Is MDMA: Is It Legal?

Methamphetamine: A Love Story is a book documenting the lives of various people who were immersed in the culture of using, selling, and manufacturing methamphetamine. Through interviews with over 30 individuals, Rashi Shukla brings to light the drastic effects that manifested when this drug took over their lives. Shukla aims to “illuminate this dark world,” (Shukla 2016, p. 11), and to provide insight as to why methamphetamine becomes more than just a drug to those involved with it.

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.

This paper will illustrate several aspects of how drugs affect our lives. Addiction philosophies including the psychology and physiology will be explained in an attempt to describe how drugs affect our bodies both physically and mentally. Secondly, different drug categories types will be covered including: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogens, and cannabis. Each of these categories has different addiction potentials and effect levels including withdrawal symptoms. Finally, the abuse of prescription drugs and their effects will be discussed.

The real name for the drug is 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Molly is a popular term referring to molecular, but it is most commonly known as ecstasy. It is a drug made with lab created chemicals and most of the time people do not know what drugs are in it due to the fact it is not regulated by the FDA. This is one reason that it is such a dangerous drug to be out on the streets. Back in

MDMA effects three neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The feelings of strong emotion and increase in sociability are likely due to the release of serotonin, as serotonin is a large factor in mood. Serotonin is also responsible for releasing vasopressin and oxytocin, which also amplify feelings caused by MDMA. After the release of serotonin, however, the brain “comes down” from these feelings. Confusion, depression, and anxiety are common after serotonin has been depleted, and may become chronic after heavy MDMA

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.

MDMA has high stimulating effects which enable users to dance for extended periods of time, which may also lead to dehydration, hypertension, and heart or kidney failure. Ecstasy is both a hallucinogenic and stimulant drug. It is usually taken in pill form and supposed to be composed of the pure chemical (Kelly 2000). Recent research findings link MDMA to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought and memory (Gouzoulis 2008).

Rivas-Vazquez, a psychological researcher noted, “MDMA was used as a recreational drug whose appeal was based on its capacity to produce mild euphoria, well-being, and an enhanced sense of insight and connectedness with others” (Rivas-Vazquez, 2002). The psychedelic effect that ecstasy constructs is endured for about 4-6 hours which then develops short term and with frequent use long-term physical and mental damages and sometimes fatalities. “Research conducted by the NIDA indicates that the use of club drugs can result in significant complications, including death” (Rivas-Vazquez, 2002). This paper discusses how Ecstasy interacts with the neurotransmitters, how it affects the long-term and short-term memory, the brains reaction to abstinence and the long-term and short-term effects, the addictive properties in the drug, as well as affects it has made on a users ability to function and their

Ecstasy, also known as MDMA (Methylenedioxcymethamphetamine), is a dangerous drug that should never be taken. This synthetic methamphetamine drug is related to both Amphetamine and Mescaline. “Ecstasy was first synthesized in 1912 by a German company possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant or a weight-loss drug. However, it was never marketed due to the unusual side effects of the drug” (Morrissey 4). Ecstasy is known to produce both stimulant and psychedelic effects that will enable people who take the drug to remain active and lively for longer periods of time without getting fatigued. This drug is usually in pill or capsule form that sometimes has a "brand name" or a logo stamped on it, but it can also be sold as a powder. The

First used as a drug to help the clinically depressed look into themselves and how to better express their feelings, 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA for short, was later classified as schedule 1 drug in July 1984. MDMA is making a comeback in recent years hitting the club scene and ravers of all ages are beginning to get mixed up with MDMA and taking it irresponsibly. People unbeknownst to the repercussions to the effects of this drug are dying as a result to it. There has been many studies on MDMA’s effects on rats which can show similarities and the effects of what they can do to humans. MDMA affects people in many ways. MDMA affects memory, social interaction, the nervous system and it has lasting effects on rats.

The psychoactive drug MDMA, or “ecstasy” as it is commonly known, is illegal in most countries under an agreement with the United Nations. In America it is classified as a Schedule I illicit drug, while in the UK it is considered a Class-A drug. In both countries there are heavy penalties in place for the possession or supply of the drug. However, recently there has been some interest from the scientific community about the use of ecstasy for certain types of medical treatments.

Ecstasy is an illegal, schedule I drug that acts as a stimulant and a psychedelic. Chemically ecstasy is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA for short. There are also many street names for ecstasy. Molly, X, and E are just a few of the names used. The drug was originally synthesized in Germany and used for suppressing appetite. Then in the 70’s it was used in the United States as a part of psychotherapy until the 80’s when it was labeled as a schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. In the 90’s ecstasy became a popular recreational drug commonly used at parties and raves. Often ecstasy is taken with other drugs and alcohol that can amplify effects.

Short-term MDMA use commonly lead to the beneficial psychological effects of euphoria and increased empathy (Meyer 2013). The Neutral effects of hallucinations and enhanced sensations were also common (Greene, Kerr, Braitberg 2008). Physically, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure (Keane 2014) and dehydration, and hyperthermia (Carvalho, Carmo, Costa, Capela, Pontes, Remiao, Carvalho, Bastos 2012) were typical effects. These were all assigned the category of adverse. Increased perspiration was the final typical physical side effect (Keane 2014). It was assigned the category of

Drugs have been around for a very long time. They are used for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include relaxation, socialization, curiosity, stress relief, or a form of escapism. However, most people don’t know the threats and danger that it can cause to the body. In this paper, we are going to examine the changes that happen inside the brain due to the effects of different drugs. We will look closely at how drugs such as hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, and cannabis affect an individual psychologically. I will explain the origin of the drugs, how a person feels while on the drug, how the drugs

It is no secret that drug use has the ability to completely alter a person’s state of consciousness, whether it be through extreme euphoria, increased hyperactivity, pain relief or psychedelic hallucinations. Although many drugs are used for medical purposes, the global issue of recreational drug use is now being fronted as an extremely serious matter that is steadily on the uprise. Recreational drug use is often associated with negativity, addiction and as having serious physical and mental repercussions. One of the few class of drugs that is often associated with both positive and negative connotations are hallucinogens, otherwise known as “psychedelics”, which have powerful altering effects on ones sense of perception, brain function