Methoxetamine, abbreviated as MXE, is a dissociative hallucinogen that has been sold as a designer drug. It differs from many dissociatives such as ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP) that were developed as pharmaceutical drugs for use as general anesthetics in that it was designed for grey market distribution. Due to its structural similarity to ketamine, it’s no longer produced in sizeable quantities due to near-global bans. It is a rare example of a drug being so widely controlled without having an existing medical use.
MXE is an arylcyclohexylamine. It acts mainly as an NMDA receptor antagonist, similarly to other arylcyclohexylamines like ketamine and PCP.
The Drug Enforcement Administration permanently placed 2-(ethylamino)-2-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexan-1-one (methoxetamine, MXE) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act effective June 6, 2022.
Alabama – MXE is a Schedule I controlled substance in the state of Alabama making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess in Alabama.
Florida – MXE is a Schedule I controlled substance in the state of Florida making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess in Florida.
Utah – MXE is a controlled substance in the state of Utah making it illegal to buy, sell, or possess in Utah.