What is MDMA? 10 things to know about Molly MDMA.

Source 2: NeuroSoup (http://www.neurosoup.com/mdma/)

The MDMA drug better known on the streets as “Molly” has become a large topic of discussion following the deaths of two people at a music festival in New York City.  But what is MDMA? What are the effects? Here’s some things you should know...

1.     MDMA drug is also known as the more popular and common, ecstacy.

2.     The chemical was first made in Germany of 1912 to be used to suppress appetite and in the late 1970’s, therapists in the US tried to use it for psychotherapy.

3.     Molly is sold and attained in a crystalized form. It is usually crushed into powder to be pressed into tablets and taken orally or it can be snorted in its powder form.

4.     MDMA causes the brain to release the neurotransmitter serotonin and then blocking its reuptake. As the brain floods with this chemical, the user experiences a swell of euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others and a heightened perception of sounds and colors.

5.     The effects of MDMA are different and separate it from all other drugs. This caused the creation of a new drug classification called “the empathogens”.

6.     The term empathogens describes a group of psychoactive drugs including pure MDMA that causes distinctive emotional and social effects like feelings of empathy, love and closeness to others.

7.     The MDMA drug can cause dehydration due to excess sweating. However, the drug causes the body to release a hormone that stops a person from peeing, so ingesting more water could actually cause harm such as psneumonia.

8.     While on the drug, side effects of MDMA can include dehydration (as previously stated), dry-mouth or “pasties”, and jaw clenching.

9.     Once the high effects of MDMA have worn off, a period of low mood precedes also known as a “comedown”. Scientifically, it’s the depletion of the brain’s supply of happy aka serotonin.

10.  With the growth of the EDM community, the use of Molly has skyrocketed and has found a new surge in popularity with the number of visits in U.S. emergency rooms involving the MDMA drug jumping to 123% since 2004.

What’s the hype? Why has the use of MDMA grown so much?