67

33

27

12

8

7

5

5

4

4

3

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Eutylone

N-Ethylpentylone

α-PiHP

BMDP

N-Butylpentylone

4-CEC

4Cl-N,N-Dimethylcathinone

4Cl-α-PVP

Dibutylone

N-Ethylhexedrone

Ethylone

4-Methylpentedrone

4-Chloropentedrone

4-FA

4-Fluoropentedrone

MDPT

Methylone

Pentylone

α-PVP

54

50

23

13

10

8

3

2

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

5F-MDMB-PICA

5F-MDMB-PINACA

FUB-AMB

ADB-FUBINACA

4F-MDMB-BUTINACA

FUB-144

4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA

5Cl-AB-PINACA

5F-UR-144

AB-FUBINACA

FUB-PB-22

MMB-FUBICA

5F-ADB-PINACA

5F-CUMYL-PINACA

5F-EDMB-PINACA

APP-BUTINACA

EMERGING THREAT REPORT Annual 2019 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,

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 2% of the exhibits seized

and analyzed by the DEA laboratory system in 2019.

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

reported synthetic cannabinoids and eutylone was the

most reported cathinone in 2019. The most prevalent

NPS benzodiazepine in CY2019 was etizolam.

Fentanyl and fentanyl-related compounds represented

approximately 15% of the exhibits seized and analyzed by

the DEA laboratory system in 2019.

Fentanyl was the most commonly reported opioid.

There were 17 substances reported for the first time in CY

2019, meaning they had not been encountered for at least

the last four years. This equates to one new substance

approximately every three weeks. It should be noted that

as backlogged samples are analyzed, the date of the first

encounter may change.

The number of unconfirmed substances reported in

CY2019 is consistent with the number reported in CY2018

Emerging Threat Report.

A historical summary of prevalent NPS identifications

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

report.

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

THERE WERE 175 SYNTHETIC CANNABINOID IDENTIFICATIONS IN

CY2019. THIS REPRESENTS AN APPROXIMATELY 200% DECREASE

FROM CY2018. 5F-MDMB-PICA AND 5F-MDMB-PINACA WERE THE MOST

COMMONLY REPORTED SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS ACCOUNTING FOR

APPROXIMATELY 59% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS.

CATHINONES

THERE WERE 184 CATHINONE IDENTIFICATIONS THIS REPORTING

PERIOD. THIS REPRESENTES AN APPROXIMATELY 78% DECREASE

FROM CY2018. EUTYLONE WAS THE MOST REPORTED CATHINONE,

ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 36% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS.

DEA PRB 03-09-20-09

* Indicates that the substance was

reported for the first time this re-

porting period

PVP = Pyrrolidinovalerophenone

PiHP = Pyrrolidinoisohexanophenone

CEC = Chloroethcathinone

FA = Fluoroamphetamine

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

61

31

12

10

1

Etizolam

Flualprazolam

Clonazolam

Flubromazolam

Diclazepam

9

3

2

1

TFMPP

4-MeOPP

BZP

4-MBZP

4384

413

309

62

43

41

28

27

24

11

6

4

4

4

3

3

3

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Fentanyl

Acetylfentanyl

4-ANPP

Carfentanil

2-Furanyl fentanyl

Valeryl fentanyl

4-FiBF

U-47700

Butyryl fentanyl

Methoxyacetylfentanyl

Benzylfentanyl

2-Furanylbenzylffentanyl

Cyclopropylfentanyl

NPP

Acryl fentanyl

p-Fluorofuranyl fentanyl

U-48800

Benzoyl fentanyl

O-Desmethyl-cis-tramadol

1-Benzyl-4-piperidone

2-Thiofuranyl fentanyl

3-Methylfentanyl

4-Piperidone

Despropionyl o-fluorofentanyl

N-Benzyl-p-fluoro norfentanyl

N-Methyl norfentanyl

o-Fluorofuranyl fentanyl

EMERGING THREAT REPORT (continued) Annual 2019 Drug Enforcement Administration

Special Testing and Research Laboratory

OPIOIDS/ANALGESICS HALLUCINOGENS

THERE WERE 5 IDENTIFICATIONS OF 2C-B DURING THIS REPORTING

PERIOD. 2C-C WAS IDENTIFIED 2 TIMES IN CY2019. ADDITIONALLY,

THERE WAS 1 IDENTIFICATION OF 2C-H. NO NPS HALLUCINOGENS

WERE IDENTIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CY2019.

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.

DEA PRB 03-09-20-09

OTHER

BENZODIAZEPINES

THERE WERE 94 INSTANCES OF UNCONFIRMED SUBSTANCES/

INCONCLUSIVE REPORTS DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 7 IDENTIFICATIONS OF MMMP AND 4

IDENTIFICATIONS OF MITRAGYNINE. 2-OXO-PCE AND 3-METHOXY-PCP

WERE IDENTIFIED 3 TIMES EACH. 2F-DESCHLOROKETAMINE WAS

IDENTIFIED 1 TIME. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 4 PIPERAZINES

IDENTIFIED IN CY 2019.

NONE OF THESE SUBSTANCES WERE IDENTIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

CY2019.

THERE WERE 5381 IDENTIFICATIONS OF FENTANYL, FENTANYL-

RELATED COMPOUNDS AND OTHER NEW SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS. THIS

ACCOUNTS FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 33% INCREASE IN IDENTIFI-

CATIONS FROM 2018. FENTANYL ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY

81% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. THE NEXT MOST PROMINENT

SUBSTANCE, ACETYLFENTANYL, ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY

8% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS. OF THE 4384 FENTANYL IDENTI-

FICATIONS, FENTANYL WAS FOUND AS THE ONLY CONTROLLED SUB-

STANCE IN APPROXIMATELY 43% OF THE IDENTIFICATIONS AND

WAS FOUND WITH HEROIN IN APPROXIMATELY 39% OF THE IDEN-

TIFICATIONS.

This completes the 2019 series of reports.

Stay tuned for the First Quarter 2020

Emerging Threat Report!

To be added to our distribution list, please contact us

at the email address below.

THERE WERE 61 IDENTIFICATIONS OF ETIZOLAM DURING THIS

REPORTING PERIOD. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 31 IDENTIFICA-

TIONS OF FLUALPRAZOLAM, 12 IDENTIFICATIONS OF CLONAZO-

LAM, 10 IDENTIFICATIONS OF FLUBROMAZOLAM AND 1 IDENTI-

FICATION OF DICLAZEPAM. NO NPS BENZODIAZEPINES WERE IDEN-

TIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CY2019.

MMMP = Methylmethylthiophenylmorpholinopropanone

* Indicates that the substance

was reported for the first time

this reporting period

*

*

*

*

* *

Page 2 of 3

EMERGING THREAT REPORT (continued) Annual 2019 Drug Enforcement Administration

Special Testing and Research Laboratory

NPS IDENTIFICATIONS OF SELECT SUBSTANCES

CY2016 TO CY2019 This data is representative of drug evidence seized and analyzed 01/01/2016 to 12/31/2019. 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

DEA PRB 03-09-20-09