Since moving to southern Oregon about 18 months ago, I have become aware of a psychedelic drug I had never heard of called “Bromo-DragonFLY”, “DragonFLY”, “B-Fly” or just “FLY”. It is also referred to by the letters: BrDF, 2C-TFM and ABDF. The young people who made me aware of the drug range in age from 18 to 24 and most describe their experience with this substance as mildly or sometimes ambivalently negative: “too intense”, “LSD for robots”, “rat poison”, “lasts too long and leaves you drained”, “definitely not for everyone, just too powerful”.
“B-FLY”, bromo-benzodifuranyl-isopropylamine was synthesized in the 1990s and was first used in rat brain research at Purdue in 1998. Though some have told me that it was developed as a rat poison, I could find no references to verify this claim. Dr. Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin describes FLY as a phenethylamine psychedelic but the phenyl ring of this molecule is bound between two dihydrofuran rings giving it more potency and longer lasting effects than most other phenethylamines (A Shulgin & A Shulgin, 1998, PIHKAL: a Chemical Love Story. Transform Press: Berkeley, CA 4th printing). The molecular representation of this chemical resembles a dragonfly and hence its street name. By 2005, FLY began to appear as a street drug notably in Ashland, Oregon, Queensland, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.
As with all illicit street drugs, there are reports of discrepancies in the liquid, blotter paper and other dosage forms of Bromo-DragonFLY. What one gets from street purchases of the drugs is further complicated by the fact that the molecule can form two distinct chiral or optical isomers and especially by the fact that originally 5 other related synthetic molecules are also called FLY. At least 2 of these have already been misrepresented as Bromo-DragonFLY in street sales. In addition to Bromo-DragonFLY; 2C-Fly, 2C-B-Fly, 3C-Fly, Fly, and DOM-Fly were also synthesized by 1996 (AP Monte, et al, 1996. Dihydrobenzofuran analogues of hallucinogens. J of Medicinal Chem, 39:2953-2961; EC Reed & GS Kiddon, 2007. The characterization of three FLY compounds (2C-B-Fly, 3C-B-Fly, and Bromo-DragonFLY, DEA Microgram Journal, 5[14]:4-12). This may explain reports of a stronger “European or German Batch” of the drug that was on the streets in 2005 replaced by a less potent “American Batch” in 2006.
An August 2007 Bulletin posted a brief entry about the seizure of a dropper bottle from an Ashland, Oregon resident that contained a clear, colorless, aqueous liquid. The individual was suspected of selling drugs and the liquid was analyzed to be 1-(8-bromobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]difuran-4-yl)-2-aminopropane which is the more precise chemical/technical name for Bromo-DragonFLY (DEA August 2007, “Bromo Dragonfly” [bromo-benzodifuranyl-isopropylamine] in Ashland, Oregon, DEA Microgram accessed 4/3/08). Both the DEA Microgram Bulletin and Journal have excellent information on street drug trafficking accompanied by photos. (DEA Microgram Bulletin February 2008. “Bromo-dragonfly” in Queensland, Australia, 41[2]:16-17;EC Reed & GS Kiddon, Jan-Dec 2007. The characterization of three FLY Compounds [2C-B-FLY, 3C-B-FLY, and Bromo-DragonFly] DEA Microgram Journal, 5[14]:4-12 both accessed on 4/3/08). I don’t recommend these web sites for anyone in recovery because the photos could evoke strong cravings.
Less scientifically reliable web sites like Vaults of Erowid, Drug Forum, Wikipedia and Cannabis Culture Forums have interesting postings on B-FLY along with practical advice. Although these sites can be easily corrupted by people adding or changing information, I found the content to be consistent with what is known about the dosage and effects of this drug. These sites indicate B-FLY is sold in liquid, powder, blotter paper and tablet forms on the street. Inconsistencies regarding which “fly” chemical are sold or what chiral form of the drug is used produces conflicting reports of threshold doses and effects. The “European Batch” is said to be active at 200 to 500 ug doses while the “American Batch” requires 800 to 1800 ug. These variances between threshold and common dose ranges of B-FLY products create a potential for drug overdose problems. Additionally, many users state that the onset of its effects, though usually 30 to 90 minutes after oral ingestion, can be delayed for up to 6 hours which can lead to “double dosing” (the ingestion of another dose of B-FLY thinking that the first dose was inadequate to cause any effects) and/or the use of additional drugs while waiting for the effects to kick in. A couple of deaths from abuse of this drug have been noted in Norway and Sweden. The R-(-) chiral form of the drug is thought to be the more active stereoisomer.
B-FLY is usually described as a powerful hallucinogen though some have said that it is milder with significant entactogenic and empathogenic activity. Like phenethylamine psychedelics, it causes: anorexia, mood elevation, physical and emotional stimulation, and increased associative thinking. Strong effects associated with its use include hallucinations, visual distortions, muscle tension, memory loss, confusion and even acute anxiety reactions with depersonification, derealization, and panic. One southern Oregon youth described watching thick smoke billow from his feet (visual hallucination), and multicolor blood gurgling (auditory hallucination) from his TV onto the floor during the “roller coaster” phase of a DragonFLY trip. The “roller coaster” phase is described as mentally oscillating between peaks of psychedelic drug effects and feelings of complete normalcy with no hallucinogenic effects. This oscillation begins after the plateau effects of psychedelics are over; the peak effects then become less intense as the drug experience is on the wane. The total duration of a B-FLY can vary from 6 hours to 4 days due to the variations in the molecules sold as the drug. Almost every reference strongly recommends against use citing the potential dangers of its effects, the lack of research, and the unreliability of products sold as Bromo-DragonFLY.
Early research on dihydrobenzofuran indicates that its psychedelic effects are due to its agonistic action on serotonin receptors. B-FLY has strong binding and activation of 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B and 5HT2C serotonin receptors (AP Monte, et al, 1997. Mescaline derivatives. J of Medicinal Chem, 40(19):2997-3008).
Bromo-DragonFLY is not scheduled as a controlled substance in the U.S. but it could be considered a chemical analog of other Schedule I drugs like DOB or 2C-B. If the DEA declares it as such, consumption or possession would be prosecuted under the 1986 Federal Analogue Act.
When a new synthetic psychedelic drug like B-FLY, Tripstasy (2-CB), Blue Mistic (2C-T-7), and Foxy Methoxy (5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyl-tryptamine) makes its debut on the street it generates my sense of amazement at the complexity of the brain’s chemical processes. It also reminds me of the lifelong work of Drs. Alexander and Anna Shulgin who have created hundreds of these substances in their quest to better understand those processes.
Darryl S. Inaba, PharmD., CADC III