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Mephedrone hydrochloride salt is a white powder, whereas its free base is a yellowish liquid at ambient temperature. Mephedrone is typically sold as water-soluble crystalline stable hydrochloride salt powder, white or lightly colored; most probably as a racemic mixture of the R and S enantiomers. The powder can be dissolved for oral/rectal use or for injection. Mephedrone has also been found as capsules containing powder and as tablets pressed from powder.

Mephedrone is used in recreational settings because of its stimulant effects similar to amphetamines (particularlyMDMA) and cocaine. Mephedrone has no established or acknowledged medical value or use (human or veterinary). There are no indications that it may be used for any other purpose.

ChEBI: A propanone that is propiophenone substituted at C-4 and at C-beta with methyl and methylamino groups respectively. It is a synthetic stimulant and entactogen drug of the amphetamine and cathinone classes.

The effect profile and clinical presentations of mephedrone intoxications share some features seen with MDMA and cocaine (e.g., seizures, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations), implicitly supporting a sympathomimetic activity of mephedrone. Conversely, symptoms of depression and anhedonia could be tentatively associated to a putative depletion of serotonin and dopamine as a consequence of drug use, similarly to what may occur with other stimulants. In fact, binge administration of mephedrone (4 ×10 or 25 mg kg-1 sc per injection), in a rat model, results in a rapid decrease in striatal dopamine (DA) and hippocampal serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporter function. Like MDMA, but unlike methamphetamine or methcathinone, repeated mephedrone administrations also caused persistent serotonergic, but not dopaminergic, deficits.