What is Molly?
One of the more common club drugs in the market is known as Molly. Although it’s generally a ‘feel good’ drug, there are severe consequences from its neurological effects of using it over time.
Molly, or molecule, is a party drug aptly named due to its appearance of ground powder form. However, it’s true chemical name stands for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) since it’s a derivative of amphetamine.
In the early 1990s, MDMA or E, for ecstasy, had already developed a reputation for being a less-than-pure drug that requires combining with other addictive substances. After a few years, people started illegally peddling the substance and rebranded it to ‘Molly’, marketing it as a purer version of MDMA over its original pressed pill form. The drug then became popular during the late 2000s, making people think that they’re ingesting a new and safer form of the drug.
Where did MDMA come from?
Like most synthetic drugs, MDMA initially had roots in the pharmaceutical industry as a potential drug with medicinal value. MDMA is the purest form of what people generally refer to as Molly or ecstasy. Initially synthesized in 1912, German scientists’ original purpose for the drug is to alleviate bleeding within patients. Instead, they created a product that has strong psychoactive properties.
Progression on the drug’s development didn’t start again until after 1970, where therapists and psychiatrists experimented on its effects for therapy. However, the drug hadn’t gone through approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the time. Because of this, there was no understanding yet of its potential side effects and severe withdrawal symptoms. The tests continued with the therapists reported getting better responses from patients who revealed deeper insight into their personal issues. It was long until people realized the potentiality of releasing the product to the streets, circulating it in the 70s. It remains a popular club drug to this day.
What ingredients are inside MDMA?
MDMA contains various harmful substances which can develop harmful neurological aftereffects. Its main ingredient of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine becomes more potent with N-methoxybenzyl and para-Methoxyamphetamine, which can create hallucinogenic effects. It also contains synthetic cathinone’s, or bath salts, which are known to cause mental oddities in behavior, such as self-harm and cannibalistic behavior. Top it off with a dash of caffeine and cocaine, and you get a potent powder with a strong euphoria-inducing drug with addictive properties.
Do Molly pills have different effects from Molly powder?
There’s generally no difference in Molly’s effects whether you take it in powder or pill form. However, like any drug, the method of consumption will vary in the drug’s duration of effect and initial kick.
The effects of MDMA, Molly, or ecstasy generally take into effect after 30 minutes have passed through pill form. Since ingestion of the chemical compounds goes through the digestive system, a person’s metabolism will contribute to the speed of experiencing the drug’s effects. When snorted from powder form, MDMA takes a much quicker effect since it goes through the nasal cavity directly into the bloodstream. Similarly, injecting also induces the drug’s effects immediately.
Although taking Molly doesn’t induce strong physical side effects, it does have a dangerous impact on your neurological senses. In contrast to its reported results of euphoria, a person can also experience bouts of fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Mood swings and hostile behavior are also common among people who have been abusing their use of ecstasy.
How long does ecstasy last?
Ecstasy will produce several effects that impair brain function that can last for as long as 3 hours after the last dose. However, it’s important to note that people under the influence of ecstasy don’t have a normal cognitive function. This prevents them from accurately keeping track of time. Their environment will also appear more vivid, with color appearing brighter than usual. Some people report perceiving events faster while experiencing a sensation of levitation. All these effects are due to the alteration of a person’s senses and perception.
Ecstasy’s popularity as a party drug makes it associated with people getting pseudo-stamina and mental clarity. This allows them to be energized for a long duration without taking breaks. A person high on ecstasy will have lower cravings for food, water, and sleep due to their feelings of euphoria. After the initial 3 to 4 hours, people with ecstasy in their system will tend to cool down and experience only the minor effects of altered perception for 3 hours more.
How long does Molly stay in your system?
All drugs will leave trace amounts in your body in different forms, depending on your frequency of use and the amount of our last dosage. Molly is generally more detectable in bodily fluids, but it can also be present in hair for months.
- Urine testing: Drug testing through urine will reveal Molly for up to three days after ingestion. However, a person’s pH level in urine can affect how soon a person can expel it from their system. Higher alkaline in the urine usually points to a slower rate of excreting Molly.
- Saliva testing: Drug testing through saliva will reveal Molly for up to two days after ingestion, especially if the method of consumption is through swallowing the pills. Its concentration of detectability will peak after an hour of contact with the mouth.
- Blood testing: Drug testing through blood will reveal Molly for up to two days after ingestion. The body absorbs Molly quickly and can easily be present after 30minute of taking it through a hypodermic needle
- Hair testing: Drug testing through hair will reveal Molly for over three months after ingesting it in the body. Once Molly is in the bloodstream, trace amounts will attach to the blood vessels that feed hair follicles. By measuring the segment of hair that tests positive for Molly, it’s possible to estimate the date of ingestion.
Keep in mind that taking several doses for several hours at a time can lengthen the detection window. Additionally, your age, physical fitness, and other biological factors can contribute to the drug’s detectability.
Conclusion
There’s a staggering amount of psychostimulant-related deaths in the US, with its numbers multiplying by 8 from 1999 to 2014. It set a record high of 4,500 deaths, attributed to the general underestimation of people using the drug. By 2016, there were over 22,000 reports of hospitalizations due to MDMA use in 2011 alone. Since MDMA has had different reinventions over the years, people may be underselling its dangers. This is a threat to people who are susceptible to trying out drugs for the first time or people afflicted with drug abuse disorder.
Currently, there aren’t any specific medications to cure ecstasy dependence or its withdrawal symptoms. However, a person with drug abuse disorder can get treated through a detox program to heal ecstasy’s physical and neurological damage.
Source:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/mdma-ecstasy-abuse/Introduction
