Ecstasy facts and history

Ecstasy, or MDMA, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug with hallucinogenic properties.

It is an illegal stimulant with a chemical structure similar to amphetamine, and is usually taken in pill form.

Ecstasy pills may contain other drugs such as ephedrine, methamphetamine, LSD or PCP.

Effects of ecstasy

After consumption, it takes about an hour for users to feel the effects, which can last for three to six hours. The effects of the drug vary by individual.

The drug typically produces an increase in energy, as do all amphetamines. Some individuals may experience feelings of euphoria, while others may experience panic and paranoia.

Short-term use can also cause increased blood pressure, nausea, vomiting and dehydration.

When combined with other drugs, such as those used to treat depression or HIV, toxic reactions can occur.

Over time, frequent use of the drug can cause weight loss, fatigue, anxiety and depression. Regular users can develop a tolerance to the drug.

Origins and history

MDMA was created in 1912 by German pharmaceutical company Merck. Conflicting statements exist about the reasons behind its creation.

The most common cited reason for the development of the drug is that it was discovered while Merck scientists aimed to create an appetite suppressant. Other statements say it was created as a substance to stop abnormal bleeding.

The drug was made illegal to possess, traffic, import or produce in Canada in 1976, but MDMA existed in relative obscurity until 1977, when Alexander Shulgin, a researcher for Dow Chemical, took the drug himself.

Shulgin wrote of his experiences on the drug, and its potential psychotherapeutic uses. He also wrote about providing samples to his friend, therapist Leo Zeff.

Multiple accounts describe Zeff and a group of followers using MDMA – now ecstasy – as a recreational drug at a night club called Starck in Dallas, Texas, in 1984.

The drug was made illegal in the U.S. in 1985, but use of ecstasy spread over the next decade and a half throughout North America and Europe.

By the 1990s, the drug was an entrenched part of the “rave scene,” or the all-night dance party scene.

The 2003 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey (OSDUS) reported that the use of ecstasy among youth in grades 7 to 12 dropped for the first time since 1991, from six per cent in 2001 to 4.1 per cent in 2003.