DOC Stats & Data
Pharmacology
DrugBankMetabolism
21-hydroxy-progesterone is a known human metabolite of progesterone.
Receptor Profile
Receptor Actions
Receptor Binding
History & Culture
1972–1973
DOC was originally synthesized by Ronald Coutts and Jerry Malicky at the University of Alberta in Canada. Their work describing the compound was published in the scientific literature in 1973 as part of research into analogues of DOM and related substituted amphetamines. The substance remained largely obscure for nearly two decades following its initial synthesis.
1989–1991
Prior to becoming widely known, DOC appeared in forensic analysis of designer amphetamine samples, with the compound being identified in Canadian drug seizures as early as 1989. Human usage was subsequently popularized following the 1991 publication of PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved) by Alexander Shulgin, which provided detailed information on the compound's synthesis and pharmacological effects. Shulgin characterized DOC as an "archetypical psychedelic" with pronounced effects, noting that everything is present "in spades" compared to the more subtle qualities of related two-carbon phenethylamines.
2005–present
DOC has remained uncommon on traditional illicit drug markets, instead circulating primarily through online research chemical vendors operating in legal grey areas. Sales of DOC distributed on blotting paper and in capsule form were reported in late 2005 and again in late 2007. The compound's availability in blotter format has led to instances of misrepresentation, with DOC sometimes being sold as LSD by unscrupulous dealers. A notable example occurred in December 2007 when police in Contra Costa County, California seized blotter paper suspected to be LSD that laboratory analysis revealed to contain DOC instead.
Effect Profile
Curated + 148 ReportsStrong visuals, body load, headspace, and auditory effects
Strong stimulation, euphoria, and anxiety/jitters with moderate focus
Duration Timeline
BluelightEmpirical Duration
Erowid ReportsCommunity Effects
TripSitTolerance & Pharmacokinetics
drugs.wikiTolerance Decay
Tolerance to DOC (and classic psychedelics) rises sharply after an experience and then decays over about 1–2 weeks; model and ratios are heuristic, inferred from user reports, not measured pharmacology.
Cross-Tolerances
Demographics
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reports Over Time
Effect Analysis
Erowid + BluelightEffects aggregated from 133 experience reports (83 Erowid + 65 Bluelight)
Effect Sentiment Distribution
Confidence Distribution
Positive Effects 64
Adverse Effects 50
Dose-Response Correlation
How effect frequency changes across dose levels
View data table
| Effect | Common (n=19) |
|---|---|
| Visual Distortions | 84.2% |
| Music Enhancement | 73.7% |
| Stimulation | 73.7% |
| Confusion | 68.4% |
| Anxiety | 63.2% |
| Color Enhancement | 63.2% |
| Euphoria | 57.9% |
| Empathy | 57.9% |
| Sedation | 57.9% |
| Pupil Dilation | 42.1% |
| Muscle Tension | 36.8% |
| Tactile Enhancement | 36.8% |
| Focus Enhancement | 36.8% |
| Dissociation | 31.6% |
| Body High | 31.6% |
Dose–Effect Mapping
Experience ReportsHow reported effects shift across dose tiers, based on 83 experience reports.
Limited tier coverage — most reports fall within the Common range. Effects at other dose levels may not be represented.
| Effect | Common (n=19) | |
|---|---|---|
| visual distortions | ||
| music enhancement | ||
| stimulation | ||
| confusion | ||
| anxiety | ||
| color enhancement | ||
| euphoria | ||
| empathy | ||
| sedation | ||
| pupil dilation | ||
| muscle tension | ||
| tactile enhancement | ||
| focus enhancement | ||
| dissociation | ||
| body high | ||
| auditory effects | ||
| closed-eye visuals | ||
| nausea | ||
| introspection | ||
| ego dissolution |
Showing top 20 of 27 effects
Dosage Distribution
Dose distribution from experience reports
Real-World Dose Distribution
62K DosesFrom 118 individual dose entries
Oral (n=71)
Insufflated (n=8)
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
Redose Patterns
Redosing behavior across 63 reports
Legal Status
| Country | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Controlled (NPSG) | Prohibited under the Neue-Psychoaktive-Substanzen-Gesetz (New Psychoactive Substances Act). Possession, production, and sale are illegal without authorization. |
| Brazil | Controlled | Listed on Portaria SVS/MS nº 344. Possession, production, and sale are prohibited. |
| Canada | Schedule I CDSA | Controlled under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Additionally covered by the 2016 regulation controlling phenethylamines with a 2,5-dimethoxyphenylethamine core structure. Illegal to sell, buy, or possess without valid legal exemption. |
| China | Category I psychotropic substance | Controlled since October 2015. Illegal to sell, buy, import, export, or manufacture without authorization. |
| Denmark | Schedule I | Added to the list of Schedule I controlled substances as of April 8, 2007, alongside 2C-E, 2C-P, and DOI. |
| Finland | Controlled | Possession, production, and sale are prohibited under national drug legislation. |
