JWH-072
Synthetic JWH-series cannabinoid, classed as a narcotic in France by family clause.
C₂₂H₁₉NO
Harm-reduction warning
No characterised human dose: animal / in vitro data only. Effect profile, safety margin and acute toxicity are not documented in human clinical practice. Extremely potent compound: severe effects, seizures and deaths reported in the literature.
Data sheet
Names
- IUPAC name
- naphthalen-1-yl-(1-propylindol-3-yl)methanone
- Other names
- 1-propyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole · naphthalen-1-yl(1-propyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methanone
Identifiers
- Formula
- C₂₂H₁₉NO
- Molar mass
- 313.40 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 45271208(new tab)
- InChIKey
- IVLWWVXVWRIXSS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Class
- Family
- Synthetic cannabinoid (SCRA)
Updated on
Receptors and activity
- CB2Agonist60 out of 100
Ki 170 nM (De Freitas et coll., 2009, valeur rapportée dans ChEMBL ; récepteur CB2 humain). Agoniste selon Thornton et coll., 2012 ; efficacité fonctionnelle non trouvée dans les sources consultées
- CB1Modulator40 out of 100
Ki 1 052 nM (De Freitas et coll., 2009, valeur rapportée dans ChEMBL ; récepteur CB1 de cerveau de rat). Efficacité fonctionnelle non trouvée dans les sources consultées
Subjective signature
- Calm
- 8 out of 100
- Relaxation of body and mind; reduced mental noise without marked drowsiness.
- Clarity
- 4 out of 100
- Sustained attention and clear thinking; functional lucidity, not euphoria.
- High
- 6 out of 100
- Euphoria and sensory intensity; altered perception of time and space.
- Appetite
- 6 out of 100
- Stimulation of hunger and of taste appreciation (the “munchies” effect).
- Sleep
- 6 out of 100
- Sedative effect: aids sleep onset and the continuity of deep sleep.
Pharmacology
JWH-072 belongs to the 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indole series, which came out of the work of John W. Huffman's team at Clemson University. In vitro, its affinity is about 170 nM for CB2 and 1 052 nM for CB1, with a preference for CB2; no functional measurement was found in the sources consulted. In humans, the data are limited to a 2012 clinical case reporting its presence in several biological fluids, without establishing its own role.
Key sources.
- Huffman et coll., relations structure-activité des 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphtoyl)indoles aux récepteurs CB1 et CB2, Bioorg Med Chem 2005 (new tab)PMID 15582455
- Wiley et coll., synthèse et pharmacologie des 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphtoyl)indoles à naphtoyle halogéné, Bioorg Med Chem 2012 (new tab)PMID 22341572
- Thornton et coll., détection simultanée de plusieurs drogues de synthèse chez un patient présentant une psychose prolongée, Clin Toxicol 2012 (new tab)PMID 23163617
- De Freitas et coll., modèles CoMFA et CoMSIA des ligands indoliques des récepteurs CB1 et CB2, Eur J Med Chem 2009 (new tab)PMID 19249138
- ChEMBL, fiche composé CHEMBL563390 (JWH-072), valeurs Ki issues du document CHEMBL1158401 (new tab)
- PubChem, Compound Summary CID 45271208, JWH-072 (new tab)
- ANSM, Liste consolidée des substances classées comme stupéfiants, mise à jour du 16 février 2026, bloc des familles indol-3-yl méthanone (new tab)
- Arrêté du 14 octobre 2019 modifiant l'arrêté du 22 février 1990, Légifrance (new tab)
- Organe international de contrôle des stupéfiants, Liste verte 2026 (conventions de 1971) (new tab)
History
- Source
- Entirely synthetic compound: no natural occurrence is recorded for this molecule, and it is not reported in cannabis. The oldest human report found in the sources consulted is a 2012 clinical case in which it was identified in the serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid of a patient, alongside other substances (Thornton et al., 2012). Those authors state that it had not previously been reported in the literature.
Origin (pharmaceutical research → illicit market)
No biosynthetic pathway: this is a synthetic compound, obtained by acylation at position 3 of an N-alkylated indole. Only the class of synthesis is described here.
Legal framework
- European Union
At EU level, no harmonised control measure is documented for this molecule in the sources consulted: control falls under national legislation. At international level, it is not named in the 2026 Green List of the International Narcotics Control Board, which lists substances under the 1971 Conventions.
- France
JWH-072 is not named in the consolidated list of substances classed as narcotics, updated on 16 February 2026. It does, however, fall under the generic definition of indol-3-yl methanones: the indole nitrogen carries an alkyl substituent (here a propyl group), and the methanone bridge carbon carries a naphthyl group (here 1-naphthyl). Its structure meets both conditions, which places it under the family-clause regime. The right-hand column of this block of the list refers to the decree of 14 October 2019 amending the decree of 22 February 1990.
Sources: EUR-Lex, UNODC, CND, ANSM, IUPHAR/BPS, ChEBI, EUDA. Our method.
References
- Huffman et coll., relations structure-activité des 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphtoyl)indoles aux récepteurs CB1 et CB2, Bioorg Med Chem 2005 (new tab)PMID 15582455
- Wiley et coll., synthèse et pharmacologie des 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphtoyl)indoles à naphtoyle halogéné, Bioorg Med Chem 2012 (new tab)PMID 22341572
- Thornton et coll., détection simultanée de plusieurs drogues de synthèse chez un patient présentant une psychose prolongée, Clin Toxicol 2012 (new tab)PMID 23163617
- De Freitas et coll., modèles CoMFA et CoMSIA des ligands indoliques des récepteurs CB1 et CB2, Eur J Med Chem 2009 (new tab)PMID 19249138
- ChEMBL, fiche composé CHEMBL563390 (JWH-072), valeurs Ki issues du document CHEMBL1158401 (new tab)
- PubChem, Compound Summary CID 45271208, JWH-072 (new tab)
- ANSM, Liste consolidée des substances classées comme stupéfiants, mise à jour du 16 février 2026, bloc des familles indol-3-yl méthanone (new tab)
- Arrêté du 14 octobre 2019 modifiant l'arrêté du 22 février 1990, Légifrance (new tab)
- Organe international de contrôle des stupéfiants, Liste verte 2026 (conventions de 1971) (new tab)
Structured data
- SMILES
- CCCN1C=C(C2=CC=CC=C21)C(=O)C3=CC=CC4=CC=CC=C43
- InChIKey
- IVLWWVXVWRIXSS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
LLM ingestion format: a structured superset of the entry (identifiers, binding, versioned legal status). Full corpus.