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2C family
2C drugs – such as 2CB, 2CI and 2CE – have hallucinogenic and stimulant effects
Quick Look
How the drug works varies from person to person
How you might feel
Effects on your body
How long it takes to work
Common risks
What does it look like?
- A small pill
- A powder, usually white but not always
- A liquid, but this is rare
2C drugs are normally sold as pills or powders, but this can vary. For example, 2CB and 2CT-7 have been sold as white powders or small 5mg pills.
A liquid form of 2CI has been reported, but this is rare.
What does it taste/smell like?
Users say that 2Cs can give a burning sensation and be painful to snort.
The 2C drugs can be snorted, swallowed or smoked.
How does it make you feel?
The 2C family of drugs are classed as psychedelics (hallucinogens) but they can also produce stimulant effects.
As hallucinogens, they can make you experience reality in a distorted way that may cause hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that aren’t there).
As stimulants, they can make you feel awake, alert and affectionate towards people around you.
The 2C drugs can make you:
- energised and alert
- extra aware of colours, sounds and smells
- very sensitive to touch and sexually aroused
They can also make you:
- happy and in tune with your surroundings (similar to ecstasy), especially if taken in smaller doses
- see the world around you as being distorted, this is sometimes called ‘visuals’
- hallucinate, especially if taken in larger doses
As with all psychedelic drugs, it’s very hard to predict how you’ll feel when you take a 2C drug – and some 2Cs cause more psychedelic effects than others. The more you take, the more intense and uncontrollable the experience will be.
How does it make people behave?
How long the effects last and the drug stays in your system depends on how much you’ve taken, your size and what other drugs you may have also taken.
Physical health risks
Taking 2C drugs involves risks. Here’s what we know:
- They can cause headaches, nausea and vomiting.
- There is a risk of over-stimulating the heart and circulation.
- It’s not yet known if 2C drugs cause any long term damage, but there have been numerous hospitalisations associated with their use.
Mental health risks
Because the 2Cs are psychedelic drugs, anyone with a history of mental illness should be particularly careful.
Here’s what we know:
- Panic attacks have been reported.
- Severe psychosis has been reported.
- Confused, agitated or even delirious states have been reported when the drugs have been taken in high doses.
- Evidence from other drugs – such as ecstasy and LSD – suggest that regular users of the drugs become tired, low in mood and anxious when they stop using, or if they use in high doses.
What is 2C family cut with?
Information about 2C purity is difficult to get hold of.
Can you get addicted?
There’s very little current information about 2C drugs’ addictiveness.
Tolerance and psychological dependence have been reported in stimulant drugs, such as ecstasy, that act like 2C drugs but little is known about the effects of 2C drugs themselves.
Class: A
- This is a Class A drug, which means it’s illegal to have for yourself, give away or sell.
- Possession can get you up to 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
- Supplying someone else, even your friends, can get you life in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
Like drink-driving, driving when high is dangerous and illegal. If you’re caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence.
If the police catch people supplying illegal drugs in a home, club, bar or hostel, they can potentially prosecute the landlord, club owner or any other person concerned in the management of the premises.