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2C-B

Would you like to know more about 2C-B? Down below you'll read all common questions and answers about this drug.

2C-B is a drug. It's a psychedelic similar to LSD or mushrooms (shrooms)/truffles. 2C-B does not exist naturally, but has to be created in a laboratory.

2C-B gives you more energy and makes you feel happy. But it's mostly your perception that changes. Colors are more intensive, shapes can change, faces look different and music feels more intense.

The use of 2C-B also has risks. The most important risk is a difficult or overwhelming experience. This is also called a 'bad trip'.

Do you use 2C-B? Or do you know someone who uses it? Make sure you know what you can do to make the risks of using it smaller. Do you not want to face any risks? Then it's better to not use 2C-B at all.

What does it do to you?

You have more energy
You feel happy
Your perception changes: colors are more intense, shapes can change, faces look different and music is more intense. You might also see tracers. You might see multiple versions of the same shape, like with your moving hand for example.
Your emotions are stronger
Your thoughts move differently. Your thoughts are more creative. This can lead to surprising insights, but it can also lead to illogical thoughts.

When swallowing 2C-B, you notice the effects after 20-60 minutes. After 4-6 hours the effects disappear.

How is it used?

2C-B is usually swallowed as a pill. You can also snort it, but that is uncommon as it is very painful.

What you feel exactly depends on how much you take. To know how much you're taking, it's important to know what's in your pill. You can get this tested at our testing service.

A low dose (5-10 milligram) gives you a light happy (euphoric) and energetic feeling. At a small dosage it feels a little like XTC.
With a higher dose from 12-15 milligram you'll start to trip. Things feel more intense or look different.
A dose from 25mg is strong and will make all effects more intense.

What are the risks?

The use of 2C-B also has risks. Some things you'll notice right away, like a difficult or overwhelming experience. You can feel fearful and distrustful or overwhelmed. This difficult experience is often called a 'bad trip'.

Other negative effects you'll only notice later, like derealisation, depersonalisation and Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS).

Derealisation means to feel like the world around you is not real, like you're in a dream or fog.
Depersonalisation means to feel like your own body is not real. As if you're on autopilot, or as if you're a robot.
VSS means that after use you keep problems with your vision. Things like visual noise (like an old TV between channels), tracers (afterimages on moving objects), light flashes or floaters (cloudiness in your eyes)

Making risks smaller

Do you want to minimize the risks? Then read the following tips:

Make sure to get your drugs tested before use. Then you'll know how strong it is and whether there's other dangerous substances in there.
Don't use if you don't feel good mentally or physically.
Make sure you use in a place where you feel safe.
Are you using 2C-B for the first time? Take a lower dosage.
Don't combine 2C-B with other drugs, including alcohol.
Don't use 2C-B if you have diabetes, a weak heart, high blood pressure, are pregnant or epileptic, if you have mental problems or if you're taking medication (especially MAO inhibitors or asthma medication)
Don't participate in traffic
2C-B could make you feel like cuddling or having sex. If you feel very relaxed, you might forget to think to use a condom. So make sure to always carry one.

What does it do to you?

The effect of alcohol and drugs can be different every time. This has to do with how you feel mentally and physically (set) and where and with who you are at that moment (setting). How much you take and what exactly is in your drugs also matters for the effect. We call this drug, set, setting’

What does 2C-B do to you?

How you feel after taking 2C-B among other things depends on how much you take (dosage). With low doses you mostly feel the energy and happiness. With larger amounts the tripping effects become more clear and take the upper hand.

You get more energy and feel happier.
You perceive the world around you differently;
- Colors become more intense
- It could look as though walls are breathing or as if objects are moving.
- Faces look different
- Music sounds more beautiful and intense
Your thoughts are different from normal - you might come to new ideas, but your thoughts can also become illogical or chaotic.

2C-B can also have some unpleasant effects:

You can become fearful and distrustful, or overwhelmed. This difficult experience is also called a 'bad trip'. You might feel like you'll never be normal again.

2C-B is used at home, but also at parties and festivals. Often together with friends.

Duration: if you swallow 2C-B you'll notice the effect after 20-60 minutes. After about 6 hours, the effects will have faded.

Are you taking more after your first dose? Then it'll take longer. The first dose hasn't left your body yet. The effect can also be stronger if you take extra. After using it can be difficult to fall asleep.

How is it used?

Making risks smaller

Are you planning to use 2C-B? Then that's never without risk. But there are things that you could look out for to make the risks smaller. Read these tips:

Make sure to get your drugs tested before use. Then you'll know how strong it is and whether there's other dangerous substances in there.
Don't use if you don't feel good mentally or physically.
Make sure you use in a place where you feel safe.
Are you using 2C-B for the first time, or at a festival? Take a lower dosage.
Don't combine 2C-B with other drugs, including alcohol.
Ask a friend to be a tripsitter. That's someone who's sober and help the people tripping if they're having a hard time.
If you feel fearful or are overwhelmed by the experience, don't resist, but instead let it happen and try to calm down. Remind yourself that the feeling is temporary and will go away.
Don't combine 2C-B with alcohol or other drugs. The combination with cannabis (weed or hash) can also create risks. A joint during a trip can make a fun experience into a tough one. We recommend against this combination.
Don't use 2C-B if you have diabetes, a weak heart, high blood pressure, are pregnant or epileptic, if you have mental problems or if you're taking medication (especially MAO inhibitors or asthma medication)
Don't participate in traffic
2C-B could make you feel like cuddling or having sex. If you feel very relaxed, you might forget to think to use a condom. So make sure to always carry one.
Make sure you have a free day after the day you took 2C-B so you can process the experience and rest.

2C-B and Dutch law

2C-B is on list (schedule) one of the Opiumwet. According to the law it's a hard drug. That means you are not allowed to carry, make or sell it.

If you carry a little bit of 2C-B with you (1 pill) you usually aren't punished. Police could however take (confiscate) your 2C-B. You can also be rejected or kicked out of a party if you are seen carrying 2C-B. If you have more than 1 pill with you, security or the police could think that you're selling drugs (dealing). You can get a fine or prison sentence for this.

2C-B statistics & data

There is a lot of research into drug usage in the Netherlands. Some research is about all people above 18 years old. Other research is about smaller groups. Like people who go out a lot, students, or citizens of a specific city. This research gives us a good overview of drug usage in the Netherlands.

Nearly 1% of Dutch people aged 18 and over had in 2022 used 2C-B in the last year (NDM). If we look only at 18-29 year olds the percentage is a bit higher at a little over 2,5%. When we look at people who go out, the percentage is a lot higher at 14%.

The Monitor DrugsIncidenten (agency for reporting incidents with drugs) reported few incidents with 2C-B in 2022.
The LADIS keeps track of how many people need help with a certain substance in addiction care organizations. 2C-B falls into the category 'miscellaneous'. This category doubled in size between 2018 and 2023 from 2 to 4%. 2C-B however is not specifically mentioned and is thought to be only a very small fraction of this category.

2C-B and medicine

If you want to use alcohol or other drugs it's important you feel good physically and mentally. If you're sick, sad or fearful for example, then alcohol and drugs can make it worse.

Some drugs in combination with certain medicine can make you very sick. Some combinations can even be deadly.

Are you using medicine and do you still want to use alcohol or other drugs? Then carefully research if you can beforehand. You can ask your doctor or pharmacy. Or check our overview. Do you still feel uncertain? Then make sure to message us at our Question & Answer service.

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