However, 3-MMC has still appeared on the recreational drug market as an alternative to mephedrone, and was first identified being sold in Sweden in 2012.

[2] 3-MMC was first encountered in Sweden in 2012,[8] it was created as a designer drug following the control in many countries of the related compound mephedrone.

18 of the 27 reported fatalities involved multiple drugs of abuse, usually opioids and uppers ("speedballs").

"[12] 3-MMC potently inhibits the reuptake of monoamines in the human norepinephrine (NET) and dopamine (DAT) transporters.

It also acts as a triple releasing agent of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, similar to many other cathinones.

As a releasing agent, it is more selective for dopamine and especially norepinephrine, suggesting that it has stronger amphetamine-like stimulant properties compared to mephedrone or MDMA.

[14] Conversely, it is a low-potency weak partial agonist of the mouse TAAR1 (EC50 = 3,800 nM, EmaxTooltip maximal efficacy = 25%).

It is assumed that the S form is more potent due to its similarity to cathinone, but further research is needed to confirm this.

One route adapted from Power et al.[18] is to add ethylmagnesium bromide to 3-methylbenzaldehyde (I) to form the product 1-(3-methylphenyl)-1-propanol (II).

This product is then oxidized by pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) on silica gel to the ketone (III) and brominated with hydrobromic acid to yield the bromoketone (IV).

[18] As with mephedrone, users of 3-MMC typically report effects such as an elevated mood, pleasant body sensations, feelings of love and empathy, euphoria, greater appreciation of music, heightened libido, and increased confidence and sociability.

Users may dose repeatedly in order to extend the drugs duration, leading to 0.5—2 gram "sessions" that can span an evening.

[24] 3-MMC was not banned in 2016 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) after a critical review.

[25] However, following its subsequent abuse beginning in 2019, this decision was overturned and it was placed into schedule II of the 1971 convention in March 2023.

[30] The company has filed for patent coverage in Canada, Mexico, Croatia, the United States, Morocco, Japan, Brazil, Poland, Hungary, and Korea.