Drug Enforcement Administration EMERGING THREAT REPORT Annual 2020 Special Testing and Research Laboratory

The Special Testing and Research Laboratory’s Emerging Trends Pro- The term new psychoactive substance (NPS) describes a recently emerged drug An identification is made when authenticated reference material is avail- gram compiled the data for this report through a query of archived that may pose a public health threat. This includes synthetic , able for comparison. When reference material is not available, the drug seizure and analysis information from drug evidence analyzed by the substituted cathinones, , , tryptamines, benzodiaze- evidence is identified as “substance unconfirmed” or “inconclusive.” A Drug Enforcement Administration’s laboratory system. This data is pines, and a variety of other chemical classes. Due to the increase in seizures single unit of drug evidence may have multiple sub-units. For the purpos- representative of drug evidence seized and analyzed in the date rang- over the last several years, fentanyl is also included in this report. es of this document, each unit of drug evidence counts as one identifica- es annotated. This is not a comprehensive list of all new psychoactive tion regardless of the number of sub-units. Some seized drug evidence substances and is not representative of all evidence analyzed by DEA. contains more than one active ingredient; therefore, more than one This data is an annual snapshot of the new psychoactive substance identification can be made for a single unit. market in the United States. CATHINONES

SUMMARY THERE WERE 134 SYNTHETIC IDENTIFICATIONS IN THERE WERE 200 CATHINONE IDENTIFICATIONS THIS REPORTING CY2020. THIS REPRESENTS AN APPROXIMATELY 23% DECREASE FROM PERIOD. THIS REPRESENTES AN APPROXIMATELY 9% INCREASE NPS, excluding fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds, CY2019. 5F-MDMB-PICA AND MDMB-4EN-PINACA WERE THE MOST COM- FROM CY2019. EUTYLONE WAS THE MOST REPORTED CATHINONE, accounted for approximately 3% of the exhibits seized MONLY REPORTED SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS ACCOUNTING FOR APPROX- and analyzed by the DEA laboratory system in 2020. ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 77% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. IMATELY 66% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. 5F-MDMB-PICA and MDMB-4en-PINACA were the most 4-Chloropentedrone 1 reported synthetic cannabinoids and eutylone was the 5F-UR-144 1 most reported cathinone in 2020. The most prevalent 4-CEC 1 NPS benzodiazepine in CY2020 was flualprazolam. * 5F-EMB-PICA 1 N-Ethylpentylone 3 Fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds represented * Indicates that the substance was 4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA 2 N-Ethylheptedrone 3 approximately 17% of the exhibits analyzed by the DEA reported for the first time this re- laboratory system in 2020. N-Ethylhexedrone 4 porting period FUB-AMB 3 Fentanyl was the most commonly reported . 4 ADB-FUBINACA 3 PiHP = Pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone There were 17 substances reported for the first time in * Indicates that the substance was * 3-MMC 4 CEC = Chloroethcathinone CY2020, meaning they had not been encountered for at reported for the first time this re- MMC = Methylmethcathinone least the last five years. This equates to one new sub- 5F-MDMB-PINACA 4 porting period MDPT 5 MDPT = Methylenedioxy-N-tert- stance approximately every three weeks. It should be butylcathinone, tBuONE noted that as backlogged samples are analyzed, the date FUB-144 5 N-Butylpentylone 5 BMDP = Methylenedioxy-N- of the first encounter may change. benzylcathinone * 4F-MDMB-BUTICA 5 4Cl-N,N-Dimethylcathinone 5 There was a 54% decrease in the number of unconfirmed substances reported in CY2020 when compared to the BMDP 5 4F-MDMB-BUTINACA CY2019 Emerging Threat Report. 21 α-PiHP 6 A historical summary of prevalent NPS identifications * MDMB-4en-PINACA 42 from the past five years are provided at the end of this Eutylone 154 report. 5F-MDMB-PICA 47

PRB 2021-17b Page 1 of 3 Drug Enforcement Administration EMERGING THREAT REPORT (continued) Annual 2020 Special Testing and Research Laboratory OPIOIDS/ANALGESICS

