How Is Ecstasy Made?

What is Ecstasy?

MDMA is a synthetic drug that is commonly called ecstasy. Because it is a central nervous system stimulant, it enhances sensory perceptions, including that of color, sound, and touch. Ecstasy also has some hallucinogenic properties.

According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the Merck chemical company originally developed ecstasy in 1912. The drug gained some popularity among psychiatrists in the 1970s and 1980s because some believed it enabled patients to open up and also gain clear insight into their issues.

The drug never gained approval for this use by the Food and Drug Administration, however. During this time, recreational use became more common. The New York Times reported on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s intent to schedule the drug over growing concerns of its misuse. The DEA did, in fact, place an emergency ban on the drug that year, and it is still a Schedule I controlled substance.

Ecstasy is sometimes sold as “molly,” a supposedly pure form of MDMA; however, often ecstasy, even when sold as pure “molly” has little to no MDMA at all. Tests on ecstasy samples have revealed that many drugs sold as MDMA are in fact mixtures of other synthetic drugs, such as ketamine, flakka, methamphetamine, or synthetic cathinones (“bath salts”).

Using Ecstasy can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS – Reach Out For Help Now.

Dangers of Making Ecstasy

Manufacturing ecstasy requires combining several toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, mercury, and ammonium chloride. MDMA is incredibly dangerous to make, and the chemical reactions and exposure to substances like mercury can permanently harm you or even kill you.

Even being in possession of some of the ingredients like safrole is illegal.

Ecstasy Abuse

According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 2.5 million people reported using ecstasy in the previous year

Ecstasy remains a popular drug in certain party scenes despite the many toxic chemicals it contains and the potentially dangerous effects it can have on the body. Long-term side effects of taking ecstasy include:

• Problems concentrating.
• Impulsive behavior.
• Insomnia.
• Heart disease.
• Depression.

If you’re using MDMA compulsively, it is never too late to seek help. With the right treatment approach in the right setting, it is entirely possible to live in recovery from MDMA or any other substance. Learn from Kip, below, about how treatment changed his life.