The History of MDMA as an Underground Drug in the United States, 1960–1979
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs – March 03, 2016
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
MDMA, commonly known as "ecstasy," emerged as a recreational drug in the U.S. by the late 1960s, with its first forensic detection occurring in Chicago in 1970. Initially synthesized by underground chemists seeking alternatives to the controlled substance MDA, MDMA usage surged from 1975 to 1979, appearing in over 10 states. The West Coast became a major hub for its use during this period. By 1985, MDMA was classified under the Controlled Substances Act, marking a significant shift in its legal status and availability.
Abstract
MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine, a.k.a. "ecstasy") was first synthesized in 1912 and resynthesized more than once for pharmaceutical reasons before it became a popular recreational drug. Partially based on previously overlooked U.S. government documentation, this article reconstructs the early history of MDMA as a recreational drug in the U.S. from 1960 to 1979. According to the literature, MDMA was introduced as a street drug at the end of the 1960s. The first forensic detection of MDMA "on the street" was reported in 1970 in Chicago. It appears that MDMA was first synthesized by underground chemists in search of "legal alternatives" for the closely related and highly sought-after drug MDA, which was scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970. Until 1974, nearly all MDMA street samples seized came from the U.S. Midwest, the first "hot region" of MDMA use. In Canada, MDMA was first detected in 1974 and scheduled in 1976. From 1975 to 1979, MDMA was found in street samples in more than 10 U.S. states, the West Coast becoming the major "hot region" of MDMA use. Recreational use of MDMA spread across the U.S. in the early 1980s, and in 1985 it was scheduled under the CSA.