The synthetic drug, “Molly,” has become popular among those prone to drug abuse because it boosts chemicals in the brain to cause euphoric feelings and hallucinations. Drug dealers and internet sellers have marketed Molly as pure MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, but reports have indicated that 80-90% of each instance of the drug is counterfeited, or laced with other drugs such as bath salts, and could be dangerous and deadly.
“There is no such thing as good batch of MDMA,” said Drug Enforcement Agency spokesman special agent Joseph Moses in a recent ABC News story. Moses said only about 13% of Molly seized is actually MDMA. Instead, the Molly found today is a synthetic drug smuggled into the United States from China that is even more dangerous. According to Moses, “The manufacturer didn’t go through clinical trials, the person who orders and repackages it doesn’t know what it’s going to do to somebody, and the user doesn’t know what it was going to do to them. Even if the drug is pure MDMA, that doesn’t make it safe.”
“Suppliers are making it look like something that is safe and easy to take, but in many cases, you’re playing Russian roulette,” DEA spokesperson Rusty Payne told CNN. In many cases, Molly can cause psychotic symptoms like agitation, paranoia and hallucinations. And, although the drug is federally banned from sale in stores, it is widely available on the Internet. In the worst cases, the counterfeited version of MDMA has led to emergency hospitalizations and can result in a stroke or heart attack, cause brain damage, prompt the brain to swell, or cause seizures.
Parents are urged to research the drug and become familiar with its dangers and to talk to their children about it and explain why Molly is a bad and harmful choice. Hopefully, armed with information, teens, young adults, and other at-risk groups will choose not to abuse. Remember, if you have concerns about a website or drug seller, please report the information to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for further investigation using our online portal.
####
The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) and our 13 member companies have the shared goal of helping address the growing problem of consumer access to illegitimate pharmaceutical products on the Internet. Continue to read this blog for updates on CSIP’s education, enforcement and information-sharing efforts.