Report on the risk assessment of TMA-2 in the framework of the joint action on new synthetic drugs

The risk-assessment report on the synthetic drug TMA-2 was submitted by the EMCDDA to the European Council and Commission on 4 April 2003. The report was drawn up at a meeting in Lisbon from 31 March to 1 April under the auspices of an enlarged EMCDDA Scientific Committee. The drug was singled out by the Council of the EU for risk assessment on 12 December 2002 under the 1997 Joint action on new synthetic drugs. The report concludes that, due to its structural features, TMA-2 is a potent hallucinogen/stimulant, similar to substances already classified under Schedules I and II of the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. It also notes that the substance has no current medical or industrial use. The report recommends that, due to a potential serious health risk, TMA-2 should be a controlled substance, although some experts consider that insufficient scientific evidence exists to support such a decision. Experts agreed however that whatever the control measures chosen, they should contribute to collecting and disseminating accurate information on the substance to users, and to relevant professionals for preventive and harm-reduction purposes.