{"schemaVersion":"cwiki-fiche-1.0","identifiers":{"inchiKey":"DUBUGSKBMMXSOU-UHFFFAOYSA-N","prefName":"JWH-120","symbol":"JWH-120","iupacName":"(4-methylnaphthalen-1-yl)-(1-propylindol-3-yl)methanone","aliases":["JWH 120","1-propyl-3-(4-methyl-1-naphthoyl)indole","(4-methylnaphthalen-1-yl)(1-propyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methanone"],"cas":"824955-98-8","pubchemCid":"11461586","chebiId":null,"smiles":"CCCN1C=C(C2=CC=CC=C21)C(=O)C3=CC=C(C4=CC=CC=C43)C","molecularFormula":"C23H21NO","molecularWeight":327.4,"xrefs":{"pubchem":"https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11461586"}},"classification":{"family":"scra","familyLabel":"Synthetic cannabinoid (SCRA)","origin":"synthetic","originLabel":"Synthétique","structuralClassFr":null},"originSynthesis":{"heading":"Origin (pharmaceutical research → illicit market)","summaryFr":"Biosynthetic pathway: none described. This is a synthetic molecule. It belongs to synthetic chemistry, in the naphthoylindole class: a carbonyl group links position 3 of an N-alkylated indole to a naphthalene.","originNote":"Synthetic molecule, prepared by John W. Huffman's group in the naphthoylindole series (Huffman et al., 2005). No source consulted reports it in hemp or in any other living organism.","discovered":""},"pharmacology":{"summaryFr":"JWH-120 is a synthetic cannabinoid of the naphthoylindole series, described in 2005 by John W. Huffman's group at Clemson University. Reported affinities are 6.1 nM for CB2 and 1 054 nM for CB1, a ratio of about 173 in favour of CB2. The published functional assay classes it as a partial CB2 agonist, whereas JWH-151, from the same series, is a full agonist. No human, pharmacokinetic or toxicological data were found in the sources consulted, and no therapeutic indication is established. In France, it is not named in the narcotics list but falls under the generic clause for indol-3-yl methanones, which makes it a narcotic.","receptorSummaryFr":"Partial agonist at the CB2 receptor. The GTPγS assay published by Huffman et al. (2005) places JWH-120, together with JWH-267, among the partial agonists, whereas JWH-151 is a full agonist. The same article presents it as a highly selective CB2 agonist. Its affinity for CB2 is nanomolar (Ki 6.1 nM), and its affinity for CB1 is about 173 times lower (Ki 1 054 nM), values reported in ChEMBL from Markt et al. (2009) and De Freitas et al. (2009). No functional data on CB1 were found in the sources consulted.","binding":[{"target":"CB2","efficacy":"partial_agonist","relativeActivity":87,"reported":"Ki 6,1 nM (Markt et coll., 2009, valeur ChEMBL)","confidence":"medium"}],"references":[{"label":"Huffman et coll., relations structure-activité des 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphtoyl)indoles aux récepteurs CB1 et CB2, Bioorg Med Chem, 2005","pmid":"15582455","doi":"10.1016/j.bmc.2004.09.050","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15582455/"},{"label":"Markt et coll., criblage virtuel de ligands CB2 par pharmacophore, J Med Chem, 2009","pmid":"19143566","doi":"10.1021/jm801044g","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19143566/"},{"label":"De Freitas et coll., modèles CoMFA et CoMSIA des ligands indoles CB1 et CB2, Eur J Med Chem, 2009","pmid":"19249138","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmech.2009.01.026","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19249138/"},{"label":"ChEMBL, fiche composé CHEMBL497811 (valeurs Ki CB1 et CB2 compilées)","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/compound_report_card/CHEMBL497811/"},{"label":"PubChem, CID 11461586 (JWH-120)","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11461586"},{"label":"ANSM, liste consolidée des substances classées comme stupéfiants (mise à jour du 16 février 2026), annexe IV, famille des indol-3-yl méthanones","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://ansm.sante.fr/uploads/2026/02/17/20260217-stupefiants-liste-consolidee.pdf"},{"label":"Arrêté du 14 octobre 2019 modifiant l'arrêté du 22 février 1990 fixant la liste des substances classées comme stupéfiants","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000039223507"},{"label":"INCB, Green List 2026 (conventions de 1961 et 1971), JWH-120 non inscrit","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://www.incb.org/incb/uploads/documents/Psychotropics/forms/greenlist/2026/2510307E.pdf"}]},"pharmacokinetics":null,"metabolism":null,"detection":null,"subjectiveEffects":{"profile":[{"key":"calm","label":"Calm","description":"Relaxation