MethamphetamineFrequently Asked Que

Methamphetamine
Frequently Asked Questions


deadlock@paranoia.com

April 15, 1996



Abstract

Surprisingly, there does not appear to be a comprehensive source of information relating to methamphetamine. While no list is ever complete, this one attempts to answer technical questions related to the chemical methamphetamine. Unfortunately, there tends to be a great deal of street lore that is blatantly wrong about methamphetamine and similar compounds. This document also attempts to point out some of the more common myths, and provide rational explanations.
Disclaimer

Do not use this information. I am not a chemist. This is for informational purposes only. Use of this information for illegal purposes is not condoned. The author makes no warranty, expressed or implied, of the suitability of this information for any particular purpose. The author does not endorse the abuse of any drugs, legal or otherwise.
This information has been gathered from openly available sources.

This is a preliminary document and should be considered fictitious until proven otherwise.

Overview

Methamphetamine (also known as speed, meth, crystal, crank, and sometimes confusingly called ice) is a chemical widely known for its stimulant properties on the human body. It is frequently confused with other drugs that share similar symptoms, including amphetamine, 4-methyl-aminorex, ephedrine, caffeine, and other chemicals, both legal and illegal.
Terminology

In this document, we shall refer to the drugs by their common chemical names, rather than by "street names", since the street names do not have a one-to-one correspondence to actual chemicals. For example, the term "speed" can mean methamphetamine or amphetamine. The term "ice" is generally considered to apply to 4-methyl-aminorex, but is often used to refer to relatively pure (and in some cases, not so pure) forms of methamphetamine.
We shall use the term "methamphetamine" to refer to the substance in either its free base (i.e. simple, unadorned) or salt (usually hydrochloride) form. When precision is needed, we shall explicitly state one form or the other.

Pharmacology

This is one of the most difficult sections to write, partially because there is very little "science" involved. The literature gives conflicting reports, due to the fact that many criterion are subjective, and probably also due to confusion over terminology.
The pharmacological effects of methamphetamine are very similar to those of similarly structured molecules.

Administration

Methamphetamine can be taken orally, snorted, smoked or injected, in approximately increasing order of immediacy of onset.
Onset

Onset can be immediate (in the case of injection), or can take as long as 30-40 minutes if ingested orally.
Duration

Duration is subjective, but is probably on the order of 4 - 8 hours. Delayed absorption (for example, due to oral ingestion) can prolong the effects relative to time of administration. Of course, larger doses last longer due to the fact that it is removed from the blood at a finite rate.
Plasma Life

The length of time that methamphetamine will stay in the plasma (blood) is between 4 to 6 hours. It can be detected in the urine one hour after use and up to 48 hours after use.
Dosage

A toxic reaction (or overdose) can occur at relatively low levels, 50 milligrams of pure drug for a non-tolerant user. Different peoples' metabolisms work at different rates, and drug strengths vary, so there is no way of stating a "safe" or "unsafe" level of use.
Effects

These include euphoria, hyperexcitability, extreme nervousness, accelerated heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, restlessness, insomnia, tooth grinding, incessant talking, and other effects.
Methamphetamine and other CNS stimulants have strong bronchodilation effects. Vasoconstriction (tightening of blood vessels) and pupil dilation are also common. Elevated blood pressure, heart rate, and other general symptoms of increased sympathetic nervous activity.

The physical effects are almost assuredly due to interactions between the amphetamine structure and human physiology, probably due to the similarity to adrenaline (epinephrine).

Mental capacity is not diminished directly by the drug. In fact, some studies have shown slight increases in mental capacity on simple tasks. It has been prescribed for attention deficit disorder, among other things.

Confusing reports here tend to center around the effects of fatigue on mental capacity.

Emotional responses may range from euphoria to anger and paranoia. Preliminary doses tend to produce the former, while continued use (e.g. for three or more days) tends to produce the latter.

It appears that these feelings may be linked to the neurotransmitters dopamine and/or serotonin, although I have not seen a good reference on this yet.

For More Information

Add references for pharmacological data here
Chemistry

This is the easiest section to write, and the most fun, since I can be relatively sure of the facts.
Molecular Information

All information is on free base unless otherwise noted.
Naming

Methamphetamine Free Base:
Chem Abstract Service (9th+ CIP) uninverted name:
N,alpha-Dimethylbenzeneethanamine
Previous name:
d-N,alpha-dimethylphenethylamine
Alternate Names:
d-N-methylamphetamine
d-deoxyephedrine (e.g. right-handed ephedrine, minus an oxygen)
d-desoxyephedrine
1-phenyl-2-methylaminopropane
d-phenylisopropylmethane
methyl-beta-phenylisopropylamine
Trademarks:
Norodin
Methamphetamine Hydrochloride:
What we mean by hydrochloride is that it has formed a "salt". The basic structure is unchanged, but an HCl molecule has become attracted to the free base. In this case, the hydrogen from the HCl has become attracted to the nitrogen in the free base.

