Meth History Cont.

• 1938: First published report of amphetamine addition and psychosis
• 1940: “Methedrine” commercial trade name for methamphetamine
• Both amphetamine and methamphetamine used as performance
  enhancer by Japanese, German and Americans in WWII. Led to
  addiction problems in Japanese after the war.
• 1950-53: amphetamine distributed to US troops in Korean war
• 1951: U.S. Congress passes a law requiring prescriptions for all oral
  and injectable amphetamines used commonly to treat obesity,
  narcolepsy and depression.
• 1954: Height of Japanese addiction: 2 million users in 88.5 million
  population
• 1959: first report of IV injection of contents of benzedrine inhaler.
  OTC Benzedrine Inhalers within drawn from market. OTC
  Methedrine inhalers offered.
• 1962: early reports of illicit domestic production by biker gangs
• 1965: OTC Methedrine inhalers withdrawn from market. 31 million
  prescriptions written: mostly to women.
• Amphetamine and methamphetamine become Schedule II drugs in
  1971
• 1970-80s cocaine drug of choice until it gets too pricey. People turn to
  speed as a substitute
• Motorcycle gangs synthesized drug using phenyl-2-propanone until
  late 1980’s. P2P became restricted substance, so chemistry shifted to
  making P2P from phenyl acetic acid or other ways
• 1987, DEA busts first HI/Red Phosphorus lab in the country in
  California. This method has a higher yield and more potent
  methamphetamine. Mexican nationals take over the market from biker
  gangs with this method.
• 1990s: Mexican “Super labs” produce pounds of meth from chemicals
  obtained overseas and smuggled across border. Illegal aliens make
  the meth in well-organized discreet segments in the Central Valley of
  CA.
• Current methods (Iodine/Red P or Lithium/Ammonia) using
  pseudoephedrine became popular as other chemicals became illegal     

 Current Method 

 Reducing

  ephedrine/pseudoephedrine to
methamphetamine

• Iodine-red phosphorus

• Ammonia-lithium (Nazi method)    

      Old Methods

•   Reductive Amination of Phenyl-2-propanone with Aluminum amalgam 

•  Reducing ephedrine/pseudoephedrine to methamphetamine via Catalytic hydrogenation

 

I. HI/Red Phosphorus Reduction

Ephedrine

 Natural source: ephedra sinica (source: dried stem)

Stereochemistry: 2 chiral center= 4 forms

• d,l ephedrine
• d,l pseudoephedrine (OH and NH on same side)

l-ephedrine, d-pseudoephedrine produce dmethamphetamine

 Ephedrine used as bronchodilator;
pseudoephedrine used as decongestant

                             

       

Science & technology

                                                                          Chemistry

Meth Chemistry
“What’s Cookin’?”
                 Methamphetamine History
Amphetamine synthesized 1887 by German chemist,
L. Edeleano
Methamphetamine was first produced by
Dr. Nagayoshi Nagiai of Tokyo Imperial University in
1888 by reducing ephedrine with HI & Red Phosphorus
Methamphetamine synthesized from methylamine
and phenyl-2-propoanone 1919 by Japanese researcher, A. Ogata
Early 1900s: Western civilization discovers benefits of ephedrine and
pseuodephedrine as brochodilators and nasal decongestants. Fear
that ma huang plants will run out (source for the herb ephedra).
1927 (USA): Researcher Gordon Alles discovers that amphetamine
works as a substitute for ephedrine. Amphetamine starts being

Fig:1

synthesized as substitute for ma huang.
1930: Amphetamine discovered to increase blood pressure.
Marketed in 1932 as “benzedrine” in an over-the-counter inhaler to
treat nasal congestion
1935: Amphetamine’s stimulant effect first recognized and used to
treat narcolepsy (compulsion to sleep)