In Japan, 32 psychotropic substances were controlled under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law starting April 2007 to curb drug abuse, but new designer drugs continue to emerge. Just before a law amendment, 7 designer drugs were detected in 15 products using NMR, GC-MS, and LC-MS analyses. These included three methylone derivatives (MDPV, bk-MBDB, bk-MDEA), a MDMA derivative (N-OH MDMA), a methamphetamine derivative (N-Me-4-FMP), a tryptamine derivative (5-MeO-EIPT), and indan-2-amine. 5-MeO-EIPT was newly identified in this study.
Magic mushrooms sold in Japanese markets are difficult to identify by appearance alone, especially when dried and powdered. By analyzing the internal transcribed spacer region of their ribosomal RNA gene, researchers classified the samples into six genetic groups and matched them to known species using DNA databases. Chemical analysis showed that Panaeolus cyanescens contained the highest level of psilocin among the mushrooms tested, while Amanita species contained none.
Since 2002, psilocybin-containing fungi have been regulated in Japan, but fly agaric-related products are now entering the Japanese market via the internet. DNA analysis of these products suggested they originate from Amanita muscaria or A. muscaria var. persicina, and they were classified into three strains based on nucleotide sequences. Chemical analysis detected harmine derivatives and/or tryptamine derivatives in some products, and the matK gene of Peganum harmala was found in all harmine-containing samples, indicating the presence of additional psychoactive plants.