Troparil is a few times more potent than cocaine as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor,[1] but is less potent as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor,[2] and has a duration spanning a few times longer, since the phenyl ring is directly connected to the tropane ring through a non-hydrolyzable carbon-carbon bond.

The lack of an ester linkage removes the local anesthetic action from the drug, so troparil is a pure stimulant.

Troparil has similar effects to cocaine in animal studies,[11][12] but recreational use of this compound to date has proven extremely rare.

Despite being easily made by the reaction of methylecgonidine with phenylmagnesium bromide,[5][13] the relative scarcity of methylecgonidine and the demanding reaction conditions required for the synthesis[14][15] put production of this compound beyond the capacity of most illicit drug manufacturers, and legitimate supplies of troparil are available only in very small quantities for a very high price.

The legal status of troparil is unclear, but it may be considered a controlled substance analog of cocaine in the United States on the grounds of its related chemical structure.