Safrole
Definition
4-allyl-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene; extracted from sassafras oil (Cinnamomum camphora, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil) and the original MDMA precursor. Controlled under UN 1988 Convention Table I; UNODC Operation Purple (2008) disrupted the Cambodian safrole oil supply chain.
- Chemical name
- 4-allyl-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene
- Natural source
- Sassafras oil (Cinnamomum camphora)
- Producing regions
- Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil
- Control status
- UN 1988 Convention, Table I precursor
- Notable enforcement
- UNODC Operation Purple, 2008
Common questions
Why is safrole controlled internationally rather than just MDMA itself?+
Controlling the precursor targets the supply chain before a controlled drug even exists, making it harder for clandestine labs to obtain the starting material needed to synthesise MDMA, which is a common strategy under Table I of the 1988 Convention.
How does Operation Purple relate to safrole specifically?+
Operation Purple was a 2008 UNODC-coordinated effort that targeted the Cambodian safrole oil supply chain, disrupting a major source region and illustrating how precursor-control enforcement operates at the raw-material stage rather than only at the finished-drug stage.
Is safrole itself illegal to possess in most jurisdictions?+
Its control status is generally precursor-specific: safrole and sassafras oil above certain concentrations or quantities are regulated as scheduled precursor chemicals, distinct from the criminal status of MDMA as a finished controlled substance.
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