4-AcO-DMT is a tryptamine psychedelic, meaning it has the basic element of tryptamine known as the indole structure. Tryptamine itself is a compound that exists throughout nature. It is derived from the essential amino acid tryptophan.
There is a lack of research on 4-AcO-DMT. There are no studies on the toxicity and long-term health effects of the substance. The exact toxic dose is also unknown. This is because 4-AcO-DMT is a research chemical with a very short history of human use.
Albert Hofmann and Franz Troxler first synthesized 4-AcO-DMT in the early 1960s. Sandoz, a Swiss chemical company that produced LSD (discovered by Hofmann), then patented 4-AcO-DMT in 1963. However, its subjective effects were not investigated at the time.
It is currently unknown when people first started using 4-AcO-DMT and exploring its psychedelic effects. Its recreational use peaked in the 2010s, which is when the drug appeared on the online research chemical market.