The Invention of MDMA or Ecstasy

MDMA has the full chemical name of '3,4 Methylene-dioxy-N-methylamphetamine' or 'Methylenedioxymethamphetamine'. The 3,4 indicates the way in which the components of the molecule are joined together, as it is possible to produce an isomer which has all the same components but is joined differently. Although it is derived from organic material, MDMA itself does not occur in nature, and must be created in a complex laboratory process. There are various popular street names for MDMA such as Ecstasy, E, Adam, X and Empathy.

It is a mood/mind altering drug and like Prozac works by effecting the chemical level of Serotonin in our brains, a 'neurotransmitter' naturally present in the brain which can alter our emotions. MDMA also adversely effects blood pressure and pulse rate. Chemically the drug is amphetamine like, but psychologically it's what's known as an empathogen-entactogen, empathogenic means the ability to communicate things to others or the ability to feel empathy towards others and entactogenic means feeling well or good with yourself and the world.



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