When a 24-year-old woman took 2C-P at a concert in the United Kingdom in 2017, she experienced a “bad trip.” A report indicated that after taking the potent psychedelic, she screeched like an animal, scraped thorns across her face and ate twigs. According to the Guardian, She died an hour before her 25th birthday.
While smaller amounts of ecstasy (MDMA) and ketamine were found in her system, she was believed to be the first person in the world to die from 2C-P.
While it is regarded as a lesser-known drug of the phenethylamine class, 2C-P is a powerful, enduring stimulant and hallucinogenic, capable of producing dangerous effects. There isn’t much research on this controversial, enigmatic substance, which belongs to a family of designer drugs known for its stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.
It’s worth noting that in 2012, 2C-P and other drugs of its kind were classified as Schedule I controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. The Schedule I designation indicates that 2C-P has no accepted medical use and carries a high potential for abuse.
In other words, it can produce addiction.
Plus, the little information that is available regarding 2-CP indicates that it can produce a range of effects, many of which can be dangerous, if not life-threatening.
What Is 2-CP?
The drug known as 2-CP was developed to mimic the euphoric effects of substances such as MDMA and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It is a part of a family of designer drugs that are of the phenethylamine class. The “2C” designation was an acronym invented by Alexander Shulgin, who synthesized these 2C substances in around 1974. Shulgin is widely known for popularizing the use of MDMA.
The most common form of 2-CP is as a hydrochloride salt, which usually resembles a white powder or white crystals.
While Shulgin was a proponent of using MDMA and 2C drugs for therapeutic purposes, they gained popularity as “club drugs.”
Each drug in the 2C family, whether that is 2C-I, 2C-B, and 2C-P, each has its own, unique chemical properties. What differentiates 2C-P from the others is the exceptional duration of its effects. Its lasting effects are what makes 2C-P addictive and highly dangerous.
The Positive Effects of 2C-P
One report indicates that the hallucinogenic, psychedelic, and entheogenic effects peak at three to five hours when the drug is ingested, yet this peak lasts between five to 10 hours. What’s more, the overall 2C-P effects can last up to 20 hours. One report indicated that a 2C-P high could last for up to 24 hours.
Whatever the case, users report that 2C-P can make users experience open eye and closed-eye visualizations. The drug gives users an effect that is similar to MDMA but with heightened psychedelic visual effects and sensations.
Shulgin suggested that the intended dosage range for 2C-P should be between 6 to 10 milligrams (mg) in a book he co-authored with his wife named PiHKAL: A Chemical Love Story (PiHKal stands for Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved).
An online database that documents the effects of psychoactive substances on humans indicates that 2C-P is capable of producing a range of effects from positive to negative.
When the drug is ingested at the range Shulgin suggests, the positive effects from 2C-P include the following, according to Erowid.org:
- Mental and physical stimulation
- Sensory enhancement
- Increased mental clarity
- Brightened colors, enhanced visual perception
- Introspection and philosophical insights
- Enhanced mood, euphoria
- Enhanced tactile sensation
- Increased giggling and laughing
- Feelings of empathy
- Increased sociability at moderate doses
- Increased sense of creativity / artistic inspiration
The Potential Dangers of 2C-P
However, Shulgin also reported experiencing negative effects from 2C-P when he took a single 16 mg dose. It caused him to describe the event as “a physical disaster, not to be repeated.”
A forensic pathologist who testified in the case of the 24-year-old woman who died from 2C-P shed light on its negative effects. In addition to eliciting potent hallucinations, 2C-P can also cause agitation, an abnormally rapid heartbeat, and increased body temperature and blood pressure — effects endemic of a stimulant.
In addition to a host of neutral effects that come from use, such as a change in consciousness, open and closed-eye visuals, confusion, out-of-body experiences, restlessness, and auditory hallucinations, it can produce a litany of negative effects at higher doses, which include:
- Stomach discomfort such as nausea, vomiting, gas
- Headache
- Muscle spasms, jaw clenching
- Muscle fatigue, pain
- Motor impairment
- Nasal discomfort, nasal drip when the drug is snorted
- Anxiety, fear, or paranoia
- Severe mental confusion
- Disturbing hallucination, mental visions
- Severely uncomfortable stimulation (mental and physical)
- Intense or overwhelming visual disturbances
- Significantly elevated heart rate
- Sweating, chills, flushing
- Difficulty speaking
- Vasoconstriction, increased blood pressure
The Effects of MDMA and Why It Relates to 2C-P
Not much is known about the true dangers of the 2C family of drugs, including its toxicity. The reason? When Shulgin developed 2Cs, there were no major investigations on the uses and adverse effects of these substances outside of his own experiments. There is not even a hint as to whether these drugs possess therapeutic effects.
