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which is also used for crystal meth, are both found in many over-the-counter cold medicines. It emerged in the 1980s when “cooks” in street labs making amphetamine discovered that adding ephedrine can produce crystal meth that is twice as potent. Methamphetamine (shortened from N-methylamphetamine), is a completely synthetic, more potent version that’s also easier to make, and was first developed in Japan in 1919.Ĭrystal Meth is the common name for the crystal form of methamphetamine which looks like shards of glass, bluish crystals or shiny, white rocks. They are also the basis for creating the synthetic (man-made) methamphetamine and d-methamphetamine, first developed in Germany in 1887. The plant includes ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, natural alkaloids, or “nitrogenous organic compounds.” These ingredients result in the physiological response to the drug amphetamine. Amphetamines are derived from a plant native to China and Mongolia called ephedra or Ephedra sinica. To understand the origins of crystal methamphetamine, we should first look at the origins of amphetamines and methamphetamine.
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Where does crystal methamphetamine come from? However, even early use can also result in rapid and irregular heartbeat, increases in blood pressure, and changes in brain functioning due to unnatural levels of dopamine in the brain. These effects cause a strong desire to continue using the drug. Due to increased dopamine, during initial use, the drug causes elevated or euphoric mood, increased alertness, concentration, and increased energy levels. Dopamine is associated with motor function, motivation, reward, and the brain’s pleasure centers. This leads to an increase in dopamine in the brain. Stimulants are commonly referred to as “uppers.” They act by boosting the release and stopping the reuptake of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. What type of drug is crystal methamphetamine?Ĭrystal meth, or d-methamphetamine, is a synthetic (man-made) psychostimulant. Crystal meth is a highly addictive substance, continued use can cause multiple, significant physical, dental and mental health problems. It can be smoked, swallowed, snorted or injected intravenously using a syringe. Users of methamphetamine report that it increases alertness and causes euphoria. It most often comes in a clear crystal form or in the form of shiny white rocks with a bluish tint, although because all crystal meth is illicitly manufactured in clandestine street labs and there are no standards, it can also take on other appearances. It’s often used by partygoers, especially at raves and nightclubs, because of the increases in wakefulness and endurance it offers.
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In street slang, it is commonly known as meth, blue, crystal, ice, glass, or speed. It is a highly potent and addictive psychoactive drug that directly affects the central nervous system. Crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth, is one form of the drug Methamphetamine.
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