Ecstasy

From SSDPedia

Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug known for its association with raves, dancing, and euphoria. Its chemical name is MDMA or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Typically, ecstasy is sold in the form of pills which commonly are found to be impure and may not even contain MDMA at all. The drug has been used for recreational purposes but is also being studied for its use in psychotherapy, particularly for the treatment of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

MDMA is illegal in the United States (Schedule I) and in most other countries. It is also listed as Schedule I in the International Convention on Psychotropic Substances, an international drug control treaty.

MDMA was first synthesized in the 1890s and later patented by Merck pharmaceuticals on December 24, 1912, but it wasn't until the mid 1970s that articles related to its psychoactivity began showing up in scholarly journals. In the late '70s and early '80s MDMA was used as a psychotherapeutic tool and also started to become available on the street. Its growing popularity led to it being made illegal in the United States in 1985 and its popularity has continued to increase since then.