of body and mind; reduced mental noise without marked drowsiness.","intensity":5},{"key":"focus","label":"Clarity","description":"Sustained attention and clear thinking; functional lucidity, not euphoria.","intensity":5},{"key":"sleep","label":"Sleep","description":"Sedative effect: aids sleep onset and the continuity of deep sleep.","intensity":5},{"key":"appetite","label":"Appetite","description":"Stimulation of hunger and of taste appreciation (the “munchies” effect).","intensity":10},{"key":"uplift","label":"High","description":"Euphoria and sensory intensity; altered perception of time and space.","intensity":5}],"doseRanges":null,"humanDataCharacterised":false},"indications":{"approvedMedicines":[]},"harmProfile":{"unstudiedBanner":true,"bannerTextFr":"Aucune dose humaine caractérisée : données animales / in vitro uniquement. Profil d'effet, marge de sécurité et toxicité aiguë non documentés en clinique humaine.","toxicologyFr":null},"legal":{"scheduleStatus":"unscheduled","scheduleLabel":"Unscheduled","frScheduleStatus":"controlled-clause","tiers":[{"jurisdiction":"international","jurisdictionLabel":"International","label":null,"reference":null,"url":null,"effectiveDate":null,"lastVerified":"2026-05-01","supersededBy":null},{"jurisdiction":"eu","jurisdictionLabel":"Union européenne","label":"This entry cites no European source, so no harmonised European Union control measure is established for JWH-120 here.","reference":null,"url":null,"effectiveDate":null,"lastVerified":"2026-05-01","supersededBy":null},{"jurisdiction":"fr","jurisdictionLabel":"France","label":"JWH-120 is not named in the ANSM consolidated list of narcotics (update of 16 February 2026). It does fall under the generic family of indol-3-yl methanones, defined in Annex IV of that list following the order of 14 October 2019 amending the order of 22 February 1990: an alkyl-type substituent on the indole nitrogen and a naphthyl-type group, substituted or not, on the methanone bridge. JWH-120 meets both conditions (N-propyl chain, methyl-bearing naphthyl): it is therefore classed as a narcotic in France under that clause.","reference":null,"url":null,"effectiveDate":null,"lastVerified":"2026-05-01","supersededBy":null}],"sourcesFr":"EUR-Lex, UNODC, CND, ANSM, IUPHAR/BPS, ChEBI, EUDA."},"references":[{"label":"Huffman et coll., relations structure-activité des 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphtoyl)indoles aux récepteurs CB1 et CB2, Bioorg Med Chem, 2005","pmid":"15582455","doi":"10.1016/j.bmc.2004.09.050","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15582455/"},{"label":"Markt et coll., criblage virtuel de ligands CB2 par pharmacophore, J Med Chem, 2009","pmid":"19143566","doi":"10.1021/jm801044g","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19143566/"},{"label":"De Freitas et coll., modèles CoMFA et CoMSIA des ligands indoles CB1 et CB2, Eur J Med Chem, 2009","pmid":"19249138","doi":"10.1016/j.ejmech.2009.01.026","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19249138/"},{"label":"ChEMBL, fiche composé CHEMBL497811 (valeurs Ki CB1 et CB2 compilées)","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/compound_report_card/CHEMBL497811/"},{"label":"PubChem, CID 11461586 (JWH-120)","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11461586"},{"label":"ANSM, liste consolidée des substances classées comme stupéfiants (mise à jour du 16 février 2026), annexe IV, famille des indol-3-yl méthanones","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://ansm.sante.fr/uploads/2026/02/17/20260217-stupefiants-liste-consolidee.pdf"},{"label":"Arrêté du 14 octobre 2019 modifiant l'arrêté du 22 février 1990 fixant la liste des substances classées comme stupéfiants","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000039223507"},{"label":"INCB, Green List 2026 (conventions de 1961 et 1971), JWH-120 non inscrit","pmid":null,"doi":null,"url":"https://www.incb.org/incb/uploads/documents/Psychotropics/forms/greenlist/2026/2510307E.pdf"}],"meta":{"slug":"jwh-120","url":"https://en.phytogrammes.com/wiki/jwh-120","lastVerified":"2026-05-01","dataUpdatedAt":"2026-10-13","confidence":"high","dataCompletenessPct":90,"disclaimerFr":"Contenu éditorial informatif, sans valeur d'avis médical ni juridique. Sources primaires citées par fiche. Réservé aux adultes."}}