THERE WERE 4862 IDENTIFICATIONS OF FENTANYL, FENTANYL- THERE WERE 3 IDENTIFICATIONS EACH OF 25B-NBOH AND 25E- BENZODIAZEPINES RELATED COMPOUNDS AND OTHER NEW SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS. THIS NBOH DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD. ISOLYSERGIDE WAS IDEN- THERE WERE 295 IDENTIFICATIONS OF DESIGNER BENZODIAZE- ACCOUNTS FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 10% DECREASE IN IDENTIFI- TIFIED 2 TIMES IN CY2020. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS 1 IDENTIFI- PINES DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD. THIS REPRESENTES AN CATIONS FROM 2019. FENTANYL ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY CATION OF 1P-LSD. 25B-NBOH AND 1P-LSD WERE IDENTIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CY2020. APPROXIMATELY 157% INCREASE FROM CY2019. FLUALPRA- 89% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. THE NEXT MOST PROMINENT ZOLAM AND ETIZOLAM WERE THE MOST REPORTED DESIGNER

SUBSTANCE, 4-ANPP, ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 5% OF THE OTHER BENZODIAZEPINES ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 81% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. IDENTIFICATIONS. OF THE 4323 FENTANYL IDENTIFICATIONS, The “other” category includes substances that could not be con- FENTANYL WAS FOUND AS THE ONLY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN firmed, psychoactive plants, PCP related substances, benzofurans, hallucinogens, tryptamines, and . * Desalkylflurazepam 2 APPROXIMATELY 53% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS AND WAS FOUND * Deschloroetizolam 3 THERE WERE 42 INSTANCES OF INCONCLUSIVE REPORTS DURING * Indicates that the substance was WITH IN APPROXIMATELY 31% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. reported for the first time this re- THIS REPORTING PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 5 IDENTIFI- Adinazolam 5 porting period * β’-Phenyl Fentanyl 1 CATIONS EACH OF 2F-DESCHLOROKETAMINE, 2-METHOXYMETH- U-47700 1 Flubromazolam 10 * Norfentanyl 1 AND MITRAGYNINE. 2-OXO-PCE WAS IDENTIFIED 3 N-Methyl Norfentanyl 1 TIMES. DESCHLOROKETAMINE AND N-(1,4-DIMETHYLPENTYL)-3,4- Clonazolam 35 N-Benzyl-p-fluoro Norfentanyl 1 * Indicates that the substance DIMETHYLAMPHETAMINE WERE IDENTIFIED 2 TIMES EACH. ADDI- Etizolam 116 Despropionyl p-Fluorofentanyl 1 was reported for the first time TIONALLY, TFMPP AND A SUBSTANCE REPORTED AS “UNKNOWN” 4'-Methyl Acetyl Fentanyl 1 this reporting period Flualprazolam 124 3-Methylfentanyl 1 WERE REPORTED 1 TIME EACH. N-(1,4-DIMETHYLPENTYL)-3,4- 2-Thiofuranyl Fentanyl 1 DMA, DIMETHAZINE AND METHYL-STENBOLONE WERE REPORTED 2-Furanyl Fentanyl 1 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CY2020. * Brorphine 2 Tryptamines This completes the 2020 series of reports. * p-Fluorofentanyl 3

NPP 3 5-MeO-DMT 1 The Emerging Threat Report will be a bi-annual report Methoxyacetylfentanyl 4 beginning in 2021. Stay tuned for the Mid-Year 2021 2-Furanylbenzyl Fentanyl 4 4-AcO-DMT 1 Emerging Threat Report! * Isotonitazene 5 5-MeO-DBT 2 * Furanyl UF-17 6 To be added to our distribution list, please contact us 4-FiBF 6 Steroids Butyryl Fentanyl 19 Valeryl Fentanyl Questions about this data are welcome and may be directed 25 * Methylstenbolone 1 Carfentanil 43 to the DEA Emerging Trends Program at 703-668-3300 or Acetylfentanyl 160 * Dimethazine 1 [email protected]. 4-ANPP 249 Dehydrochloromethyltest 2 Fentanyl 4323 osterone Page 2 of 3 Drug Enforcement Administration EMERGING THREAT REPORT (continued) Annual 2020 Special Testing and Research Laboratory

Prominent Synthetic Cannabinoids

NPS IDENTIFICATIONS OF SELECT SUBSTANCES CY2016 TO CY2020

This data is representative of drug evidence seized and analyzed 01/01/2016 to 12/31/2020. The number of identifica- tions for each substance may change as exhibits are analyzed from the laboratory system backlog.

Prominent Opioids

Prominent Cathinones

Prominent Benzodiazepines

Unconfirmed Substances/ Inconclusive Reports

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