>Now I'm just trying to research and figure out "why" andrenochrome (from a molecular/reactive/toxicity perspective) if the same results (euphorically and psychoactively speaking) could be obtained from another substance.
That's a logical question, but as a neuropsychopharmacologist, I can't think of a single reason anyone would be stupid enough to inject themselves with this shit. Reports of human experiments suggested that it produced dysphoria and based on its pharmacology is it likely quite toxic. If adrenochrome had any psychoactive street selling value what's so ever, it would have been be prohibited world-wide long ago as are 100's of other designer drugs that have been been discovered in black market drug raids.
If a billionaire wanted to get high and was bored with the usual, they could hire a chemist to make them something exotic like, 4-Methylaminorex ("U4Euh), which is likely the drug that the movie "Limitless" was based on.
It is quite possible that there are numerous chemicals released into the blood following fright or trauma that when injected into someone else produces some desired psychoactive effects. For example, there is some evidence that GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate) is released at death. But, the probability that "adrenochrome" is solely and purely responsible for such desired effects is near zero in my professional opinion.
There doesn't even actually have to be some mystical chemical involved in such rituals. Just the act of killing another human and then consuming their blood is probably quite enough to produce such a rush in a psychopath.