What is ecstasy?

What is ecstasy? also known as “Molly”, is a synthetic drug best known for its hallucinogenic and stimulant effects. It is known to induce feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth and distorted perception of the senses and time.

The chemical name for ecstasy is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). It is a derivative of amphetamine and is structurally similar to methamphetamine (“meth”).

Some of the more colorful slang terms for (MDMA) that refer to the name, effects and appearance of the drug are:

Adam
beans
sweet
clarity
Y
essence
good pill
drug hug
girl
Scooby snack
lover’s speed
X
XTC
While ecstasy was initially consumed primarily in nightclubs and raves, its use has now spread to a wide range of populations.

Signs of Ecstasy use
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, MDMA causes several effects, including:

anxiety states
attention problems
confusion
decreased libido
depression
impulsive
insomnia
irritability
memory problems
reduced appetite
The effects of MDMA usually last from three to six hours.

How long does MDMA stay in the body?

types of ecstasy

Most people take ecstasy as a pill or capsule, but some users snort it as a powder or even consume it as a liquid.

Tablets: Ecstasy is usually available in tablet form, often imprinted with graphic designs or commercial logos.
The Molly Myth: Your “Pure” Powder Probably Isn’t MDMA

Content:
Many think “Molly” (short for “molecular”) means pure MDMA powder. Pure” MDMA powder (called Molly) is rarely pure. Lab tests prove most contains:
• Bath salts (synthetic cathinones)
• Methamphetamine
• Fentanyl (deadly even in tiny doses)

You can’t see, smell, or taste these killers.

Key Facts:
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse found most Molly contains additives like synthetic cathinones (the dangerous chemicals in “bath salts”)
• Unlike plant-based drugs like cocaine or nicotine, MDMA is completely lab-made
• Chemists create it by modifying amphetamine molecules
• This manufacturing process makes purity unreliable – any batch could contain unknown additives

Why This Matters:
When you buy Molly:
✓ The powder or pill might contain methamphetamine, caffeine, or even fentanyl
✓ You can’t tell what’s in it by looking
✓ Different batches have wildly different strengths
✓ Combined substances create unpredictable health risk Common additives and impurities in ecstasy include methamphetamine, caffeine, ephedrine and ketamine.

Think You Can Spot Real Ecstasy? Most Pills Are Fake.

use
Although ecstasy is best known today as a recreational drug, it has also been used in a medical setting. Ecstasy was briefly explored as a therapeutic drug because some psychotherapists believed it opened people up and increased their potential for empathy and mutual understanding.

This use was halted by the criminalization of MDMA. The idea that ecstasy can reliably enhance the therapeutic process has fallen out of favor in the psychotherapeutic community.

Ecstasy was classified as a Schedule I drug in 1985, meaning that the substance has a high potential for abuse and cannot be used to treat any disease.

effects of ecstasy

Ecstasy acts by affecting the activity of three chemicals in the brain: dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. These chemicals play a role in various bodily functions such as: B. Energy level, mood, emotions and sleep.

Ecstasy takes effect approximately 45 minutes after taking the dose. People often experience an increased sense of well-being and emotional warmth. Other effects include greater empathy for others and improved sensory perception.

scratches
Although people who use ecstasy experience these heightened feelings of euphoria and alertness, taking the drug also has a number of adverse effects, including:

disorganized thoughts
feelings of strangeness
Increased anxiety levels
increased heart rate
irritation
nausea
poor appetite
sweating and hot flashes

Overdose is rare but can be fatal. Symptoms of overdose can include fainting, panic attacks or extreme anxiety, high blood pressure, and seizures. Vigorous exercise after taking molly can cause a potentially dangerous rise in body temperature, known as hyperthermia.

Another major danger is the fact that people who use MDMA don’t really know what they are using. A recent study revealed that just 60% of tested ecstasy samples actually contained MDMA. Alarmingly, many pills contained dangerous substitutes like ‘fake cocaine. In nearly 25% of the samples, researchers were unable to determine what was actually in the pills.

history of ecstasy
German pharmaceutical company Merck first created MDMA in 1912 as a chemical precursor for other medications. They patented the compound in 1914, but abandoned further development after discovering its powerful hallucinogenic effects – putting research on hold for decades.

Decades later, the U.S. military included MDMA in its chemical weapons research program. In the 1970s, two key figures revived interest in the compound: chemist Gordon Alles first recreated it, followed by Alexander Shulgin. Shulgin famously experimented with the drug personally, even administering it to his wife and close associates during his research.Shulgin then developed a series of new compounds with varying effects and risks, including MDMA and PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine), many of which eventually emerged as street versions of ecstasy. It wasn’t until several years later that MDMA finally hit the streets as a recreational drug.

MDMA, an earlier version of ecstasy, became popular as a recreational drug in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, MDMA became fashionable as a party drug in nightclubs and the rave scene, and its use increased among students, “yuppies,” and the homosexual community.

UK and US Bans on Ecstasy
British authorities banned ecstasy in 1977—years before it gained popularity—due to growing concerns about its health risks. The United States followed in 1985 when the DEA classified MDMA as a Schedule I drug, declaring it illegal under the Controlled Substances Act.

The Rise of Synthetic Alternatives
To bypass these laws, underground chemists began creating modified versions of ecstasy throughout the 1990s, sparking the synthetic drug movement. Although governments eventually outlawed these variants, the problem resurfaced in the early 2000s with the rise of homemade methamphetamine labs.