Adrenochrome harvesting
The conspiracy theory that global elites harvest adrenochrome from tortured children for its supposed psychedelic or life-extending properties has no factual basis. Adrenochrome is a simple oxidation product of adrenaline that can be chemically synthesized, has no documented psychedelic or anti-aging properties, and is not subject to any illegal trafficking.
What we know
Adrenochrome (chemical name: 3-hydroxy-1-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole-5,6-dione) is a compound produced by the oxidation of adrenaline (epinephrine). It is a well-characterized chemical available to researchers from standard commercial chemical suppliers. There is no need for human extraction to obtain it.
The conspiracy theory primarily derives from a misreading of Hunter S. Thompson's 1971 satirical novel 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,' in which a fictional form of 'adrenochrome' is depicted as a powerful hallucinogen obtained from a living donor. This is a literary device in a satirical work — it was not a factual claim, and Thompson himself did not believe adrenochrome was a significant drug. The actual compound's pharmacological properties, as documented in the scientific literature, are modest at best: some early research in the 1950s suggested possible hallucinogenic effects at high doses, but this has not been replicated under rigorous conditions.
The QAnon movement incorporated and amplified the adrenochrome narrative, claiming that Hollywood celebrities and liberal politicians harvest the compound from abused children to gain psychedelic highs and slow aging. No evidence exists for any of these claims. No trafficking network for adrenochrome has been identified by any law enforcement agency globally. The compound has no documented anti-aging properties.
The McGill University Office for Science and Society and the American Chemical Society have both published factual assessments of adrenochrome's actual properties, debunking the conspiracy claims. The narrative is considered by researchers to draw on older antisemitic 'blood libel' tropes.
Common claims
- Adrenochrome can only be obtained from living humans.False — adrenochrome can be chemically synthesized and is available from commercial suppliers.
- Adrenochrome is a powerful psychedelic with anti-aging properties.False — no rigorous scientific evidence supports significant psychedelic effects or anti-aging properties.
- Global elites run networks to harvest adrenochrome from children.False — no evidence of any kind supports this claim; no such network has been identified by any law enforcement agency.
- The adrenochrome theory is based on scientific literature.False — it derives from a misreading of a 1971 satirical novel, not scientific research.