DMT

DMT — or N, N-dimethyltryptamine in medical talk — is a hallucinogenic tryptamine drug. Sometimes referred to as Dimitri, this drug produces effects similar to those of psychedelics, like LSD and magic mushrooms.

Other names for it include:

• fantasia
• businessman’s trip
• businessman’s special
• 45-minute psychosis
• spiritual molecule

DMT is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, which means it’s illegal to make, buy, possess, or distribute it. Some cities have recently decriminalized it, but it’s still illegal under state and federal law.

what is dmt

DMT is a white crystalline powder that is found in certain plants in Mexico, South America, and parts of Asia. Its street names are Dmitri, Fantasia, Businessman’s Trip, Businessman’s Special, and 45-Minute Psychosis. Because it’s a naturally occurring psychedelic substance, trace amounts of DMT can actually be found in mammals’ brains. It is the strongest of all psychedelic drugs and is sometimes referred to as an “entheogen” a word that means “god-generated-within.” The drug’s chemical root structure is similar to that of the anti-migraine drug sumatriptan. It acts as a non-selective agonist at most or all of the serotonin receptors. DMT is not active when taken orally unless it is combined with another substance that inhibits its metabolism.

The drug gained popularity in the 1960’s and was placed under federal control under Schedule I when the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1971. It’s still found on the illicit drug market today along with several other kinds of tryptamine hallucinogens.