Compound Monograph
Thebaine
Thebaine is a minor opium poppy alkaloid that is convulsant rather than narcotic, used industrially as a precursor to other opioids.
Classification
Thebaine is an opiate (morphinan) alkaloid, part of the alkaloids class. Nitrogen-containing, often bitter and physiologically potent compounds — the group behind many of the strongest plant medicines and poisons.
Where Does It Come From? (1)
Thebaine is a naturally occurring opiate (morphinan) alkaloid, found in Opium poppy. It is flagged as toxic and poisonous.
Research & Evidence
Thebaine is a minor alkaloid of the opium poppy belonging to the morphinan family. Unlike morphine and codeine it has little analgesic value and instead produces stimulation and convulsions at toxic doses. Its main importance is as a chemical starting material from which a range of semi-synthetic opioids and opioid antagonists (such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, buprenorphine and naloxone) are manufactured.
Toxicity & Safety
Thebaine is poisonous: in sufficient quantity it acts as a strychnine-like convulsant and can cause seizures and death. It has no role in self-administration or herbal use. It is a controlled substance (Schedule II in the United States) and is handled only as an industrial precursor.