Methamphetamine Solution (Frontline)

[clifp]

The statement that methamphetamine can only be made from ephedrine or pseudoephedrine is patently false. There are many other routes they just require more skill and/or access to other controlled precursors.

Reductive amination of 1-phenyl-2-propanone with monomethylamine is one such route. P2P and MMA are also controlled by the feds so this route is problematic for illegal labs as well.

I am big fan of the wonderful AMC show Breaking Bad which is all about a (very smart) high school chemistry teacher become a big time meth manufacturer. The buy a bunch of cold medicine to make Meth, is basically only something that small time meth labs use. The pro use stuff like Chemist is discussing.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I googled meth (now I'm going to get the most interesting spam), and it looks like 2/3 of it comes from the Mexican drug cartels. Although I would not oppose having to have prescriptions for pseudofed (and the insurance companies will like have another documented preexisting condition in my records), I hope someone else will take care of the cartels.

 

[Hamlet]

That's a very good result.

Meth causes long term brain damage on a whole different level than other drugs.

In general, I am in favor of legalizing most drugs, but I think we are better off keeping meth illegal.

Note-- I am not commenting on the cold medicine issue. I'm just saying that having meth users switch to other drugs would be a large benefit to our society.

And if a drug addict can't get his meth. Then he'll just switch to something else that gets him high.

 

[modhatter]

I live in the prescription capital of the country, Florida. I watched a documentary a couple of weeks ago about all the PAIN clinics operating here in southern Florida. It was absolutely amazing. My mind is blank, and I can't remember the name of it. (too many drugs) I watched on my computer (full episode) after seeing the end of it on TV. I think it was on a show called Independent Lens, but I am not sure. If I can remember the name of it later, I'll post it with a link. It was just amazing and a real eye opener to the severity of the problem all over the country.

 

[veremchuka]

Why is meth so damaging to the body physically? Is it because of trace amounts of all the very toxic chemicals used to make it that reside in the final product or is there something chemically about meth that does the damage not related to the toxic inputs?

 

[Koolau]

I live in the prescription capital of the country, Florida. I watched a documentary a couple of weeks ago about all the PAIN clinics operating here in southern Florida. It was absolutely amazing. My mind is blank, and I can't remember the name of it. (too many drugs) I watched on my computer (full episode) after seeing the end of it on TV. I think it was on a show called Independent Lens, but I am not sure. If I can remember the name of it later, I'll post it with a link. It was just amazing and a real eye opener to the severity of the problem all over the country.

There was an episode of "Justified" in which a whole bus load of people (apparently from all walks of life) went to north Florida, loaded up on pain meds (oxy) and brought it back to KY to make money. Obviously, doctors are involved in this at some stage of the process, so I wouldn't rule out docs writing scripts for pseudo or other precursors for meth. I hate that idea, but can't rule it out based on what I've seen in the news (not on "Justified" or "Breaking Bad", though these programs do seem to be based on current events.)

We have lost the war on drugs, so it would seem the best we could do is "channel" folks into the safer drugs (in which, meth is NOT included).

I saw the Frontline program a couple of days ago. It was from 2006 IIRC, so any progress in a given state may have well been reversed by now. One thing is clear. If there is money to be made, people will figure a way around any law. It may take a little while. Even the program showed the ups and downs of meth potency and availability. It's sort of like Whack-a-Mole. Stamp it out here and it (or something worse) pops up over there. Maybe it's time to declare "victory" and call a retreat. Could that be WORSE than what we have now? I find it difficult to believe that it would be, but YMMV.

 

[chemist]

Why is meth so damaging to the body physically? Is it because of trace amounts of all the very toxic chemicals used to make it that reside in the final product or is there something chemically about meth that does the damage not related to the toxic inputs?

It ain't the impurities. Let's see, could it be that meth abusers sometimes stay up for days on end? And don't eat? And the fact that it cuts blood supply to the extremities leads to your teeth falling out?

Amphetamines aren't harmful when taken as directed. Look at all the kids with ADHD on Adderall. But when taken in massive doses for days on end - look out below.

 

[DoingHomework]

Even if prescriptions aren't required in all states, you still have to buy products containing pseudophedrine (like Claritin-D, which I take) directly from the pharmacy in limited amounts and be added to a registry so your drivers' license can be checked every time you buy it. It's a federal law. It's not any easier to get than having a prescription.

Putting pseudoephedrine behind the counter and requiring jumping through hoops to buy it is a pointless PITA. I buy pseudoephedrine for an "off label" use - to prevent ear problems when scuba diving. Even in popular dive locations it's not unusual to be made to feel like a criminal when asking a pharmacist for this, even though it is completely legal.

Oh, and the limit on purchases is something like 100 tablets per day. Given that the dosage is at most 4 tablets per day I guess they figure that a family of 25 must be supported.

The price is also much higher now that it is behind the counter.

Meth is a serious problem. But like most other laws, this creates a big inconvenience for law abiding citizens, raised prices, and does virtually nothing to stop serious meth labs!

And from what I understand from some chemist friends, starting with pseudoephedrine is convenient but not necessary. It can be synthesized in a small lab or leached out of certain plants.