Episode 62: Methaqualone (Quaaludes) – From 1970s Sedative to Modern Analogues

This week on The Tox Lab, we’re taking a closer look at quaaludes and their modern analogues.

Once synonymous with a particular era of drug use, quaaludes have largely disappeared from the illicit market. But have they really gone away? We explore the history of methaqualone, how and why it fell out of use, and what has appeared in its place.

We then dive into a review examining a wide range of methaqualone analogues, focusing on how these substances are described by users, the variability in their effects, and what this means for interpretation.

Join us as we unpack the legacy of quaaludes, the chemistry behind their analogues, and what user experiences can tell us about substances that are often poorly characterised.

This episode is very kindly sponsored by Cayman Chemical. Check them out here: https://www.caymanchem.com/

Hope you enjoy!

Links to the paper we discussed:

https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/amsik/article/review-of-the-experiences-of-users-of-methaqualone-and-methaqualone-derivatives-an-analysis-of-online-forums

Disclaimer: All opinions are our own.

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