MDMA: The History and Effects of the Drug Known as Ecstasy

Happiness can mean many different things to many different people. A hard worker may define it as completing a difficult task. A hopeless romantic may define it as finding true love. A religious person may define it as achieving a specific level of spirituality. Webster’s definition of happiness is “good fortune; a state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience.” Some synonyms included for happiness are bliss, felicity, joy, and ecstasy. It is therefore obvious how the euphoria-inducing amphetamine relates to its name. People that are uneducated in the area of drugs may associate ecstasy only with the issue of substance abuse. However, to fully understand ecstasy and all its related topics, it is vital to identify the chemical structure and history of MDMA, the corresponding effects, and then the recreational abuse.

The chemical name for ecstasy is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA. Besides the name ecstasy, MDMA has other names normally used on the streets such as Adam, XTC, hug, beans, and love drugs (NIDA InfoFacts 1). MDMA is described to be a “synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties” (Ecstasy Hazards 1). As in the case of other amphetamines, the process to produce ecstasy is not that complicated. The simplest method is clandestine production, which starts with PMK . If not, it can still be produced from piperonal, isosafrole, or safrole but even then, these chemicals have to be converted to PMK before they could be turned into ecstasy (Iversen 149-150). The molecule itself is a combination of 11 carbons, 2 oxygens, 6 hydrogens, and 1 nitrogen as seen in the figure (Chemical Structure 1).

As in other amphetamines, MDMA is the source of monoami...

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...he chaos and drug consumption to sit down and drink plenty of fluids. However, they soon stopped suggesting these "chill-out" sessions since users were beginning to die from water intoxication (Iversen 160).

In brief, while ecstasy at one point may have been a facilitator in the field of psychology between therapists and patients, it soon became a facilitator in society between recreational users and death. Ever since ecstasy was introduced to the curious public back in the 1960's, it has become a popular preference among drug addicts. Till this day, teenagers all over the world are being pressured into experimenting with MDMA leading them to a life controlled and regulated by not only ecstasy but other various drugs as well. It is actually quite interesting to see what lengths society will go to in order to attain and maintain a sense of happiness and ecstasy.