3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, is a substance commonly known as Ecstasy, a recreational drug that was used by roughly 2.1 million people aged 15-34 in 2016 (Travis, TheGuardian.com). MDMA is a synthetic drug that is chemically similar to both a hallucinogen and a stimulant. The way MDMA reacts in the human body is by releasing excessive amounts of serotonin, a natural mood stabilizer, from your brain. The drug results in effects including an increase in energy, physical and emotional pleasure, emotional warmth, social acceptance, euphoria, and sociability. Although MDMA can be harmful because it can cause an increase in heart rate and body temperature, studies have shown that this 4-6-hour experience, when monitored and regulated, can be beneficial to people with long-lasting mental illnesses. Because the drug also increases how much you talk and how truthful you are, therapists and doctors are now researching and testing the substance to measure its effect on patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Since an effect of MDMA is an increase in sociability, therapists believe that patients will be able to talk more thoroughly and extensively about their problems, but with a much, much more positive outlook. My Grandfather, Alvin Hope Bauman, a World War II Veteran, suffered from PTSD starting in the 1950’s up until his passing on February 13th, 2013. For approximately 60 years, my grandfather suffered from anxiety, nightmarish flashbacks, and unstable mood swings because of his traumatic experiences as a naval minesweeper. Available for his aid, treatments that resulted in little to no relief. Today, I wonder how his life could have been if MDMA wasn’t immediately deemed deadly and illegal by the U.S. government. I believe MDMA should be legalized again for medical treatment because science has shown that it can benefit people with PTSD that current treatment options cannot at half the price.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine was patented in 1912 by the German chemical company Merck. The drug was intended to be sold as a dieting pill, but the company decided they did not want anything to do with the drug and were no longer involved with it after discovering its unusual psychoactive side effects. Later, Alexander Shulgin, a biochemist with Dow Chemicals, began more extensive research on MDMA as a therapeutic drug. He synthesized it and took the drug himself, observing the psychoactive effects he was experiencing. He was then able to get the drug a lot of positive, clinical, media attention. While therapists began to experiment with MDMA on patients, they discovered that it helped their patients open up much more. However, at the same time, the drug quickly entered the club/party scene in the 1980’s. With a gaining club drug reputation, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) banned the drug in 1985 and labeled it a Schedule I narcotic. Schedule I substances are defined as substances that have no known medical benefit and have high potential for addiction and abuse. Currently, MDMA is still considered to be a Schedule I drug, alongside bath salts, LSD, Heroin, Mescaline, Quaaludes, and marijuana. 

Posttraumatic stress disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses today at an estimated 13 million U.S. citizens, or roughly 5 percent of Americans currently suffering from symptoms of PTSD (Preskey, Natasha). In their lifetime, 1 in 13 people will develop PTSD at some point (Preskey, Natasha). PTSD is caused by exposure to traumatic experiences, or even witnessing or learning about traumatic experiences. This experience or series of can cause the person to feel crippling fear, anxiety, and helplessness. The trauma effects just about every aspect of the person’s life including both their physical and mental well-being. Domestic violence, rape, physical assault, car accidents, and military combat are some examples of events that commonly trigger symptoms of PTSD in those who experienced the events. As for treatment, there are prescription medications and talk therapies (psychotherapy). Sertraline and Paroxetine are currently the only two prescriptions medications specifically for PTSD approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and with the only other option being talk therapies, those who suffer from PTSD do not have many choices. Those who choose not to ingest synthetic substances daily such as sertraline and paroxetine must opt for psychotherapy as their only other form of treatment. However, with PTSD comes crippling anxiety. This anxiety is often brought on immediately following the beginning of each therapy session, as it was for my Grandfather. This immediate anxiety deters the patient from wanting to continue the therapy session as they are so easily overwhelmed about the traumatic event they have experienced. This is what causes psychotherapy to be highly unsuccessful or for its success to be short-lived.

Especially with today’s current “War on Drugs”, trying to distinguish a “dangerous” recreational party drug as a medical miracle is not a simple thing to do. With the high emergency room visits and death rates, this substance can be easily overlooked. I will first make my argument by diving deeper into how MDMA effects your brain, as this science is evidence as to exactly why MDMA had worked on patients in the 1980’s. I will then follow with evidence from a study conducted in 2011 that supports the findings in 1980, and how the results are still the same. The final point I would like to make is how legalizing drugs in general has been a positive thing for certain countries like Portugal, since gang related drug violence is a counter claim that could be made against legalizing a once only recreational substance. I am also well aware of the other potential counter arguments that can be made against me. Those include statistics involving emergency room visits and deaths per year, followed by the increase of cost per therapy session if MDMA was included in the process. However, these will be proven wrong with more in depth detail about emergency room patients as well as the true side effects of pure MDMA.

