The Popularization
The History of MDMA June 29, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198867364.003.0007
Summary
MDMA's popularity grew from the late 1970s onward, with first recreational use documented in Oregon. After human psychedelic research halted in the 1960s, the Association for the Responsible Use of Psychedelic Agents promoted MDMA's therapeutic use. The drug's recreational use expanded when a proselytizing aficionado began selling it in Texan bars and nightclubs, and larger-scale manufacturing by profit-seeking groups further stimulated demand. The chapter also covers 1985 press coverage and the role of the Indian guru Rajneesh in international distribution.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | MDMA's rise in popularity was driven by a combination of therapeutic advocacy, early recreational use, and commercial distribution by a proselytizing aficionado and later manufacturers. |
Abstract
Abstract Since the early 1980s, the popularity of MDMA has clearly risen. Independently of the activities of Shulgin, knowledge of MDMA spread across the country. The first recreational use documented by drug educators was in Oregon in the late 1970s, and they hypothesized that this drug could well enjoy future popularity. The year 1981 saw the publication of the first detailed article about MDMA in a widely distributed underground journal, followed by a few others. After all human research on psychedelics was stopped in the late 1960s, the Association for the Responsible Use of Psychedelic Agents (ARUPA) evolved as a loosely connected circle, which met at the Esalen Institute, an epicentre of the human potential movement, to promote the therapeutic use of MDMA. The move away from psychedelics to amphetamines by most drug users in the early 1970s also contributed to the popularity of MDMA. However, in spite of some early recreational use in a few nightclubs, MDMA did not really take off until a proselytizing MDMA aficionado began to sell the drug on a broader scale in bars and nightclubs of some Texan cities. As some groups began to see the profits to be made, they began to produce the drug in larger amounts, thus further stimulating demand. The history of two representative groups of underground manufacturers is described. Other parts of this chapter cover the press coverage in 1985 and the role of the Indian guru Rajneesh in the international distribution of MDMA.