Medical professionals and law enforcement agencies are
sounding a warning to parents and educators regarding the growing popularity
among teenagers and young adults of a form of the club-drug known as ecstasy.
This new drug-threat is known as “Molly,” a slang term for “molecular,” which
is a reference to drugs with altered molecular structures created by “street
chemists” in a an effort to dodge illegality.
Molly is the pure crystalline powder and more intense form
of the club-drug Ecstasy, a man-made synthetic mind-altering drug with
hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties. The chemical name for Ecstasy
is MDMA (short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). While MDMA in
Ecstasy-form is typically mixed with other ingredients (caffeine,
methamphetamine, PCP, cocaine), users are led to believe that MDMA in
Molly-form is pure, however experts warn that the makers of Molly can add
anything they want to the drug, thereby compromising its purity.
MDMA was first patented in 1914 by Merck and used as an
appetite suppressant by soldiers during World War I. The drug was then tucked
away until it was tested on animals as part of a series of CIA mind-control
experiments in the 1950s. During the 1970s, therapists rediscovered MDMA and
bean to use it as a “miracle drug” that would get patients to open up and
release their emotions. Therapists touted MDMA’s benefits for patients who were
depressed, anxious, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or who were
experiencing rape-related trauma. In June 1985, the DEA banned the drug’s
manufacture, sale, and possession since it has no medicinal usefulness and a
high potential for abuse. The DEA considers MDMA to be a Schedule 1 controlled
substance, meaning that it has no accepted medical use and there is a high
probability for abuse. In recent years, Ecstasy has become a centerpiece of the
dance club, rave, and party scene. Now, Molly is finding its way into those
places.
Once the drug (pill, powder, table, capsule at anywhere from
$20 to $50 a dose) is swallowed, it takes roughly 15 minutes for the drug to
enter the bloodstream and make it to the brain. Between 30 and 45 minutes after
ingestion, users experience a three to six hour “high” that’s often referred to
as “rolling.” The drug is particularly popular among teenagers and young adults
as the effects include an increased feeling of happiness, a heightened sense of
alterness and hyperactivity, increased sense of touch, a sense of loss of time,
decreased inhibitions, impulsivity, empathy, emotional connectedness, and the
ability to move and express oneself freely. Some users experience immediate
negative effects, including anxiety, agitation, sweating, chills, and
dizziness.
The DEA reports that the drug can be addictive to some users,
and that it has numerous side effects. These side effects include confusion, depression
and other mental health issues, anxiety, paranoia, sleep issues, drug cravings,
muscle tension, involuntary teeth-clenching, cramps, uncontrolled body
movements, racing heart, foaming at the mouth, nausea, and blurred vision.
Molly (and other forms of MDMA) used in high doses (often called “bumping”) can
play havoc on the body’s ability to regulate its temperature which can result
in hypothermia. This, in turn, can lead to cardiovascular, liver, and kidney
failure. While experts still don’t know if MDMA can cause long-term brain
damage in humans, animal-studies showed that exposure to high doses of the drug
produced brain damage that could still be seen seven years later.
Molly’s popularity has been fueled in recent months by the
inclusion of references to the drug in pop music, including the music of Kanye
West, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and others. In her hit
song “We Can’t Stop,” Miley Cyrus gives a nod to her affinity for the drug when
she sings “We like to party, dancing with Molly.” Long-time music staple
Madonna even asked the crowd at one her concerts, “”How many people in this
crowd have seen Molly?”
In recent months, Molly has made the headlines due to an
increased number of deaths attributed to overdoses on the drug. The Drug Abuse
Warning Network reports that the number of MDMA-related emergency-room visits
has doubled since 2004. As the drug continues to grow in popularity, it is reasonable
to assume that these numbers will increase.
Parents can suspect their kids are abusing Molly, Ecstasy,
or MDMA if they show any of these signs: clenching their jaw, a sudden loss of
appetite, high or low body temperatures, sadness and depression, and an
inability to get out of bed for an extended period of time. Parents should err
on the side of caution and seek medical help. In addition, if you find any
drugs or drug paraphernalia intervention is necessary. In the case of Molly, it
appears as a white or off-white powder, or in pill-form. Pills are often
imprinted with logos, symbols, or letters.
As always, we recommend that you make your kids aware of the
dangers (physical, moral, spiritual, legal), risks, and consequences of illicit
drug use.
For a FREE downloadable pdf handout of this CPYU Trend Alert on Molly, click here.
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