We all have that friend that does crazy, illegal and dangerous things. My one friend keeps going on about how she wants to try Molly/ Ecstasy because it seems like “fun time.” Over and over again I tell her the bad side effects I have heard about ecstasy and she does the whole “I’ll only do it once” speech. I have always wondered how people can ignore such harsh statements and take the drug. It is a common “fact” that taking Molly will melt your brain. I started my research for this post with that concept in mind, and lo-and-behold there is no data on it. I then started looking at what it was that the drug could actually do.

Ecstasy, also known as Molly, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is both a stimulant and a hallucinogen. The main component of ecstasy is MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine). Since MDMA has both stimulant and hallucinogenic qualities it is no surprise that it is linked to brain disfunction later on.

Studies are limited in observing the effects of ecstasy on individuals due to the small sample sizes and the inability to conduct an experimental study. One study, through the use of PET scans on 7 users and 7 nonusers, found that the metabolic uptake of the ecstasy users was altered within various parts of the brain. This study holds with the current hypothesis that ecstasy can have a lasting effect on central neuronal activity. The problem with this study is it is could very well be the product of the Texas sharpshooter problem. It is possible that all they were looking for was the metabolic uptake, but more likely the researchers were looking for any significant brain variations in the two groups.

Another study, also through the use of a PET scan studied 117 subjects. Of this group 30 were current MDMA users, 29 were former users, 29 were non-users, and 29 were users of other drugs. This study found that in current users there was a reduced serotonin transporter availability in the thalamus, hippocampus and many other critical parts of the brain. This study also found no large difference between non-users, former users or users of other drugs. This finding holds with the idea that MDMA alters brain function, but found that it only does so if one is currently on the drug as well as the fact that the effects may be reversible.

Doing a crazy drug one time does not automatically mean someone is going to get addicted. Unlike many other drugs, MDMA is not known for being addictive, but individuals are prone to try it again. Besides the brain malfunction and other associated effects of MDMA, there are some dangers in increased use. Like many other drugs, MDMA is strongest in its first dose, after that it takes more to get that same high. Users are also more likely to start and abuse other drugs to cope with the “come down.”

Professionals have struggled to study MDMA due to the “small sample size, lack of tracer selectivity, and unreliable assessment of MDMA doses.” It is unethical to do any sort of experimental trial, so science is limited to the observational studies used to develop these findings. Science at this point is indicating that doing MDMA, or Molly once won’t have a lasting neurological effect, but this could very well be a false negative. Whether or not the findings are accurate, one needs to weigh the risk. Hopefully the risk of permanent neurological damage or worse is enough to hold people back from drugs, and if you have done it before it is enough of a reason to stop. To anyone who has used or is using MDMA, studies suggests that there is a way to restore brain function, stop using.