The substance, 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was first synthesized in Germany in the early 1900s by Merck and Co. At that time there was no defined medical use for the product. Through time studies began to show that this substance produced feelings of empathy, peacefulness and heightened senses of love and trust. Thus, health professionals began using this substance for those seeking marital intervention and counseling for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. MDMA was and/or is also used for its appetite suppressant and anti-anxiety properties.
In 1985 the FDA labeled MDMA as a Schedule I substance. They deemed it to have no recognized medical use and because of its high potential to be abused, it became an illegal substance. Yet despite this, more and more people began to use and abuse MDMA because they felt it to be “safe”, it had fewer negative effects as compared to other illicit drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. Its use gained momentum at the club scenes in the 1990s and has continued to be abused to this day despite its dangers.
For our criminal newsletter and blog this month we are discussing the recreational drug Molly. The blog topics for this month are:
- MDMA, or Molly, overview (4/3/15)
- MDMA use and effects (4/10/15)
- Molly’s danger (4/17/15)
- Legal (4/24/15)
Note: To see all posts in this topic, click here
