154

6

5

5

5

5

4

4

4

3

3

1

1

Eutylone

α-PiHP

BMDP

4Cl-N,N-Dimethylcathinone

N-Butylpentylone

MDPT

3-MMC

Ethylone

N-Ethylhexedrone

N-Ethylheptedrone

N-Ethylpentylone

4-CEC

4-Chloropentedrone

47

42

21

5

5

4

3

3

2

1

1

5F-MDMB-PICA

MDMB-4en-PINACA

4F-MDMB-BUTINACA

4F-MDMB-BUTICA

FUB-144

5F-MDMB-PINACA

ADB-FUBINACA

FUB-AMB

4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA

5F-EMB-PICA

5F-UR-144

EMERGING THREAT REPORT Annual 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration

Special Testing and Research Laboratory

The Special Testing and Research Laboratory’s Emerging Trends Pro-

gram compiled the data for this report through a query of archived

seizure and analysis information from drug evidence analyzed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration’s laboratory system. This data is

representative of drug evidence seized and analyzed in the date rang-

es annotated. This is not a comprehensive list of all new psychoactive

substances and is not representative of all evidence analyzed by DEA.

This data is an annual snapshot of the new psychoactive substance

market in the United States.

The term new psychoactive substance (NPS) describes a recently emerged drug

that may pose a public health threat. This includes synthetic cannabinoids,

substituted cathinones, phenethylamines, opioids, tryptamines, benzodiaze-

pines, and a variety of other chemical classes. Due to the increase in seizures

over the last several years, fentanyl is also included in this report.

An identification is made when authenticated reference material is avail-

able for comparison. When reference material is not available, the drug

evidence is identified as “substance unconfirmed” or “inconclusive.” A

single unit of drug evidence may have multiple sub-units. For the purpos-

es of this document, each unit of drug evidence counts as one identifica-

tion regardless of the number of sub-units. Some seized drug evidence

contains more than one active ingredient; therefore, more than one

identification can be made for a single unit.

SUMMARY

NPS, excluding fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds,

accounted for approximately 3% of the exhibits seized

and analyzed by the DEA laboratory system in 2020.

5F-MDMB-PICA and MDMB-4en-PINACA were the most

reported synthetic cannabinoids and eutylone was the

most reported cathinone in 2020. The most prevalent

NPS benzodiazepine in CY2020 was flualprazolam.

Fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds represented

approximately 17% of the exhibits analyzed by the DEA

laboratory system in 2020.

Fentanyl was the most commonly reported opioid.

There were 17 substances reported for the first time in

CY2020, meaning they had not been encountered for at

least the last five years. This equates to one new sub-

stance approximately every three weeks. It should be

noted that as backlogged samples are analyzed, the date

of the first encounter may change.

There was a 54% decrease in the number of unconfirmed

substances reported in CY2020 when compared to the

CY2019 Emerging Threat Report.

A historical summary of prevalent NPS identifications

from the past five years are provided at the end of this

report.

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

THERE WERE 134 SYNTHETIC CANNABINOID IDENTIFICATIONS IN

CY2020. THIS REPRESENTS AN APPROXIMATELY 23% DECREASE FROM

CY2019. 5F-MDMB-PICA AND MDMB-4EN-PINACA WERE THE MOST COM-

MONLY REPORTED SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS ACCOUNTING FOR APPROX-

IMATELY 66% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS.

CATHINONES

THERE WERE 200 CATHINONE IDENTIFICATIONS THIS REPORTING

PERIOD. THIS REPRESENTES AN APPROXIMATELY 9% INCREASE

FROM CY2019. EUTYLONE WAS THE MOST REPORTED CATHINONE,

ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 77% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS.

