Colorado Drug Rehab: MDMA, Ecstasy
MDMA, called "ecstasy," or "XTC" on the street, is a synthetic, mind-altering drug with hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties. Its chemical structure is similar to two other synthetic drugs, MDA and methamphetamine, which causes brain damage. Colorado Drug Rehab receives calls from high school and college age people that are usually having neurotic or psychotic feelings while coming down from a night of using ecstasy. These individuals report the myths that they were told regarding the benign nature of this drug, only to find that they are now wishing that they had never believed these marketing lies. Most individuals that have such experiences can learn from their mistakes and will stabilize within 48 hours. However, Colorado Drug Rehab has found that the euphoria that they experienced with ecstasy many times causes them to forget the down side of their experience and they will challenge themselves to try the drug again. From the sample of those persons seeking addiction treatment or rehab for crystal meth, you will find a large percentage are also using ecstasy to enhance the "party" feeling of the meth.
When Ecstasy first appeared as a steet drug, there were no laws governing its possession or sale, but now there are very harsh consequences for the possession and/or sale of Ecstasy in Colorado:
Possession of Ecstasy, in Colorado, is a felony. Even if you possess as little as one pill of Ecstasy, it is still a felony. It is also a felony to sell or give away Ecstasy, or to possess the substance with the intent to distribute it. An adult felony criminal conviction for Possession of Ecstasy, in Colorado, carries with it a possible sentence of incarceration in prison for up to 12 years. If you possess Ecstasy with the intent to sell or distribute the drug, you can face up to 16 years in prison. In cases where there are exceptional circumstances, a court could sentence you to 32 years in prison. Fines for possessing Ecstasy for your use or for possessing Ecstasy with the intent to sell or distribute Ecstasy to others can range from $3,000.00 to $750,000.00.
In August of 2001 authorities seized approximately 85,000 Ecstasy tablets in Colorado with the breakup of a major manufacturing lab for ecstasy and other designer drugs. The college communities of Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Durango have continued to have a higher incidence and prevalence of Ecstasy use and sale than the other communities of Colorado.
Many problem users encounter with MDMA are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine. They are:
Psychological difficulties, including confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, severe anxiety, and paranoia during and sometimes weeks after taking MDMA (even psychotic episodes have been reported).
Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness, and chills or sweating.
Increases in heart rate and blood pressure, a special risk for people with circulatory or heart disease.
Beliefs about MDMA are reminiscent of similar claims made about LSD in the 1960s and 1970s, which proved to be untrue. According to its proponents, MDMA can make people trust each other and can break down barriers between therapists and patients, lovers, and family members.
Recent research findings also link MDMA use to long-term damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought and memory. It is thought that the drug causes damage to the neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. In monkeys, exposure to MDMA for four days caused brain damage that was evident six to seven years later. This study provides further evidence that people who take MDMA may be risking permanent brain damage.
Also, there is evidence that people who develop a rash that looks like acne after MDMA use may be risking severe side effects, including liver damage, if they continue using.
MDMA also is related in structure and effects to methamphetamine, which has been shown to cause degeneration of neurons containing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Damage to these neurons is the underlying cause of the motor disturbances seen in Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of this disease begin with lack of coordination and tremors, and can eventually result in a form of paralysis.
MDA, the parent drug of MDMA, is an amphetamine-like drug that has also been abused and is similar in chemical structure to MDMA. Research shows that MDA destroys serotonin-producing neurons, which play a direct role in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. It is probably this action on the serotonin system that gives MDA its purported properties of heightened sexual experience, tranquillity, and conviviality.
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