DOI Stats & Data
Receptor Profile
Receptor Actions
Receptor Binding
History & Culture
1973–1991
DOI was first synthesized and described in the scientific literature by Ronald Coutts and Jerry Malicky in 1973. The compound later received more detailed documentation, including its psychoactive effects in humans, when Alexander Shulgin included it in his 1991 book PiHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved). Among the psychedelic amphetamines, DOI shares with DOB the distinction of being one of the most potent compounds in its class.
DOI has become an important tool in neuroscience research, particularly for studying serotonergic systems. The compound can be synthesized with various radioactive iodine isotopes, making it valuable for mapping the distribution of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in the brain. The radioactive iodine-125 form used in PET imaging was developed in the laboratory of David E. Nichols. The fact that DOI remained unscheduled at the federal level in the United States significantly facilitated its widespread adoption in research settings. At least one neurochemical research company on the East Coast began offering DOI commercially for experimental purposes, though the company appeared aware of the compound's psychedelic properties—at one point nearly doubling its price and adding restrictions against telephone orders. Beyond its utility as a research ligand, DOI has demonstrated unexpected pharmacological properties in laboratory studies. Cell research has shown the compound to be an extremely potent inhibitor of tumour necrosis factor-alpha inflammation at picomolar concentrations. TNF-alpha is a significant target in research on degenerative conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.
2007–present
In January 2007, British police reported that three young men had fallen ill after reportedly consuming DOI at a rave in Biggleswade, near Milton Keynes. Authorities issued warnings for others who may have taken the substance to seek medical attention. This incident represented an early indication that DOI had begun circulating as a recreational drug in the United Kingdom. A notable criminal case in South Australia involved a man named Cody Edwards, who was convicted in the killing of Synamin Bell. Edwards pleaded guilty to manslaughter rather than murder after claiming that DOI had induced paranoia, leading him to act in what he characterized as self-defence when he fatally beat the mother of three with a dumbbell. The case drew attention due to the controversial reduced charge.
Effect Profile
Curated + 59 ReportsStrong visuals, headspace, body load, and auditory effects
Strong stimulation, anxiety/jitters, and euphoria with mild focus
Community Effects
TripSitTolerance & Pharmacokinetics
drugs.wikiTolerance Decay
Cross-Tolerances
Demographics
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reports Over Time
Effect Analysis
Erowid + BluelightEffects aggregated from 59 experience reports (42 Erowid + 17 Bluelight)
Effect Sentiment Distribution
Confidence Distribution
Positive Effects 40
Adverse Effects 43
Dosage Distribution
Dose distribution from experience reports
Real-World Dose Distribution
62K DosesFrom 51 individual dose entries
Oral (n=29)
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 29 reports
Legal Status
| Country | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Controlled (disputed) | Sources conflict on current status. One source indicates DOI is controlled, noting it has been found on blotter sold as LSD. Another source states it is not listed in the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP). Caution advised regarding current legal status. |
| Austria | Illegal (NPSG) | Prohibited under the Neue-Psychoaktive-Substanzen-Gesetz (New Psychoactive Substances Act). Possession, production, and sale are illegal. |
| Brazil | Illegal | Listed as a controlled substance on Portaria SVS/MS nº 344. Possession, production, and sale are prohibited. |
| Canada | Schedule III CDSA | Controlled as of October 12, 2016 under a broad definition covering 2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine derivatives. This includes most 2C compounds, DOx series, and related phenethylamines. |
| Denmark | Schedule I | Added to the list of Schedule I controlled substances on April 8, 2007, alongside 2C-E, 2C-P, and DOC. |
| Germany | Anlage II BtMG | Controlled under Anlage II of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (Narcotics Act, Schedule II) as of December 13, 2014. Manufacturing, possession, import, export, purchase, sale, procurement, or dispensing without a license is illegal. |
| Japan | Designated Substance (Shitei-Yakubutsu) | Controlled under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law as a Designated Substance. Possession and sale are prohibited. |
| Latvia | Schedule I | Classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under national drug legislation. |
| New Zealand | Schedule 3 / Class C | Controlled under the catch-all Analogues section in Schedule 3 (Class C) of New Zealand's drug laws, which covers structural analogs of scheduled substances. |
| Sweden | Schedule I | Classified as a Schedule I substance as of August 30, 2007, published by the Medical Products Agency in regulation LVFS 2007:10. |
| Switzerland | Controlled (with research exemption) | Considered a controlled substance as a defined derivative of α-Methylphenethylamine under Verzeichnis E point 130. Legal when used for scientific or industrial purposes. |
| Turkey | Illegal | Classified as a controlled drug. Possession, production, supply, and import are prohibited. |
| United Kingdom | Illegal (Psychoactive Substances Act) | Prohibited under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which came into effect on May 26, 2016. Production, supply, and import are illegal. |
| United States | Unscheduled (Federal Analogue Act may apply) | Not federally scheduled. However, it would likely be considered an analog of DOB, meaning sales for human consumption or possession with intent to ingest could be prosecuted under the Federal Analogue Act. DOI is regularly used in animal and in vitro research, which has been cited as a reason against scheduling. |
| United States - Florida | Schedule I | Controlled as a Schedule I substance under Florida state law, separate from federal scheduling. |