In the past, scientists have actually already observed the effects and properties of MDMA and how it effects people who have PTSD, and now, more and more organizations are beginning to fund research again. Preliminary studies have shown that MDMA releases high amounts of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that contributes to happiness and positivity. Along with serotonin, MDMA increases levels of hormones like oxytocin and prolactin (Solon, Olivia). With an increase of oxytocin, or the “love” hormone, one becomes more connected with those around them. And with an increase in prolactin, a “post-orgasmic” state (Mithofer, Michael), leading people to feel more relaxed and achieve a higher sense of satisfaction. The drug also slows activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fear. Because of its euphoric, intense sociable effects, the drug is still today extremely popular in the drug and music festival scene. Each year, approximately 2.1 million people use MDMA recreationally (Miller, Sarah G.). Although, the drug is not just getting attention from its recreational users and the DEA. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), founded in 1986, is just one organization focusing on the potential medical benefits of MDMA. They are currently raising $25 million to fund clinical trials of MDMA to be used as a tool in psychotherapy. Because of preliminary studies, there is currently a strong effort to reevaluate this substance current label as a deadly, addictive, party drug. And since it worked in the past, there is no question as to why we should throw this under the table.

Before MDMA was banned by the DEA and labeled a Schedule I substance, therapists used MDMA for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, or talk therapy sessions. With no official studies or research, roughly 80% of therapists who coupled the substance with a talk therapy session agreed that the patient opened up about their problems much more quickly and extensively than they would with no assistance (Ohrn, Peter). Even though these claims were made, the DEA considered the drug to be highly addictive and must have no possible medicinal benefits. Today, marijuana is still a Schedule I substance, yet there have been hundreds of studies that have proven cannabis to have medicinal benefits. There are currently 28 (plus Washington D.C.) states that have legal medical marijuana, yet the DEA still deems it addictive and unbeneficial. Who is to say that other illegal banned substances do not have any medical benefits whatsoever? Especially when todays medical research field is stronger than ever, and most definitely stronger than it was in 1985 when MDMA was banned from any legal use? After extensive research and studies, we have discovered the healing properties of marijuana and have also been able to trace the positive economic impact of its legalization. If we have already discovered that one Schedule I drug is not nearly as harmful or addictive as once thought and that it has numerous health benefits, why can’t the others? We must provide more funding for more research and controlled experiments,  as MDMA could easily take the place of prescription pills and anti-depressants, drastically improve the effectiveness of psychotherapy, and could reduce the total amount spent on anxiety medications each year.

In 2011, a randomized, controlled study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy was conducted to observe the effects of MDMA in a normal PTSD talk therapy session. The experiment chose 12 subjects whom were given 125mg of MDMA approximately 1.5 hours before the start of the session. Each subject was monitored by two therapists who observed the difference in confidence and open-mindedness of the patient from the first unassisted session to the MDMA-assisted session. Following two MDMA sessions 6 months apart, there was a 100% positive response rate from the 12 subjects following the second MDMA-assisted session (Ohrn, Peter). Leading up to the experiment, the subjects had all been suffering from PTSD from unlisted causes, but each reported symptoms of flashbacks, insomnia, anxiety, and fear regarding anything related to the cause of their trauma. In a typical psychotherapy session, it takes several meetings only to establish a justifiable relationship or bond between the therapist and the patient, making it an extremely long and costly form of treatment. After the first assisted session conducted in the experiment, there was only a 50% success rate of patient symptom relief, but after just one more session it grew to 100% (Ohrn, Peter). This is a result of the increase of the hormone oxytocin, an effect of MDMA, which increases empathy and bonding. Typically, with unassisted psychotherapy, “patients do not report relief from symptoms until they have completed on average 10 separate sessions over the course of a year” (Ohrn, Peter), meaning MDMA-assisted therapy can reduce the recovery time of patients by half the average amount of sessions and can eliminate the usually necessary “bonding” sessions.

In 2001, Portugal decided to treat minor possession of all drugs as a public health issue and not a criminal one. All drugs remained illegal, yet the consequences were either a small fine or a referral to get help instead of serving jail time. The result of this? Not what you would expect. Portugal’s deaths from drug overdose went from 10.5 million in 2001 to just 3.1 million in 2014 (Mithofer, Michael). Studies have shown a steep decrease in drug-related deaths and arrests (Mithofer, Michael). More and more abusers have also entered treatment as they were no longer in fear of potential consequences when trying to get help. To assist PTSD patients, decriminalizing ALL drugs is clearly not necessary, however this could help thousands of abusers on the street get help instead of making the problem worse, just as it did for Portugal. 

