug | Falls under the definition of a 'substitution drug' under the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction and the Act on State Sanitary Inspection (2010). Marketing and production are penalized with administrative fines rather than criminal sanctions. |
| Romania | Illegal | Banned under broad psychoactive substance legislation enacted in 2011, which prohibits all psychoactive substances regardless of specific chemical classification. |
| Russia | Controlled substance | Russia was the first country to specifically regulate the NBOMe series. All NBOMe compounds, including 25I-NBOMe, became illegal in October 2011. |
| Serbia | Prohibited | Added to the list of prohibited substances in March 2015. |
| Slovenia | Controlled | Included in a Decree amending the classification of illicit drugs, published in Official Gazette of RS No. 62/2013. |
| Sweden | Schedule I | Added to the Narcotic Drugs Punishments Act under Swedish Schedule I (substances without medical use) effective August 1, 2013. Published by the Medical Products Agency in regulation LVFS 2013:15. |
| Switzerland | Controlled (Verzeichnis D) | Specifically named as a controlled substance under Verzeichnis D of Swiss narcotics legislation. |
| Taiwan | Class 4 | Placed in Class 4 of prohibited substances following the 2014 European Union decision. |
| United Arab Emirates | Illegal | Prohibited under Federal Law No. 14 of 1995, which criminalizes production, import, export, transport, buying, selling, possessing, and storing of narcotic and psychotropic substances. The UAE maintains a zero-tolerance policy for recreational drug use. |
| United Kingdom | Class A | Classified as a Class A drug under the N-benzylphenethylamine catch-all clause in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, effective June 10, 2014. Class A carries the most severe penalties, including up to 7 years imprisonment for possession. |
| United States | Schedule I | Permanently added to Schedule I effective October 27, 2016, after emergency scheduling on November 15, 2013. The DEA initially used emergency powers to temporarily schedule 25I-NBOMe, 25B-NBOMe, and 25C-NBOMe. Several states including Florida (December 2012), Louisiana (May 2013), Virginia, and Georgia (April 2013) had enacted state-level scheduling prior to federal action. |
Harm Reduction
drugs.wiki25I‑NBOMe is an ultra‑potent 5‑HT2A agonist active at microgram doses; the difference between a strong and dangerous dose can be small, particularly with nasal use or concentrated liquids. Numerous severe toxicities and fatalities have been reported, especially from misidentified blotters and insufflated powders. Reagent testing is essential when a blotter is sold as “LSD”: Ehrlich/Hofmann positive and a lack of rapid, vivid Marquis color change support lysergamide; NBOMes generally show no Ehrlich/Hofmann reaction and often give pronounced Marquis reactions on paper. Taste is not diagnostic, but a strong bitter/metallic taste with oral numbness is commonly reported for NBOMes; treat as a warning and test. Never eyeball powder; prepare measured solutions (volumetric dosing) and label concentrations clearly to avoid accidental overdoses. Because oral (swallowed) bioavailability is unreliable, sublingual/buccal absorption is the typical route; hold for 15–30 minutes before spitting/swallowing. Significant vasoconstriction (cold/numb extremities, cramps, hypertension) and agitation can occur; avoid stimulants, strenuous activity, overheating, and stay hydrated with small sips. In an emergency (seizure, hyperthermia, severe agitation, chest pain, uncontrolled hypertension), seek immediate medical help; clinicians typically use benzodiazepines and supportive care. NBOMes have frequently been laid on blotters resembling LSD; do not assume any blotter is LSD without testing. Strong cross‑tolerance exists with classical psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DOx, 2C‑x), and redosing within days will be less effective yet may increase side‑effects. Legal status: controlled in many jurisdictions (e.g., EU control recommended 2014; US Schedule I since 2016).
References
Data Sources
Cited References
Drugs.wiki References
- Erowid NBOMe Series: Spotlight on NBOMes (overview of effects, vasoconstriction, duration)
- TripSit Wiki: NBOMes (dose/duration by ROA; general guidance)
- EUDA/EMCDDA Risk Assessment: 25I‑NBOMe (2014)
- Bluelight safety warning: NBOMe on blotters sold as LSD (HR advice; misrepresentation; taste/numbness caution)
- TripSit/Bluelight combo guidance (dangerous combinations incl. MAOIs, tramadol, DXM, stimulants, lithium)
- Erowid 25I‑NBOMe Vault