Other Dangerous Drugs

National Drug Intelligence Center
Maine Drug Threat Assessment Update
April 2002

The abuse of other dangerous drugs (ODDs), including the stimulant MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and the hallucinogen LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), poses a minor but growing threat to Maine. Teenagers and young adults frequently distribute and abuse ODDs. The abuse rate for ODDs appears to be increasing on college campuses and at concerts, nightclubs, and raves.

MDMA

Law enforcement officials report that MDMA is readily available in Maine. According to MDEA data, state and local task force officers seized 9,681 dosage units of MDMA in FY2001, a dramatic increase from the 120 dosage units seized in FY2000. Most of the MDMA available in Maine is produced outside the United States, typically in laboratories in the Netherlands and Belgium. The drug is transported into the United States via package delivery services and by couriers aboard commercial aircraft arriving in New York City and Boston. Massachusetts-based Caucasian independent dealers are the primary transporters of MDMA to cities throughout Maine.

MDMA, also called Adam, ecstasy, XTC, E, and X, is a synthetic psychoactive drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties. Abuse of the drug may cause psychological problems similar to those associated with methamphetamine and cocaine abuse including confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia. The physical effects include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, blurred vision, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.

MDMA taken in high doses is extremely dangerous, causing a marked increase in body temperature leading to muscle breakdown and kidney and cardiovascular system failure. MDMA abuse may lead to heart attack, stroke, and seizure as reported in some fatalities at raves. Recent research links MDMA to long-term, possibly permanent damage to parts of the brain that are used for thought and memory. Individuals who develop a rash after abusing MDMA may be at risk of severe liver damage or other serious side effects.

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MDMA typically is sold and abused on college campuses and at concerts, nightclubs, and raves. Massachusetts-based Caucasian independent dealers, generally 16 to 25 years of age, are the dominant MDMA distributors in Maine. However, OMGs and local Caucasian dealers that traditionally distributed cocaine now also distribute MDMA. In 2001 MDMA tablets sold for $15 to $20 each at the retail level.

In 2001 a Maine college student was arrested upon receiving MDMA from Czechoslovakia via a package delivery service. The student reportedly purchased the MDMA for $4 per tablet.

Source: Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

LSD

Caucasian teenagers and young adults are the primary distributors and abusers of LSD in Maine. Most of the LSD available in the state is produced in California and transported to the area via package delivery services. LSD usually is distributed and abused on college campuses and at concerts, nightclubs, and raves. The drug is often applied to candy and blotter paper or disguised as a breath freshener. MDEA reports that the abuse of LSD is increasing throughout the state. According to MDEA data, state and local task force officials seized 971 dosage units of LSD in FY2001, an increase from the 873 dosage units seized in FY2000. In the first quarter of FY2002, LSD sold for $3 to $7 per dosage unit, according to DEA.

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