| Germany | Anlage I BtMG | Listed in Anlage I of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (Narcotics Act) since February 1, 1997. Manufacturing, possession, importation, exportation, purchase, sale, procurement, and dispensing are all prohibited without a license. |
| Israel | Controlled | Possession, production, and sale are prohibited under national drug legislation. |
| Latvia | Schedule I | Classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under Latvian law. |
| Netherlands | Controlled | Possession, production, and sale are prohibited under the Opium Act. |
| New Zealand | Class C | Controlled as an amphetamine analogue under Schedule III (Class C) of New Zealand's controlled substances legislation. |
| Poland | Uncontrolled | As of 2011, DOC was not a controlled substance and no analogue law covered it. Current status may have changed. |
| Switzerland | Controlled (Verzeichnis E) | Regulated as a defined derivative of α-methylphenethylamine under Verzeichnis E point 130. Permitted for scientific or industrial purposes only. |
| Turkey | Controlled | Classified as a controlled drug. Illegal to possess, produce, supply, or import. |
| United Kingdom | Class A | Controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 through the amphetamine analogue clause. Class A/Schedule I classification prohibits sale, purchase, and possession without a license. |
| United States | Unscheduled (Federal Analogue Act applies) | Not federally scheduled, but may be prosecuted as an analogue of DOM or DOB under the Federal Analogue Act when sold for human consumption or possessed with intent to ingest. Specifically listed as Schedule I in Florida state law. |
Harm Reduction
drugs.wikiDOC is a potent psychedelic amphetamine with a slow onset and very long duration; because onset may take 2–3 hours, redosing early greatly increases the risk of accidental overdose and an excessively long experience. Verified drug-checking programs have repeatedly found DOC sold as LSD on blotter; when ingesting unknown blotter, wait at least 3 hours before redosing, ideally after reagent/lab testing, to avoid stacking doses of a long-acting compound. DOC can cause peripheral vasoconstriction and stimulant-like effects (elevated heart rate/blood pressure, chest tightness) especially at higher doses; those with cardiovascular disease or hypertension should avoid it and all users should avoid combining with other vasoconstrictors (stimulants, decongestants, high-dose caffeine). Lithium has been repeatedly associated with seizures and severe adverse reactions when combined with classic psychedelics; treat this combination as dangerous and avoid it. Mixing with MAOIs is also considered dangerous due to unpredictable potentiation and hypertensive risk; tramadol adds seizure risk and serotonergic toxicity potential. If acute anxiety or dysphoria occur, non-pharmacological de-escalation (calm environment, breathing, reassurance) is first-line; benzodiazepines can attenuate the experience but should not be combined with alcohol or other depressants due to additive sedation and respiratory depression. Because activity is in the low-milligram range, use a calibrated milligram scale or volumetric dosing; never eyeball powder. DOC commonly disrupts sleep; plan for next-day impairment and avoid driving or operating machinery during and after effects. Tolerance builds rapidly after one dose and substantially reduces effects for about 1–2 weeks; cross-tolerance exists with other serotonergic psychedelics (e.g., LSD, DOB/DOM). Human pharmacokinetic data (including elimination half-life) are not established; reported half-life figures online are estimates inferred from long duration rather than measured studies, so dose-spacing and conservative titration are essential. Drug checking (reagent and, where available, lab confirmation) is strongly recommended for any blotter or liquid purported to be LSD given frequent mislabeling with DOx compounds in some markets.
References
Data Sources
Cited References
- Barnett et al. 2014 - Fatal DOC Intoxication Case Report
- Burish et al. 2015 - DOC Seizure Case Report
- Coutts & Malicky 1973 - Synthesis of DOM Analogs
- DEA Federal Register 2022 - DOC Schedule I Placement
- PiHKAL Entry #64 - DOC
- Talaie et al. 2009 - Tramadol Seizure Risk
- TripSit: DOC Factsheet
- Bluelight: DOC Drug Info
- UNODC: 2013 Report on Research Chemicals
- PiHKAL Mirror: Pihkal
Drugs.wiki References
- Erowid DOC – Dosage page (dose, onset, duration)
- Erowid DOC Vault (general overview)
- Saferparty (Zurich) warning – DOC sold as LSD (Mar 22, 2024)
- Saferparty blog – LSD blotter evaluation 2024/posted 2025 (mislabel rate; DOC found)
- Erowid LSD FAQ – multiple chemicals on blotter (incl. DOC)
- EUDA/DIMS Annual Report 2024 – LSD content overview; non‑LSD blotters occur
- TripSit – Drug combinations (class guidance incl. MAOIs, tramadol; stimulant/caffeine cautions)
- TripSit – How to deal with a bad trip (non‑pharmacologic support; benzodiazepines mentioned)
- TripSit – Volumetric converter (best practice for microgram‑potent compounds)
- Bluelight – DOC vasoconstriction/dose nonlinearity discussion (community harm‑reduction)
- Erowid LSD Health & Interactions – lithium + psychedelics seizures (extrapolated caution)
- PubChem – 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (synonyms/identity)