The Revival of Grimy Drugs

But a change is occuring: More people than ever seem to be returning to these far cheaper stimulants, despite their shady past. And it’s a whole new world for Gen Zers like me, ones who weren’t there the first time round, so have no triggering memories to cringe at – yet. Then there’s the amping up of relatively new drug 3-MMC, which is almost identical to mcat, but without the sordid history. So, what’s actually going on?

First off, speed. "I've noticed way more speed in clubs and festivals in the UK recently, even a year ago I would've only seen it in Berlin," says Will, 26, who's chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, like others in this piece. Will works in fashion, an industry usually known for favouring cocaine, where lines are snorted off silver trays (so chic) and sometimes even chalices of the stuff are passed around. These days, though, Will finds himself being offered speed by models at fashion parties instead. “People aren’t really turning their nose up at it anymore, even though it’s cheap and a bit gross,” he adds, stressing how wildly different that is from when he first began working in the industry, in 2019.

And therein lies one of the main reasons: Gross? Maybe. Cheap? Hell yes. It’s no secret we’re in a crippling cost of living crisis right now, so if you find yourself needing to buy off-brand ketchup and mayo, you’re probably having to do the same with your drugs. “None of us have any money, particularly in fashion,” Will continues. “I think the cheap price of speed obviously makes it a lot more attractive now.” For around a tenner per gram, compared to £60-100 for coke, he’s not wrong. 

And whilst some actually do love the chatting shit, shitting lava effects of cocaine, many just use it to simply keep themselves awake.“It's more of an energy thing,” says Will, noting that the endlessly long days, particularly at fashion week, need a pick-me-up for the final stretch of partying. For those people, speed can be the perfect, far cheaper dupe. 

In any case, how often is the coke you’re buying even coke anyway? Cocaine is often cut with so much other crap – often speed itself – unless you’re willing to shell out a lot more money.

“You just can't get cheap drugs over here that aren’t cut or spiked or something,” says Luca, 21, who recently moved to London from Paris. “I bought ‘cocaine’ the other day and it was literally just pure speed.” I guess, if you’re gonna do speed either way, why not buy the real thing for a fraction of the price, right? 

Over the past few years the UK has had a real problem with drug purity. From dodgy ket in early 2023, to drug charity The Loop finding over a fifth of MDMA samples tested contained synthetic cathinones (the same family of mephedrone and 3-MMC) in 2021, no one knows what’s safe. 

While people are unwittingly taking mcat in their pingers already, its legacy as a drug of choice is much more shaky. Mcat first launched onto the scene in 2009, sold legally as plant food in head shops all over the nation, immediately causing a widespread obsession. In late 2009, a whopping one in three MixMag readers reported taking it in the last month. The government soon spoiled the fun, though, and outlawed it as a Class B by 2010. It’s since become a fixture of the queer London rave and chemsex scenes, but hasn’t been seen outside of that context – until now.

One theory for mcat coming back into the mainstream, is the recent rise in popularity of queer raves and club nights. In the past few years, queer parties from Inferno to Unfold have seen an influx of cishet partygoers, with many now moved to larger clubs like Corsica, The Cause, and Colour Factory. This opens up mcat to a whole new audience and the super spreading begins. 

Over the past year or two, I’ve had many a conversation with cishet friends or acquaintances about them discovering mcat and treating it like a fun little risk, an unusual anecdote. But over time, this conversation has changed. What might’ve started as a sneaky one-off bump given to them at a club, has turned into people mentioning picking up a bag of mcat as casually as a bag of ket, at pres – a staple for every night out.

Ben, 19, has seen mcat cropping up in his alternative, art school-type circles recently. “People seem to want a more unique approach to drug use, I think because coke and MDMA are so widely accepted in mainstream UK culture,” he says. It makes sense. London is filled with alternative types looking to get far away from their smaller hometowns. “Mephedrone gives a more euphoric feeling that people who want weirder experiences go for.” And again, the younger generations don't have that ingrained negative perception of mcat, so they’re much more likely to give it a whirl.

At the end of the day, though, Ben thinks most people he knows will just do anything they can get their hands on. “I think some people like to ideally paint themselves into this, ‘I’m in this cool subculture or part of a trendy resurgence’ idea, but really it comes down to availability,” he continues. “If anything, there's a resurgence because of the cost of living crisis more than the drugs themselves.’

Then there’s 3-MMC, mephedrone’s cooler cousin. Only one structural isomer different from mcat, this new designer drug has been ripping through the cool circles of Europe. Created in 2012 by Dr Zee – the notorious drug designer who’s invented a slew of once-legal highs, including mephedrone and 2C-B – it’s already taken over notable party and drug-heavy cities like Paris and Berlin. 

“Berlin’s dancefloors are like putrid petri dishes where experimental drugs get tested for mass market adoption, and 3-MMC was everywhere this summer, ” writes Michelle Lhooq on Substack back in 2022.

“I was spending the summer in Berlin and it was trending both on the drug chats,” Lhooq tells VICE, meaning one of the Telegram groups that drive Berlin’s blackmarket drug economy, “as well as in the nightlife scenes that I'm a part of.” 

Luca says 3-MMC was the drug of choice for everyone they partied with back in Paris. “If you’re buying, then it’s always trois m,” they say – “trois m” being the classically more glam, French way of saying it. “Everyone gets a gram for a night out.” Whilst 3-MMC hasn’t fully made its way to London yet, it’s surely only a matter of time.  

Mcat may never fully catch on again in the UK like it once did – despite the small resurgence happening right now. But a ~trendy~ new drug like 3-MMC (which is basically mcat without the telltale smell of cat piss) just might. I mean, 3-MMC has a sexier name after all. Who knows, the next time you open up the menu from “Carl D” on WhatsApp, maybe it’ll be you picking up a g and saving an extra tenner.