Ecstasy

The loud music was bumping throughout the club giving the rhythm they were lasciviously dancing to capturing the show. The beach was barely lightened, the lights strings and the light of the moon being the only sources of light. A soft ocean breeze ran through the club as their bare feet dug in the warm sand. They were in their own bubble away from the other clubbers enjoying that warm Miami night together.

     Ecstasy, or 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, was first synthesized and patented in 1914, by the German drug company Merck. The original purpose of the drug was to be an appetite suppressant, however in 1970 it was given to clinical depressed patients to open them up and talk about their feelings. Then in 1986, Ecstasy was determined to cause brain damage (http://faculity.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html).

In the late 2000s the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MAPS, received permission from the FDA to run their own MDMA-assisted therapy trials. The results were so incredible that it became the most downloaded article in 2010. Even though patients and data support the use of MDMA-assisted therapy, there is still opposition. A previous MAPS attempt at trials is seen in the article “MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” which specifically states “political pressures led to the closing of the study before it could be finished” (Buoso 1.) It was extremely devastating because nothing went wrong, and they had very promising data. It is hard to believe that people with power felt threatened enough by the research to force the trials to end. With a growing PTSD epidemic in America, I feel that MDMA-assisted therapy is extremely promising and the side effects are nowhere near as bad as the present medication used to treat disorder.

MDMA has not always been viewed in a negative light. Its health benefits can be traced back to the mid-twentieth century. With the homecoming of World War II soldiers, MDMA use was found to be more prevalent in society. The correlation between the homecoming of the soldiers and the spike in MDMA usage led scientists to research the situation further. The scientists found that MDMA held psycho-related benefits which was most prominent in those who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Those suffering with PTSD had a hard time coping with their emotions. They felt more detached from others and had sporadic behaviors that could lead to verbal or physical abuse. In the wake of World War II, the discovery that a drug could lessen

Within this paper I am going to talk about the where it comes from, the history of MDMA, the population that gravitates to MDMA, the effects that happens to the body when consuming MDMA, what damage MDMA causes,

MDMA was first made in Germany in the early 1900s. It was used to “synthesize other pharmaceuticals". Meaning that doctors started to use this drug as medicine. Doctors never tested this drug out on humans first so they did not know it had a hallucinogenic effect on it. Patients started to call it "penicillin for the soul" because it was perceived to enhance communication in patient sessions and reportedly allowed users to achieve insights about their problems”(Abuse National Institute on Drug ). But what they felt was them actually hallucinating. Then in 1912 the company called Merck used MDMA on animals to test if it would help control

As stated in (McCaughan (2004)"Ecstasy was first developed in 1914 as a weight loss aid, it was never marketed for that purpose. In 1970 the drug began to get some popularity among clinical psychologist as an aid to psychotherapy and marriage counseling in the United States". More than a decade later, DEA placed the MDMA drug into the list of schedule drugs, however the popularity of the drug gained attention among the youth subcultures. The way that this drug is distributed throughout the public is in pill form; they vary from color and designs, an example would be superman symbol, different cartoon characters, etc.; as color goes, it varies from white, blue, pink, etc.. This drugs has also gained attention in recent Hollywood Movies like Bad Boys 2, when of

Methamphetamine was originally called Amphetamine. Amphetamine was created in Germany in 1887. Later on, an easier version of amphetamine was developed by the Japanese in 1919. It was then renamed methamphetamine. Methamphetamine was being used as a supplement in World War II by the soldiers to keep them awake. Also it was used by the Japanese Kamikaze pilot before their

If you think about the different drugs in our World think of the drug Ecstasy. Known as the

MDMA is not to be confused with 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). Both of these drugs do the same general thing; however, the effects of MDA are stronger, longer and more dangerous than those of MDMA. MDMA’s street names are Ecstasy and Molly. MDMA was first synthesized in 1912, but did not become popular until the 60’s (NIDA). Once it started becoming popular, psychologists realized that it could be useful during therapy sessions for people with anxiety or PTSD because of the effects it has on people’s minds. During this time the government had no regulations on the drug, but in 1985 the government made MDMA a schedule one drug which made it illegal to take, sell or possess (Vollenweider 241). It is still highly popular during this time as a party drug. People still take this drug even though it is illegal because of the feelings of euphoria, reduced stress/anxiety and increased sexual arousal (Sessa 177).

Methamphetamine: a synthetic drug with more rapid lasting effects than amphetamine, used illegally as a stimulant and as a prescription drug to treat narcolepsy and maintain blood pressure. Street Names: Meth, speed, crank, zip, chalk, ice, crystal. Drug Classification: Schedule II, stimulant. Methamphetamine has been around for quite a while, it takes it back to “Amphetamine,” which was made in 1887 in Germany and Methamphetamine a higher effect and easier to produce, it was developed in Japan in 1919. Some factors that contribute to Methamphetamine abuse went into wide use during WWII, to keep the troops awake. Furthermore, The Japanese Kamikaze pilots took high doses of speed before their suicide mission (Drugs and Controlled

There are many drugs out here and it seems like there is something new out everyday. They come in many shapes, sizes, and forms which can be taken by pills/tablets, smoking, liquid, injection, and inhaling. I will be focusing on the drug Ecstasy. Ecstasy just so happens to be a combination of many drugs in one and comes in the form of a tablet, capsule, or powder and can only be made in labs. This has many street names such as: EX, Adam, Clarity, Eve, Lover’s Speed, Peace, Uppers, XTC, E, Party Drug, Essence, Hug Drug, etc. Doctors refer to this drug as MDMA, which is an anagram for the street name, Adam.

Past experimentation on psychedelics (MDMA, LSD and Psilocybin) found an overwhelming amount of evidence that proves they help people suffering from psychological disorders; this has since been halted as a result of government regulations and cuts on funding for research. The drugs became glamorized and became heavily abused by the public from the 60s to 70s and resulted in the authoritative attempt to maintain control by issuing The Controlled Substance Act. The act declared various drugs in 5 different schedules and a ruling that they have “no currently accepted medical use” (DEA). Because

Albert Hofmann’s discovery changed the medical world. Pharmacologists and psychologists, often used LSD medically. After LSD being used medically, in the 60s it became a huge counterculture that included Timothy Leary who was a major face of this movement. As a result of the growth in popularity of LSD in the 60s, and the harm of irresponsible use, it became a schedule 1 substance and use declined. Despite the dangerous stereotype associated with LSD, it has inspired the creation of many movies, paintings, and songs.

LSD, also known as Hallucinogens to the common public or Lysergic acid diethylamide, is a psychedelic drug that can lead to “mystical” visions, feelings of alienation and separation. Hallucinogens can alter a person’s mood or state of mind. LSD is the most psychedelic substance known and doses of LSD can be measured in micrograms. It is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. This halluncinogenic drug is delivered in a crystalline structure and blended with a natural or synthetic substance that is formulated alongside an active ingredient of a medicine. Hallucinogens have been used since ancient times, for religion and medicine. Some commonly used drugs that are under hallucinogens