3-MMC

3-MMC usually appears as a crystal-like powder, crystals or small chunks, and less often as a pill.

The c in 3-MMC stands for 'cathinone'. 3-MMC is a variant of cathinon. Khat is a plant that contains cathinone. 3-MMC itself does not appear in nature and has to be made in a laboratory.

Because the word 'cat' is in the name of 'cathinone', 3-MMC and similar drugs are often called mcat or meow meow. Another reason is that it sometimes smells like cat pee. This is especially common with the variant 4-MMC.

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 3-MMC do to you?

How you feel after taking 3-MMC 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 have more energy and feel more free
• You feel happier
• You have a stronger desire to talk and make contact with others
• You have more confidence

Because of these effects, most people use 3-MMC at a party. Like at a club, festival, bar or at home with friends for example.

If you snort 3-MMC, you'll notice the effects after 5-10 minutes. After 2,5 to 4,5 hours, the effects will have faded. If you swallow 3-MMC, you'll notice the effects after 20-60 minutes, but they'll also last longer.

If you take more after your first dose, the effects will be longer. As the first dose is still in your body.

After using 3-MMC it can be difficult to fall asleep. The more you used, the longer this feeling could last.

3-MMC is usually snorted. It can also be swallowed. As a pill, capsule or ' (a folded up rolling paper with 3-MMC in it)

Much less common is injecting 3-MMC. This is also called 'slamming'

The use of 3-MMC also has risks. Some risks you'll notice right away, like overheating or dehydration. Other risks you'll only notice later, when the effects have already worn off, like depression and addiction.

What are the short-term risks?

• During use, people often experience cravings. This is the (strong) urge to take more. This could cause someone to stay awake for far longer than originally planned.
• You could overheat
• You can feel afraid or panicked
• You could get problems with your heart and blood vessels. The blood vessels get narrower. This could cause internal bleeding or a blood clot in the brain. Or it could cause a heart attack.
• You could get an epileptic seizure
• You could get 'excited delirium syndrome' - you suddenly act very aggressive without noticing it. This is very uncommon, but it can be very dangerous for yourself and the people around you.
• You could get a hangover. The days after use you can feel tired, sad or fearful.

What are the long-term risks?

• You can get addicted to 3-MMC. You don't have control over your usage anymore and use more often or in larger amounts than you wanted to or is appropriate.
• With frequent usage in large amounts you can start to experience mental problems. You can start feeling depressed, distrustful, restless or fearful. It can also cause psychosis if you are sensitive to it or if close family has suffered from psychosis.
• You can also start to have problems sleeping/

Are you planning to use 3-MMC? Then that's never without risk. 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.
• Before you use 3-MMC, think about how much and how often you want to use and make sure to stick to it.
• Don't use if you don't feel good mentally or physically.
• Only use for your enjoyment, don't use to fight symptoms like tiredness.
• Eat healthy before and after using 3-MMC. Try to eat many anti-oxidants and vitamins especially.
• Make sure you don't overheat when you use 3-MMC. Make sure to take a rest every now and then, don't wear warm clothing or hats and make sure to drink water or soda, but not too much. 1 glass per hour is enough.
• Don't combine 3-MMC with alcohol or other drugs
• Don't use 3-MMC 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
• 3-MMC can make you feel very open and happy. You feel connected to others. You might forget to have sex safely. So make sure to always carry a condom.

After using 3-MMC, you can feel bad for a few days. You might feel sad. We call this a 'Tuesday dip'.

You can recognize a 3-MMC hangover by the following complaints;

• Feeling depressed or 'down'
• Little energy, you don't feel like anything
• An exhausted feeling
• A feeling of fear or unrest
• A headache
• Nausea

The more 3-MMC you take, the worse the hangover will be. Combining 3-MMC with alcohol or other substances can make the dip worse too.

What can you do about it?

There is no quick fix to stop feeling hungover, except for using less or no 3-MMC. The body needs time to feel fit again. Eating healthy and resting well helps.

Do you continue to feel bad for more than a few days? Then go to your doctor or call the free and anonymous Medical Consultation Hour for Partydrugs.

You can read more about the Tuesday dip here.

3-MMC is on list (schedule) 1 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 3-MMC with you (1 gram or less) you usually aren't punished. Police could however take (confiscate) your 3-MMC. You can also be rejected or kicked out of a party if you are seen carrying 3-MMC. If you have more than 1 gram  with you, security or the police could think that you're selling drugs (dealing). You can get a fine or prison sentence for this.

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.

1% of Dutch people aged 18 and over had in 2022 used 3-MMC in the last year (NDM). If we look only at 18-29 year olds the percentage is a bit higher at 3%. When we look at people who go out, the percentage is a lot higher at 34%.

• The amount of reported incidents with the Monitor DrugsIncidenten (agency for reporting incidents with drugs) has gone up between 2018 and 2022. Many of these incidents involve young patients that combined different drugs.
• The LADIS keeps track of how many people need help with a certain substance in addiction care organizations. In 2023 3-MMC users made up 0,5% of the total amount of people looking for addiction care.

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.

Do not use alcohol or other drugs if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Drugs are harmful for the baby and can cause your baby to be born sick.

More info about the influence of 2C-B on sex, pregnancy and breastfeeding can be found in this overview.