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This was a delightful book, and very easy read, that takes a close look at what MDMA is to the people who use it. It is an ‘on the ground’ study where the researchers surveyed a few hundred users and compiled MDMA’s history and zeitgeist circa 1995. In it, they analyze who uses MDMA, why they use it, what the effects are, and what the repercussions and negative reactions are with the substance. The book is well written, and easy to understand with lots of references for those that want to follow up, and great appendices with rave and club posters promoting MDMA pre-criminalization.

The book covers how MDMA was created in 1916 to stop abnormal bleeding, considered as a cough medicine, lost, re-synthesized by Alexander Shulgin, used in therapy, leaked into the public recreational use, and finally criminalized in 1984. After its rediscovery, it was used primarily by therapists for helping people open up, and later as a recreational tool, it helped people relax and have a good time, not to mention want to dance in groups. The majority of the users, whatever their reason for taking, reported that they learned to be more open and social in their sober life because of the influence of MDMA sessions.



My biggest takeaway from the book was my opinion that MDMA should be legalized and regulated, perhaps a bit more strictly than alcohol but still available to the public. After reading the stories around deaths and abuse, it strikes me how even when it wasn’t illegal, the drug was never the subject of major abuse by the majority of users. There will always be addicts and abusers, but when compared to alcohol or tobacco, it is far safer overall. Between 1977 and 1984 there were a total of 7 deaths, and in the following 3 years after criminalization there were only 30. This spike can be attributed to ‘bathtub chemistry’ and adulteration after chemists needed to go underground. Further, while MDMA can be addictive in the short term, abuse and uncontrolled use leads to increasingly bad hangovers and reduced efficacy severely decreasing the chances of long term use. Unlike the popular myth that tolerance requires more of the substance, more MDMA will bring on more more severe side effects with no gain in pleasure. A culture of use develops around any drug that imparts drug folklore to new users. This drug folklore prescribes users to engage with MDMA infrequently (every 3 months is the current standard) to keep the negative effects at bay. All in all, the neurotoxic effects are minimal at standard doses (90mg - 120mg), and less neurotoxic than alcohol. While usage amounts as high as 1gram per night are reported, most people stay away from such potentially dangerous doses. These facts combined, minimal harm of use and low addiction potential, lead me to my personal opinion that MDMA is safe for public use.