However, with the impressive positive aspects of MDMA and although preliminary research has shown that MDMA can improve the success rate of psychotherapy treatment, it is also said to lead to thousands of emergency room visits and approximately 50 deaths in the U.S. each year (Jansen, Karl).  Common side effects of MDMA include an increase in blood pressure and body temperature as well as dehydration. Users often will note excessive sweating, jaw clenching, and teeth grinding as side effects of their MDMA experience. A combination of these effects can also lead to panic attacks, resulting in emergency room visits where patients are given vital fluids and nutrients until the effects wear off. Not only can MDMA cause immediate danger to the user, but recreational drugs had led to gang and street violence since their beginning. In 2016, 39.9% of gang related violence was tied to drug sales and drug manufacturing (Solon, Olivia). Some may argue that legalizing MDMA for therapeutic use will only make it more accessible to the public causing more drug-sale related violence in the streets. The addition of MDMA in a psychotherapy session will also drastically raise the cost of each session. Having to manufacture, ship, and regulate the substance will create additional costs for the patient. On average, the typical patient pays approximately $2,400 per year for a set of 10 therapy sessions (Crebs, Teri). With MDMA-assisted therapy, this cost could reach five to six thousand dollars a year. Because of the potential for the drug to eventually reach the wrong hands and its excessive cost, MDMA could have no place in a treatment facility. 

The amount of deaths and medical emergencies associated with the substance recreationally does not make this drug sound safe at all. However, those statistics are incorrect for my argument because although MDMA has been linked to 5,442 emergency room visits in the U.S. in 2016 and approximately 50 deaths a year, those cases involved substances that only partially contained any MDMA whatsoever (Jansen, Karl). Of those 5,442 emergency room visits, not a single case involved a patient consuming only pure MDMA. The addition of other narcotics and doses that contained other filler amphetamines caused each emergency room visit. The side effects of actual pure MDMA include insomnia, jaw clenching, and loss of appetite. The side effects that users often experience are not caused by MDMA itself. The excessive sweating, panic attacks, high blood pressure, and dehydration originate from illegal drug manufactures cutting their product with fillers to make more for less. Manufactures will add not-so harmful substances like caffeine, baking soda, and aspirin, but they will also add other amphetamines and even bath salts to increase the “party” effects that recreational users seek (Miller, Sarah G.). If MDMA was legalized and regulated for medical use, MDMA, or the common street name, Molly, obviously would not be removed from the streets for recreational users. Unfortunately, there is no way to control recreational use which would only leave to more problems. However, if MDMA was produced for treatment by licensed manufactures, only pure MDMA would be administered to the PTSD patients. Based on the preliminary studies and current hospital statistics, this would lead to zero medical emergencies during the MDMA-assisted psychotherapy treatment. 

Since MDMA would have to be specially manufactured, shipped, and regulated, it would significantly increase the average cost of psychotherapy therapy sessions for the patient. However, the most popular treatment for PTSD besides excessive talk therapy sessions are prescription mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Each year, Americans spend approximately $43 billion on anxiety medications (Doblin, Rick). These medications lead to dependence as they only provide short-term relief from symptoms. In turn, prescription anxiety medications often lead to more health problems as excessive and extensive use can be hard on vital organs.  As for governmental research funding, anxiety disorders received the least amount of funding out of any other medical research in 2016. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer received roughly $1.3, $1, and $5.7 billion in funding while anxiety disorders, the most common and expensive disorders, had received roughly $163 million (Amoroso, Timothy). Instead of having to continuously purchase prescription anti-depressants, patients could pay larger amounts of money upfront for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to receive long-term relief.

Since 1985, 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA has been banned and labeled as a deadly, addictive substance with no possible medical benefits. Although, studies have found that MDMA releases excessive amounts of serotonin and prolactin; two hormones that contribute to happiness, satisfaction, and acceptance. It said to also said to slow activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with fear and anxiety. My Grandfather, Alvin Hope Bauman, had a hyperactive amygdala as he suffered from Posttraumatic-stress disorder after experiencing horrific events as a naval minesweeper during World War II. For the remainder of his life following his service, he experienced insomnia, flashbacks, crippling anxiety and unstable mood swings. I believe with more governmental funding, more research could be conducted to further analyze this mysterious drug. It has already proven to cut PTSD recovery time in half, but due to the United States attitude on any drug in general, the substance remains on the same level as some of the deadliest drugs known to man. I believe with the help of MDMA, my Grandfather could have potentially found relief if the drug was coupled with the psychotherapy sessions he could never successfully get through. It is time that we revisit this substance, and potentially others that are masked by the negative stigma surrounding drugs, as they could resolve the massive issue that is anxiety disorders.
