5,6-Methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane : from laboratory curiosity to 'legal high'

The fully synthetic 'legal high' 5,6-methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane (MDAI) is an analogue of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Although developed in the 1990s, it was not widely abused until 2010. However, mephedrone was banned in the UK in April 2010, and almost immediately, MDAI was widely advertised as a legal alternative. This paper provides both an overview of the current state of knowledge of MDAI and a critical analysis of online available information relating to its psychoactive effects, adverse reactions and use in combination with other drugs.