You will notice that the salt form is much more common. This is for physiological reasons. The same reaction which attracts the free base to HCl could also attract it to other molecules, causing irritation and other symptoms.

Trademarks:

Amphedroxyn
Desfedrin
Methedrine
(many others)
Structure


Formula

Methamphetamine Free Base:
C6H6CH2CH(NHCH3)CH3
Hill Convention:
C10H15N
Molecular Weight

149.24
Percent Composition

C 80.48% H 10.13% N 9.39%
Melting Point

170-175 degrees C
Chirality

Explain isomers in chemical terms.
The human terms:
The d- is cool, the l- is shit, remember. If you have time, energy, and equipment, you can separate the two and reprocess the l- into d- by oxidizing it and reaminating it as described in the "critique" of the Phrack synthesis.

Discuss other opinions (some say chirality does not matter, etc.)

For More Information

The Merck Index
Synthesis

Industrial Methods

(add references)
Reduction of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
Reducing condensation product of BMK and methylamine
Synthesis from D-phenylalanine
Field Methods

General

Add a lot here on different methods.
From: lamontg@u.washington.edu (Lamont Granquist)
jkenner@cello.gina.calstate.edu (Jason Kennerly) writes:
Manufacturing methamphetamine, on the other hand, requires the use of not just ether, but reducing agents such as LiAlH4. BAD STUFF! There are other recipes, but none to practical to attempt. Apartment manufacture of meth is not possible.
Reduction of ephedrine with HI is a little better than LAH reduction.
Condensation Product of Phenylacetone and Methylamine

From: ez026264@dale.ucdavis.edu (Speed Raver)
Assuming you don't have amphetamine lying around, an easy synthesis with a very high yield is to reduce the condensation product of phenylacetone and methylamine. The benefit of this method is that different amines can be used to produce novel N-alkyl amphetamines (ethamphetamine, tert-butylamphetamine, etc.)

From Ephedrine or Pseudoephedrine

From: ez026264@dale.ucdavis.edu (Speed Raver)
Making it from ephedrine or pseudoephedrine is possible. The only difference between methamphetamine and (pseudo)ephedrine is that damn alpha-hydroxy group. Reacting your ephedrine with thionyl chloride replaces the OH with Cl to produce N-methyl-alpha-chloroamphetamine as an intermediate. Hydrogenating this product is easy: use lithium aluminum hydride, sodium borohydride, or even hydrogen gas with nickel or platinum metal as a catalyst. The product of this step is N-methylamphetamine and HCl. Evaporate off the water and you have methamphetamine hydrochloride.

From: yshan@bcarh697.bnr.ca (Yogi Shan)

Hydrogenation starting with (-) ephedrine, whether direct or via the halide, will give d-meth. If you start with dl-ephedrine, you get dl-meth.

Reduction With Hydroiodic Acid and Red Phosphorus
From: lamontg@u.washington.edu (Lamont Granquist)
From Fester, Secrets of Meth Manufacturing:

Method 4: Reduction With Hydroiodic Acid and Red Phosphorus

In this procedure, the alcohol grouping of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or PPA is reduced by boiling one of these compounds in a mixture of hydroiodic acid and red phosphorus. Hydroiodic acid works as a reducing agent because its dissociates at higher temperatures to iodine and hydrogen, which does the reducing. The dissociation is reversible. The equilibrium is shifted in favor of dissociation by adding red phosphorus to the mixture. The red phosphorus reacts with the iodine to produce PI3, which then further reacts with water to form phosphorus acid and more hydroiodic acid. Since the hydrogen atom of the HI is being absorbed by the ephedrine, the red phosphorus acts as a recycler.

In some reductions, the need for HI is dispensed with just by mixing red phosphorus and iodine crystals in a water solution. The red phosphorus then goes on to make HI by the above mentioned process. With a small amount of due care, this is an excellent alternative to either purchasing, stealing, or making your own pure hydroiodic acid.

This method has the advantage of being easy to do. It was formerly the most popular method of making meth from ephedrine. Now red phosphorus is on the California list of less restricted chemicals, so an increased level of subt