JWH-120

JWH-120
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
  • (4-Methyl-1-naphthalenyl)(1-propyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methanone
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC23H21NO
Molar mass327.427 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • CCCN1C=C(C2=CC=CC=C21)C(=O)C3=CC=C(C4=CC=CC=C43)C
  • InChI=1S/C23H21NO/c1-3-14-24-15-21(19-10-6-7-11-22(19)24)23(25)20-13-12-16(2)17-8-4-5-9-18(17)20/h4-13,15H,3,14H2,1-2H3
  • Key:DUBUGSKBMMXSOU-UHFFFAOYSA-N

JWH-120 is a synthetic cannabimimetic that was discovered by John W. Huffman. It is the N-propyl analog of JWH-122. It is a potent and selective ligand for the CB2 receptor, but a weaker ligand for the CB1 receptor. It has a binding affinity of Ki = 6.1 ± 0.7 nM at the CB2 subtype and 173 times selectivity over the CB1 subtype.[1]

In the United States, all CB1 receptor agonists of the 3-(1-naphthoyl)indole class such as JWH-120 are Schedule I Controlled Substances.[2]

  1. ^ Huffman JW, Zengin G, Wu MJ, Lu J, Hynd G, Bushell K, et al. (January 2005). "Structure-activity relationships for 1-alkyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)indoles at the cannabinoid CB(1) and CB(2) receptors: steric and electronic effects of naphthoyl substituents. New highly selective CB(2) receptor agonists". Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 13 (1): 89–112. doi:10.1016/j.bmc.2004.09.050. PMID 15582455.
  2. ^ 21 U.S.C. § 812: Schedules of controlled substances