What is 5-MeO-DMT?
If you haven’t heard of 5-MeO-DMT, you’re not alone. The use of 5-MeO-DMT as a clinical and therapeutic medicine is relatively new and there are, so far, few clinical trials to either support or refute the use of 5-MeO-DMT in a medical or therapy setting.
About 5-MeO-DMT
5-Methoxy-N, N-Dimethyltryptamine
5-MeO-DMT is a tryptamine derivative that can be extracted from some specific plants but is most commonly taken from the venom of the Incilius alvarius toad (also known as the Bufo alvarius, Sonoran Desert toad or the Colorado River toad). The bufotoxin venom naturally contains both 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenine, both of which act on the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor which stimulates a high degree of psychedelic effects. These effects are fast acting and last for a short duration compared to most other psychedelic substances and the subjective experiences are notably more intense than other DMT-based psychedelics, especially in their capacity to enhance the user’s emotional connection.
Most commonly, 5-MeO-DMT is smoked as a vaporized dose of bufotoxin. A full-dose (50 mg) contains approximately 10-15% of 5-MeO-DMT and this is enough to induce the full intensity of transcendent experiences that are typical of a high-dose psilocybin journey. When the 5-MeO-DMT is smoked, the onset of the effects typically arrive within 30 seconds and peak for around 15 minutes. After 30 minutes of ingestion, the effects have usually dissipated.
During the experience, users report having profoundly transformative experiences that help to reshape their life in many different ways and because of its potencies there has been a major increase in the exploitation of the Incilius alvarius toad that has begun to cause concerns regarding the impact that this poses to local communities in the Sonoran Desert. Because 5-MeO-DMT can be synthesized so easily in a laboratory, pharmaceutical sponsors are attempting to develop synthetic drugs that can not only alleviate the increasingly over-harvesting of the bufotoxin from their organic vessels but also provide a means of offering very precise doses of 5-MeO-DMT. This is of high value with a substance such as 5-MeO-DMT because of its extreme potency.
As of 2011, 5-MeO-DMT has been a Schedule I substance. Prior to that, it was scarcely known and had only truly begun to grow in popularity since the 1970’s. The use of 5-MeO-DMT as a clinical and therapeutic medicine is relatively new and to-date, there is not much data to corroborate any major claims despite an enormous potential to aid in healing, especially in alleviating the stresses of mental health and depressive disorders.
5-MeO-DMT-Assisted Therapy Applications
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Mood disorders
Interested in adding psychedelic-assisted therapy into your practice?
Download the Psychedelic Basic’s Guide now for more information on psychedelics and how you can integrate this new treatment into your practice.