Psychological profile of abstinent recreational Ecstasy (MDMA) users and significance of concomitant cannabis use
Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental December 1, 2001 Jörg Daumann, Susanna Pelz, Stefanie Becker et al. 77 citations
Recreational Ecstasy (MDMA) is known to damage serotonin neurons in animals, and human studies link it to memory problems. This investigation examined psychological profiles of 28 abstinent Ecstasy users who also used cannabis, compared with equal-sized groups of cannabis-only users and non-users. Ecstasy users reported higher impulsiveness, anxiety, sensation seeking, somatic complaints, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and psychoticism. However, after accounting for cannabis use, most group differences were no longer statistically significant. The findings suggest that psychological problems in Ecstasy users are closely tied to concomitant cannabis use, making them less reliable indicators of Ecstasy-related neurotoxic damage than cognitive deficits.