GHB FAQ: What is GBL?

GHB FAQ: What is GBL? What is GBL? GBL is gamma-butyrolactone. It is an organic solvent used in industry for cleaning circuit boards, stripping paint, and flavoring soy products, among other things. Other names for GBL include lactone or butyrolactone, 2(3H)Furanone-dihydro or some other arrangement of those words, BLO, and 1,4-butanolide (not the same as 1,4-butanediol, discussed later).

GBL can be used to make GHB. When mixed with sodium hydroxide solution, it reacts to form liquid GHB, which can be reduced to a white powder.

GBL can also be made into GHB by the liver. The new GBL-based products like Reviverant, Blue Nitro, and Renewtrient work simply by being metabolized quickly and cleanly into GHB.

GBL is not, however, a salt or isomer of GHB. Therefore, states that have laws against GHB probably do not automatically ban GBL as well.

All indications are that GBL is nontoxic, although there may be more subtle issues involved in using it on its own. For more information, please see the discussion of recreational use of GBL.

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Off-site link:

GBL toxicology studies - from the National Institutes of Health
Note that an ordinary GBL user would probably never take more than 100mg/kg in a single dose.