101 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
101 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
From: u9264582@wumpus.cc.uow.edu.au (The RadioDog)
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Newsgroups: alt.drugs
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Subject: FWD : Analysis of current `extasy'
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Date: 1 Feb 1994 09:54:42 +1100
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Message-ID: <2ik27i$4ro@wumpus.cc.uow.edu.au>
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Forwarded from the Ausrave mailing list
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______________________________________________________________
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An Analysis of "Hearts", a Tablet Illicitly Sold as "Ecstasy".
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______________________________________________________________
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Introduction:
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In recent months, observers have noticed an increase in the availablility
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of tablets sold illicitly as "ecstasy", supposedly methylenedioxy
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methamphetamine (MDMA), in Sydney. One form which has often been reported
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is known as "Hearts", and appears as a white tablet about 0.5cm in
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diameter, with a heart shaped emblem imprinted. A large number of these
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tablets were made available close to New Years Eve. Some experienced
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users claimed that the effect of the tablets was "smacky", i.e.
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they thought that it contained heroin in addition to MDMA.
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Up until a few months ago, in the Netherlands, the MDMA analogue
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N-ethyl methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDE, MDEA, Eve) was legal and
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freely available. With the banning of this substance, it would seem
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reasonable that the newly illicit stockpiles should have been distributed
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around the world. In recent years, quality MDMA has been rare in
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Sydney, and sales of adulterated or forged samples have correspondingly
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been rife. However, there have been persistant rumours of recent
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"ecstasy" supplies having their origin in the Netherlands, and indeed
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this has been used as a marketing point; people tending to believe
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that if it is imported, it is more likely to contain MDMA. All this
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suggests a possible link between recent "ecstasy" in supplies Sydney
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and Dutch MDE, so it is of great interest to analyse a sample of the drug.
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Experimental:
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0.0398g of powdered "heart" tablet was suspended in 20ml H2O. The
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supernatant was placed in a separating funnel with 20ml CH2Cl2, and
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the residue re-extracted with ca.10ml H2O. To the combined extracts
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in the funnel were added 2ml 25% NH3. After shaking, the CH2Cl2
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layer was separated, and a further three CH2Cl2 extracts of
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approximately equal volume were taken. These four extracts were
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combined, and evaporated under vacuum to yield 0.0121g of basic
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extract as a pale yellow oil. TLC on silica using butanol/acetic acid/
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water (4:1:1) gave a single ninhydrin positive spot (violet, rf 0.55),
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indicating the probable presence of only one major component.
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The H1 NMR spectrum of the sample was taken, and found to
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correspond identically with an authentic sample of pure MDE
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having been worked up in the same manner. There was no evidence
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to suggest the presence of MDMA, or other amphetamines.
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Conclusion:
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The tablets known as "hearts" and sold as "ecstasy" have been found
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to contain at least 36% N-ethyl methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDE)
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(calculated as the hydrochloride salt). No other active substances
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were found. It is quite possible that the sample had its origin in
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the Netherlands.
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___________________________________________________________________
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Subjective differences between MDE and MDMA:
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While the effects of these two substances are sufficiently similar
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to make differentiation difficult, there are some significant subjective
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differences. MDE is somewhat less potent than MDMA, a typical dose
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being in the range 100-160mg (as opposed to 80-140mg). At large
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doses, MDE may resemble MDA (methylenedioxy amphetamine), although its
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psychedelic effects are less; it is a "stoning" intoxicant, and in
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particular can make walking or dancing difficult. Large doses of MDMA
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can have a similar effect, although it seems that somewhat more can be
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used without incurring the almost drunken intoxication. In smaller
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amounts, MDE greatly resembles MDMA, although the physical and
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tactile effects are generally perceived as being prevalent.
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The emotional opening and empathic effects for which MDMA is
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famous, although present, do not seem to be as pronounced.
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As a substance of abuse at raves, MDE has the possible advantage
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over MDMA that the user is less likely to embarass him/herself
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in public through inappropriate empathy. On the other hand,
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MDE is more likely to temporarily incapacitate the user at normal
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doses.
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J
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--
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"Enjoy moderation in moderation"
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-----
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u9264582@wumpus.cc.uow.edu.au - University of Wollongong, Australia
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