PRB 2021-17b

* Indicates that the substance was

reported for the first time this re-

porting period

PiHP = Pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone

CEC = Chloroethcathinone

MMC = Methylmethcathinone

MDPT = Methylenedioxy-N-tert-

butylcathinone, tBuONE

BMDP = Methylenedioxy-N-

benzylcathinone

* Indicates that the substance was

reported for the first time this re-

porting period

*

*

*

Page 1 of 3

*

2

1

1

5-MeO-DBT

4-AcO-DMT

5-MeO-DMT

Tryptamines

2

1

1

Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone

Dimethazine

Methylstenbolone

Steroids

4323

249

160

43

25

19

6

6

5

4

4

3

3

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Fentanyl

4-ANPP

Acetylfentanyl

Carfentanil

Valeryl Fentanyl

Butyryl Fentanyl

4-FiBF

Furanyl UF-17

Isotonitazene

2-Furanylbenzyl Fentanyl

Methoxyacetylfentanyl

NPP

p-Fluorofentanyl

Brorphine

2-Furanyl Fentanyl

2-Thiofuranyl Fentanyl

3-Methylfentanyl

4'-Methyl Acetyl Fentanyl

Despropionyl p-Fluorofentanyl

N-Benzyl-p-fluoro Norfentanyl

N-Methyl Norfentanyl

Norfentanyl

U-47700

β’-Phenyl Fentanyl

124

116

35

10

5

3

2

Flualprazolam

Etizolam

Clonazolam

Flubromazolam

Adinazolam

Deschloroetizolam

Desalkylflurazepam

EMERGING THREAT REPORT (continued) Annual 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration

Special Testing and Research Laboratory

OPIOIDS/ANALGESICS HALLUCINOGENS

THERE WERE 3 IDENTIFICATIONS EACH OF 25B-NBOH AND 25E-

NBOH DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD. ISOLYSERGIDE WAS IDEN-

TIFIED 2 TIMES IN CY2020. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS 1 IDENTIFI-

CATION OF 1P-LSD. 25B-NBOH AND 1P-LSD WERE IDENTIFIED FOR

THE FIRST TIME IN CY2020.

The “other” category includes substances that could not be con-

firmed, psychoactive plants, PCP related substances, benzofurans,

hallucinogens, tryptamines, and amphetamines.

Questions about this data are welcome and may be directed

to the DEA Emerging Trends Program at 703-668-3300 or

DEA.Emerging.Trends@usdoj.gov.

OTHER

BENZODIAZEPINES

THERE WERE 42 INSTANCES OF INCONCLUSIVE REPORTS DURING

THIS REPORTING PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 5 IDENTIFI-

CATIONS EACH OF 2F-DESCHLOROKETAMINE, 2-METHOXYMETH-

AMPHETAMINE AND MITRAGYNINE. 2-OXO-PCE WAS IDENTIFIED 3

TIMES. DESCHLOROKETAMINE AND N-(1,4-DIMETHYLPENTYL)-3,4-

DIMETHYLAMPHETAMINE WERE IDENTIFIED 2 TIMES EACH. ADDI-

TIONALLY, TFMPP AND A SUBSTANCE REPORTED AS “UNKNOWN”

WERE REPORTED 1 TIME EACH. N-(1,4-DIMETHYLPENTYL)-3,4-

DMA, DIMETHAZINE AND METHYL-STENBOLONE WERE REPORTED

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CY2020.

THERE WERE 4862 IDENTIFICATIONS OF FENTANYL, FENTANYL-

RELATED COMPOUNDS AND OTHER NEW SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS. THIS

ACCOUNTS FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 10% DECREASE IN IDENTIFI-

CATIONS FROM 2019. FENTANYL ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY

89% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. THE NEXT MOST PROMINENT

SUBSTANCE, 4-ANPP, ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 5% OF THE

IDENTIFICATIONS. OF THE 4323 FENTANYL IDENTIFICATIONS,

FENTANYL WAS FOUND AS THE ONLY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE IN

APPROXIMATELY 53% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS AND WAS FOUND

WITH HEROIN IN APPROXIMATELY 31% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS.

This completes the 2020 series of reports.

The Emerging Threat Report will be a bi-annual report

beginning in 2021. Stay tuned for the Mid-Year 2021

Emerging Threat Report!

To be added to our distribution list, please contact us

THERE WERE 295 IDENTIFICATIONS OF DESIGNER BENZODIAZE-

PINES DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD. THIS REPRESENTES AN

APPROXIMATELY 157% INCREASE FROM CY2019. FLUALPRA-

ZOLAM AND ETIZOLAM WERE THE MOST REPORTED DESIGNER

BENZODIAZEPINES ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 81% OF

THE IDENTIFICATIONS.

* Indicates that the substance

was reported for the first time

this reporting period

*

*

*

* *

*

Page 2 of 3

* Indicates that the substance was

reported for the first time this re-

porting period

*

*

*

*

EMERGING THREAT REPORT (continued) Annual 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration

Special Testing and Research Laboratory

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.

Page 3 of 3

Prominent Cathinones

Prominent Benzodiazepines

Prominent Synthetic Cannabinoids

Prominent Opioids

Unconfirmed Substances/

Inconclusive Reports