spec sheet10 rows
25B-NBOH is the N-(2-hydroxybenzyl) derivative of the phenethylamine 2C-B and a member of the NBOH family of serotonergic hallucinogens. Substitution of the 2-hydroxybenzyl group onto the amine markedly increases affinity and agonist potency at the 5-HT2A receptor relative to the parent 2C compound, while the NBOH series shows somewhat greater 5-HT2A selectivity than the closely related NBOMe compounds. Like other NBOHs it is thermally labile and readily reverts to its 2C precursor under gas chromatography, which complicates forensic identification, and it is metabolized primarily through O-demethylation, hydroxylation, and glucuronidation. It is active at very small doses and is typically distributed on blotter paper; documented poisonings, including cases mis-sold as LSD, have produced sympathomimetic toxicity, seizures, and acute kidney injury.
- Very potent, stimulating 5-HT2A agonist
- Slightly gentler reputation than the NBOMe series
- Potent, comparatively selective 5-HT2A receptor agonist
- Vasoconstriction, high blood pressure, and heart strain
- Seizures and severe agitation
Mechanism
25B-NBOH is 2C-B with a 2-hydroxybenzyl group added to the nitrogen; this substitution dramatically increases affinity and potency at the receptor, the receptor responsible for the classic psychedelic state. The NBOH compounds are somewhat less stable and generally regarded as slightly less potent than their NBOMe cousins, but they remain extremely powerful agonists active at very small amounts. Like the NBOMe series they are broken down readily in the gut, so they are inactive when swallowed.
receptor fingerprint
receptoragonist
5-HT2C receptoragonist
Safetyrisks and cautions, not medical advice
Because 25B-NBOH is active at such small amounts, the difference between a common and a dangerous quantity is very small, and accurate measurement is critical. NBOH and NBOMe compounds can cause dangerous vasoconstriction, seizures, severe agitation, high blood pressure, and heart problems, and deaths have occurred. They must never be combined with stimulants, vasoconstrictors, or serotonergic drugs, and blotters sold as LSD may actually be one of these; people with heart problems or a psychosis history should avoid them. Not medical advice.
Subjective profileweighing the evidence above
A research chemical with a margin too narrow to manage by eye, and the wider NBOH and NBOMe family has caused deaths. Reading gentler than an NBOMe is not a safety feature. Blotter sold as LSD has turned out to be one of these, which is the real hazard: nobody taking it knows what it is or how much is on the paper.
Resources
This entry is here for reference.
Research
- 2015first citedHallucinogen-like effects of 2-([2-(4-cyano-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl) ethylamino]methyl)phenol (25CN…
- 2025most recentLocomotor and discriminative stimulus effects of NBOH hallucinogens in rodents.
- 1.A cluster of 25B-NBOH poisonings following exposure to powder sold as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
- 2.Hallucinogen-like effects of 2-([2-(4-cyano-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl) ethylamino]methyl)phenol (25CN-NBOH), a novel N-benzylphenethylamine with 100-fold selectivity for 5-HT₂A receptors, in mice.
- 3.Metabolic characterization of 25X-NBOH and 25X-NBOMe phenethylamines based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS in human liver microsomes.
- 4.Neurochemical pharmacology of psychoactive substituted N-benzylphenethylamines: High potency agonists at 5-HT2A receptors.
- 5.Locomotor and discriminative stimulus effects of NBOH hallucinogens in rodents.
- 6.Novel Psychoactive Phenethylamines: Impact on Genetic Material.
- 7.A risk-based approach to community illicit drug toxicosurveillance: operationalisation of the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia - Victoria (EDNAV) project.
- 8.A Sensitive and Comprehensive LC-MS/MS Method for the Analysis of Hallucinogens, Synthetic Cathinones, and Synthetic Cannabinoids in Urine Samples.
- 9.Pharmacology and Toxicology of N-Benzylphenethylamine ("NBOMe") Hallucinogens.
9 listed here; entry last updated August 2026
Reviews
My notesprivate to this device
FAQ
How is 25B-NBOH different from 2C-B?
It is 2C-B with an added N-benzyl group that makes it enormously more potent and narrows the margin for error.
Can you swallow it?
No, it is broken down in the gut and is essentially inactive orally; it is used sublingually.
Why is it dangerous?
It is active at tiny amounts and can cause vasoconstriction, seizures, and heart problems, and it is often mis-sold as LSD.
Adverse effects
- Vasoconstriction, high blood pressure, and heart strain
- Seizures and severe agitation
Notes and cautions
- Very narrow safety margin
- Often mis-sold as LSD