What exactly is the popular new drug called "molly?"
According to WebMD, "molly," otherwise known as MDMA, or 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is a pure form of an ingredient typically found in Ecstasy.
The illegal drug is seeing a rise in popularity with the support of popular artists whose lyrics describe it as one of the party drugs to take.
Most recently, the drug was responsible for two deaths at a New York City dance festival called Electric Zoo, and has been linked to a string of overdoses.
The drug is both a stimulant and calming substance.
It is generally taken as a pill, but the powder form is sometimes snorted or injected.
"It produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria, emotional warmth and empathy toward others, and distortions in sensory and time perception," according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
Its hallucinogenic effects include feelings of peacefulness.
Molly Drug Effects Include:
- Muscle tension
- Jaw clenching (baby pacifiers are used to reduce discomfort)
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Chills
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Rash
- High blood pressure
- Kidney Failure
- Heart Failure
- Liver damage
- Dehydration
- Death
READ: Drug Overdose: How To Handle The Situation
Other dangers can arise when the drug is cut with substances like methamphetamine, particularly since the drug's exact contents are not always known by the user.
Some law enforcement officials have said that the reason Molly is so dangerous is because people tend to be recreational users, and are therefore more uninformed about its dangers. Ecstasy/molly usually does not last in a person's system longer than 12 to 16 hours, and it generally costs about $15 to $50 a dose.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Addiction & Substance Use center for more articles and tips.