Alexander Shulgin synthesized a new pesticide for Dow Chemical, profit in the millions. So they gave him the ability to study whatever he wanted. Shulgin went to work synthesizing hundreds of new psychoactive compounds, primarily belonging to one of two chemical families. We have the tryptamines or indoles which include psilocybin and DMT, then the phenethylamines such as mescaline and similarly MDMA. I am no chemist, but appearently the structure of these chemicals are subject to alterations. Throw on a hydroxy or methoxy group, substitute a nitrogen and you're left with a different chemical. Some of these are still similar enough in structure to its 'parent' to be considered analogues, some are not. This means these chemicals are not technically illegal to possess, but that could all change if we all arn't careful.