The drug that is closest to 2C-P in terms of its effects and composition is MDMA.
The symptoms of intoxication and withdrawal that result from MDMA might be instructive in terms of what 2C drugs are capable of producing.
Those MDMA Symptoms Can Occur In Three Stages and Include:
- Heightened senses
- Hallucinations, especially tactile sensations
- Feeling good
- Heightened empathy
- Emotional warmth
- Anxiety or paranoia
- Mental and physical relaxation
- Increased energy
- Restlessness
The Short-Term Physical Effects, Which Can Be Damaging, Include:
- Muscle tension
- Teeth grinding or jaw clenching
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heat exhaustion
- Rapid heartbeat
- High blood pressure
- Faster, shallower breathing
- Feeling faint
- Sweating and becoming dehydrated
- Chills, like having the flu
- Blurry or double vision
- Impulsiveness
Once the Effects of Mdma Wear Off, You Will Experience Comedown Symptoms. Among Those Are:
- Confusion
- Exhaustion
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances
- Cravings for the drug
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Memory loss
Is 2C-P Deadly?
2C-P may not be deadly, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it can produce life-threatening overdose symptoms. For example, seven teens overdosed on 2C-P at a concert in Connecticut in 2013.
According to a television report from a station in the area, “The concert, called “Adventure Land” began without incident but at around 10:30 p.m., four teenagers dropped to the ground almost simultaneously.”
First responders performed CPR or used a defibrillator to revive the victims.
What’s more, one study concluded that in lethal 2C drug cases, users exhibited “a syndrome consistent with excited delirium including severe agitation, aggression, violence, seizures, and hyperthermia.”
Also, the dangers associated with MDMA also suggest that 2C drugs like 2C-P can be life-threatening, particularly when they are mixed with other intoxicants.
With MDMA, The Life-Threatening Effects Can Include:
- Heat stroke
- Confusion or delirium
- Aggressiveness
- Strong, rapid pulse
- No sweat even though the skin is very hot
- Dry, flushed skin
- Staggering
- Feeling or appearing faint
- Coma
Why Professional Treatment Is Necessary
While not much is known about 2C-P, there is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that it can be habit-forming, dangerous, and life-threatening as the effects it produces inculcates addiction.
Another unknown factor is the level of toxicity it can pose to the body. These factors indicate that professional treatment is vital to break you free from 2C-P addiction and the harrowing effects it can unleash.
This is especially the case if 2C-P is being abused with alcohol, stimulants, or opioids, as your life is at stake.
By enrolling in a professional recovery program, you can access comprehensive, specialized treatment backed by evidence. The initial stage of this medically and clinically supervised process is acute treatment, where the 2C-P and other toxins are removed from your body.
In acute treatment, you will be monitored by doctors, nurses, and other medical staff around the clock. Should any medical issues or painful withdrawal symptoms arise, they will be on hand to address them.
After this acute treatment period, you will be enrolled in clinical stabilization services or partial care where you will receive therapy through an array of services, which include:
Holistic Treatments
- Acupuncture/acupressure
- Massage
- Meditation
- Nutritional assessments
- Reiki
- Yoga
Group Therapy
- Emotional regulation
- Medical education
- Motivational enhancement
- Relapse prevention
- The 12 steps of recovery
- Wellness skills
Individual Therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills
- Genetic testing
- Family-focused therapy
- Trauma-informed sessions
Additionally, after your treatment period ends, a caseworker will connect you to a supportive recovery community that can help you avoid relapse.
Get Help Today
You do not have to struggle with the devastating effects of 2C-P. Professional treatment can help free you from abuse, addiction, and the life-threatening consequences that come from use.
Call 855-956-4940 anytime, day or evening, for a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable addiction recovery specialists. They can help you locate the right treatment option. Contact us online for more information.
