Party Vibe

if this modified MDMA is also active as a party drug, the UN and sovereign nations is going to have to deal with the issues regarding control/prohibition before this stuff can be clinically used.

Otherwise it creates a major risk to the worlds healthcare systems (both public and private) as staff in pharmacies/dispensaries and other healthcare workers would be put at risk of anything from violent robbery to being drawn into corruption.

I work in a healthcare environment and whilst most staff are professional enough not to even consider dipping the Controlled Drugs stores (and there are some strong security measures) a lot of this is also because the contents are opiates and depressants (its a facility for older people with terminal conditions, including cancer) and there is much more of a taboo against using these than MDMA use, and there is way more demand for this drug than there is for opiates, and a lot more people willing to get involved in its trafficking, even risking their careers etc. Even now stuff “goes missing” from healthcare facilities.

The NHS in the UK already had to harden up a lot of its security procedures in the last 20 years as benzos (and amfetamines, when these were once more widely prescribed) were regularly getting dipped by staff and there was a culture of “loose prescription” amongst younger doctors.

As an example of the potential impact, I’ve just seen a pharmacy delivery come in (in fact I picked it up as I am working near the main entry door and can see anyone going in and out and had sprung the security doors before the nurses (who are on the floor below me). The driver was a lone female – unfortunately if word went out that these vans and deliveries were containing MDMA I don’t think they would be able to carry on like that and there would have to be even more stricter controlls on the drugs cabinets, CCTV etc inside the facilities. The only reason they and their workers don’t get robbed for opiates is that there are more street opiates around nowadays – and better security/alarms, when the UK had more lax prescribing robberies on pharmacies were quite common (and doctors bags still often get nicked from cars if left unattended in urban areas).

Still they have 10 years to sort out the legal issues…

one big problem is at present the level that would attack cancer cells would kill a human (plus for some people the use of MDMA encourages them to smoke cigarettes – even when they do not always or regularly do so). it isn’t entirely clear from this news report whether the new variant is also psychoactive as well as beneficial against cancer cells – if it is this would pose a further interesting problem as it would be a stronger version of the drug for less bulk and thus even more attractive for illlcit diversion.

I bet their research labs have some serious security measures on them and everyone on that project is vetted!

I don’t have that level of brains/qualifications (plus a CRB with a criminal record for drugs which would make it very difficult for me to get a job on that project even if I did have all those degrees etc) – and its impressive what they have achieved but I certainly wouldn’t want to be working late in that lab in Birmingham without CCTV and a panic button.

There are lots of folk out there what would hurt someone or kill to get at that stock of MDMA the boffins are using for their experiments (despite it being relatively easy to get on the illegal market), and would not expect uni student types to put up much of a fight anyway. For this reason it would be stored in a very secure location with monitored access, almost certainly under CCTV.

its also worth remembering there are already a number of mental health problems for which MDMA would be valuable but because of laws and the risk/issues associated with illegal diversion (including to frontline healthcare staff), less effective (and sometimes even dangerous) drugs are prescribed which mirror the effects of MDMA without the euphoria/highs… (and TBH this applies to other drugs which have dual therapeutic and recreational uses).