MDMA Is One of the Safer Illegal Drugs. But There Are Risks.

As countries legalize the psychedelic for therapy, recreational use of Ecstasy is likely to become more common. Experts say we need an open conversation about what can go wrong and how to prevent it.

A Reason You Shouldn’t Panic about the Club Drug “Molly,” and a Reason You Should

MDMA was first synthesized by a German chemist in the early 20th century, and starting in the 1980s, was widely distributed in tablet form as a recreational drug called Ecstasy. (Users reported feeling a life-affirming sense of euphoria.) Molly is just Ecstasy with a different name, Owen and Gavin write, a marketing trick from “drug dealers rebranding a product that had gotten a bad reputation because it was so heavily cut with other substances.” Unlike Ecstasy, molly is geared to “discerning consumers who don’t mind paying a premium to ensure quality.” But, like Ecstasy before it, the capsules being sold as molly are rarely pure MDMA. Instead, they are often cut with any number of substances: aspirin, caffeine, bath salts, methamphetamine. Sometimes, molly contains no MDMA at all.

Club Drug Takes Deadly Toll

A recent spate of overdose deaths at dance-music parties has raised alarm about "Molly," an ostensibly pure form of the popular club drug ecstasy. But drug-enforcement officials say the moniker has become meaningless, as dealers increasingly sell a variety of potentially more dangerous drugs under its guise.

Ecstasy as a Remedy for PTSD? You Probably Have Some Questions.

No one goes home with a bottle of Ecstasy. If approved by the F.D.A., MDMA would only be administered by a licensed therapist. First, a patient goes through three sessions of psychotherapy. In the fourth session, the patient takes a pill.

How MDMA Went From Club Drug to ‘Breakthrough Therapy’

MDMA, aka ecstasy, will still be an illegal drug when Dr. Ross begins these sessions. But it’s emerging as one of the most promising treatments for intractable post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kim Kardashian West and ecstasy: A reminder of the social dangers of the drug

Kim unintentionally constructed a timely PSA which helps raise awareness of potential social harms that may result from use.

The Differences Between British and American MDMA Users

Ultimately, how Brits and Americans treat MDMA probably has something to do with their respective natures. Brits are as nihilistic with the drug as they are with alcohol, while – arguably – Americans generally put more brainpower into how they use their illicit substances. Think, for example, about how many more American weed nerds you've come across than British.

When Does Sex on MDMA Count as Rape?

And while the drugs most often labeled as date rape drugs are Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine, festival-goers' drug of choice—or at least the one they talk about most on Instagram (other than alcohol)—is MDMA.

Will MDMA Show Up On a Drug Test?

Depends on the time, depends on the test and depends on your trickery.

Ecstasy users are more empathetic than those who take other drugs – even when not on it

If you’ve ever seen someone in a club on MDMA, it may not surprise you to hear it’s linked to a heightened ability to share other people’s feelings and emotions. Yet in our new study, we found that even when the effects have faded, mild MDMA users showed greater empathy than people who use other common recreational drugs, such as cannabis, cocaine and ketamine.

MDMA, or Ecstasy, Shows Promise as a PTSD Treatment

Scientists test how pharmaceutical-grade MDMA combines with psychotherapy to help patients with a severe form of PTSD

Octopuses get friendlier on ecstasy, just like humans

You might not imagine humans have got a lot in common with octopuses. The bizarre, clever, gelatinous, shape-shifting creatures, with eight tentacles, three hearts, blue blood, and the ability to change colors and taste with their skin seem as close to space aliens as anything on Earth. Soak the solitary sea dwellers in a bath of the drug ecstasy and our commonalities become more apparent, according to new research

Study: Medical Ecstasy Makes People More Cooperative, But They Can Still Sniff Out A Rat

Since this research focused on therapeutic benefits of the drug, the results shouldn't be interpreted as an endorsement of recreational use.

Tastes Like Tesla: How Tesla Ecstasy Pills Became The Hot Way To Get High

The fact that tech logos are trending in the drug world is no surprise to Mitchell Gomez, executive director of DanceSafe, a non-profit supporting health and safety in the dance community. “The phenomenon of pills and blotters being made with corporate logos is one that dates back many, many years...

We’re Too Excited About MDMA’s Potential for Treating PTSD

Yes, the clinical outlook is promising. But we need to start getting just as serious about how the people who need the drug the most will access it.