Drug cluster · 11 substances
Emerging and unscheduled substances list
New and re-emerging substances are reshaping the drug supply. Some are sold openly in gas stations and online; others are hidden in fentanyl and counterfeit pills. Their legal status is changing fast.
In 2026 the DEA proposed Schedule I for tianeptine, began scheduling concentrated 7-OH kratom products, and continued emergency scheduling of nitazenes, while Congress moved to place xylazine in Schedule III.
Also profiled on DoseUses in this cluster: 7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine), Bromazolam, Etizolam, HHC, Medetomidine, and Phenibut.
Warning: Fentanyl test strips do not detect nitazenes or xylazine. Separate strips exist. Always give naloxone for a suspected opioid overdose, even if xylazine may be involved.
Compare the emerging and unscheduled substances at a glance
| Substance | Also known as | Type | US status | Medical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) | 7-hydroxymitragynine, 7OH | Concentrated kratom-derived opioid | Not federally controlled | None |
| Bromazolam | Designer Xanax | Designer benzodiazepine | Schedule I | None |
| Etizolam | Etilaam, Depas, Etizest | Thienodiazepine (benzodiazepine-like) | Schedule I | None in the US (prescribed in Japan, Italy, and India) |
| HHC | Hexahydrocannabinol | Semi-synthetic cannabinoid | Not federally controlled | None |
| Kratom | Mitragyna speciosa, Kakuam, Thang | Plant with opioid-like alkaloids | Not federally controlled | None approved |
| Medetomidine | Domitor, Rhino tranq | Veterinary alpha-2 agonist sedative (adulterant) | Not federally controlled | None in humans (veterinary sedative) |
| Nitazenes | Benzimidazole-opioids, Isotonitazene, Protonitazene | Synthetic opioids (benzimidazole-opioids) | Schedule I | None |
| PCP | Phencyclidine, Angel dust, Wet | Dissociative anesthetic (NMDA receptor antagonist) | Schedule II | None (former anesthetic) |
| Phenibut | Beta-phenyl-GABA, Noofen, Anvifen | GABA-B receptor agonist (unapproved supplement) | Not federally controlled | None in the US (prescribed in Russia and Latvia) |
| Tianeptine | Gas station heroin, Za Za, Tianaa | Atypical antidepressant with opioid agonist activity | Not federally controlled | None in the US |
| Xylazine | Tranq, Tranq dope, Sleep cut | Veterinary sedative (alpha-2 adrenergic agonist) | Not federally controlled | Veterinary only |
7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine)
7-hydroxymitragynine, 7OH, 7-Tabs
7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) is a potent opioid compound found in trace amounts in kratom and sold in concentrated tablets, gummies, and shots in gas stations and vape shops.
Read profileBromazolam
Designer Xanax, Fake bars, Benzo dope (with fentanyl)
Bromazolam is a designer benzodiazepine never approved anywhere as a medicine.
Read profileEtizolam
Etilaam, Depas, Etizest
Etizolam is a benzodiazepine-like drug prescribed for anxiety in Japan, Italy, and India but never approved in the US.
Read profileHHC
Hexahydrocannabinol, Legal weed
HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid made from hemp-derived CBD, with effects similar to THC.
Read profileKratom
Mitragyna speciosa, Kakuam, Thang
Kratom is a Southeast Asian tree whose leaves contain mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which act on opioid receptors.
Read profileMedetomidine
Domitor, Rhino tranq, Rhino tranq
Medetomidine is a powerful veterinary sedative that, since late 2024, has replaced xylazine as a common adulterant in illicit fentanyl in Philadelphia, Chicago, and other cities.
Read profileNitazenes
Benzimidazole-opioids, Isotonitazene, Protonitazene
Nitazenes are a group of synthetic opioids, first made in the 1950s but never approved as medicines, that have appeared in the illicit drug supply since 2019.
Read profilePCP
Phencyclidine, Angel dust, Wet
PCP (phencyclidine), also called angel dust, is a dissociative drug developed as an anesthetic in the 1950s and abandoned because of severe agitation and hallucinations in patients.
Read profilePhenibut
Beta-phenyl-GABA, Noofen, Anvifen
Phenibut is a sedative related to GABA and baclofen, prescribed for anxiety and sleep in Russia and Latvia.
Read profileTianeptine
Gas station heroin, Za Za, Tianaa
Tianeptine is an antidepressant approved in some European, Asian, and Latin American countries but never in the US.
Read profileXylazine
Tranq, Tranq dope, Sleep cut
Xylazine is a veterinary sedative that has spread through the illicit fentanyl supply as "tranq".
Read profile