HISTORY:
MDMA was first synthesized in 1912. It was patented in Germany by the
Merck Company in 1914. At that time it was not the subject of human
research. Merck stumbled across MDMA when they tried to synthesize
Hydrastinin, a vasoconstrictive and styptic medicine. MDMA was an
unplanned by-product of this synthesis. As usual, the process of its
synthesis was patented. It can not be reconstructed to what extent
Merck tested MDMA and what the results of such testing were, but it can be
excluded with certainty that MDMA was ever considered as an appetite
suppressant.
In the 1950s it was briefly researched by the U.S. Government as part of the
CIA's and the Army's chemical warfare investigations, a commissioned
research in 1953/54 on MDA, MDMA and other substances as a truth serum. They
proved to be unsuitable for this purpose. The results of this research were
not published until 1973. The first reported recreational use was in the
1960s.
In the middle 1970s, it was rediscovered by the psychedelic therapy
community and began to be used as an adjunct to psychotherapy by
psychiatrists and therapists who were familiar with the field of psychedelic
psychotherapy.
INFORMATION:
MDMA is a synthetic, psychoactive drug with both stimulant
(amphetamine-like) and hallucinogenic (LSD-like) properties. Street names
for MDMA include Ecstasy, Adam, XTC, hug, beans, and love drug. Its chemical
structure (3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, "MDMA") is similar to
methamphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and mescaline - other
synthetic drugs known to cause brain damage.
MDMA also is neurotoxin. In addition, in high doses it can cause a sharp
increase in body temperature (malignant hyperthermia) leading to muscle
breakdown and kidney and cardiovascular system failure.
STREET NAMES:
"X", XTC, Ecstasy, Adam, clarity, doctor, "E", essence, hug drug,
love drug, U4EUH, and Bob. |
