Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
ACS Chemical Neuroscience July 12, 2018 Lee E. Dunlap, Anne M. Andrews, David E. Olson 105 citations
MDMA, known as ecstasy, is a small molecule that shapes youth culture similarly to LSD in the 1960s. Structurally related to amphetamine and mescaline, it produces unique subjective effects distinct from psychostimulants or hallucinogens and reliably induces prosocial states. This review covers MDMA's synthesis, pharmacology, metabolism, adverse effects, and potential medical uses. The authors argue MDMA may be the most important compound for the future of psychedelic science, capable of either advancing new research or triggering a second Dark Age for the field.