MDMA/Ecstasy

MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, was first created in Germany in 1913 by a chemical company called Merck to be sold as a diet pill. Since its development, it has served purposes that vary greatly from its original, intended use.

http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/ecstasy-history.html

 

MDMA is a stimulant that increases heart rate and blood pressure. It is the popular drug of raves, clubs and other parties to enhance mood and feeling. It usually comes in pill form and is taken orally. MDMA increases the release of the neurotransmitters serotonine, dopamine, norepinephrine and the hormones oxytocin and vasopressine. This causes users to feel self-confident, energetic, empathetic and peaceful. It also causes a loss of inhibition. More severe effects of taking MDMA are dehydration, nausea, blurred vision, chills, sweating, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, kidney, liver and cardiovascular failure.  Long-term use of MDMA can lead to problems with mood, appetite, pain, learning and memory. MDMA use and abuse has long been a problem among college-aged students and young adults, but it is increasingly becoming a problem among children in middle and high school.

http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/ecstasy

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-ecstasy

HISTORY OF MDMA

Alexander Shulgin is the man responsible for modern research involving MDMA/ecstasy in the US. Shulgin graduated from the University of California in Berkeley as a doctor in biochemistry. This got him a job with Dow Chemicals, where he completed much of his research on MDMA in the 1970s. He is listed as the first person to use the drug.

http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/ecstasy-history.html

Besides Shulgin’s research, not much work was done with MDMA at this time. The drug had already been patented and a new version could not be marketed unless a company would spend time and money researching its benefits and side effects.

http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/ecstasy-history.html

 

Between 1977 and 1985, a few experimental psychotherapists examined MDMA to use in sessions with clients. Therapists liked when their patients used it because it improved communication between client and therapist. These psychotherapists used MDMA without approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The drug had not been approved for human use yet. This was also the first period of time that ecstasy became available on the streets and started being used as a recreational drug.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-ecstasy

On July 1, 1985, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) placed an emergency ban on MDMA because it thought it was a danger to the public. It was placed on the Schedule I list of drugs, which meant that it had no proven therapeutic value. It was not until 1993 that the FDA approved human use of MDMA to be tested. This was the first time that the administration allowed a psychoactive drug to be tested on humans. Currently, MDMA is being tested as a possible treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety.  

http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/ecstasy-history.html

 

While doing research, I learned that many people that were not therapists or chemists did not become interested with MDMA/ecstasy until it became illegal. When the DEA placed it on the Schedule I list, a group tried to sue them in hopes that they would move it to the Schedule 3 list, which would have allowed it to be manufactured and researched further. Clearly, they did not know what they had until it was gone, as the saying goes. All types of illegal drugs are sought after not only for their stimulating effects, but also for their illegal status. It adds another risk and more profit. Something that is illegal is sure to be in high demand, meaning that those who can manufacture or get their hands on it will benefit from it. By making it illegal, the government ensured that MDMA will be sought after. I also learned that my common perception of MDMA was only one of its uses. As a young adult, I have heard about the usage of ecstasy at parties and raves. I was unaware of its potential clinical use.