SumnerH said:
Ecstacy meant (in theory) pure MDMA in the 90s. Like X, people step on stuff all the time and sell it as "molly". It's marketing, nothing more.
Pretty much this.
Most street tablets are actually pretty high in MDMA content, seeing as it was a) freaking cheap to make, and b) freaking easy to measure rough purity levels in the late 90s though the present. The coloring of the tablets/names were used as marketing ploys; same reason why people prefer buying Tylenol to acetaminophen.
Differential effects of the drug usually referred to the fact that effects vary from person to person and from context to context.
singaporesoxfan said:
True, but testing positive for 'pure' MDMA apparently triggers a different set of punishments (you get put in the substance abuse program) than testing for other amphetamines - at least, that's what was
reported during the Scandrick news, though obviously that could be the press not understanding that MDMA is an amphetamine.
MDMA is of the amphetamine class, but it's not an alpha-methylphenethylamine (i.e. what we often call an amphetamine or methamphetamine if its attached to an N-methyl group).
Drug tests differ MDMA from other amphetamine class substances, ditto for pseudoephedrine. The metabolites are completely different and MDMA actually shows up in the urine itself. Taking either won't give you a false positive for methylphenethylamine. In any case, I'd be surprised if the evidence was solely from drug tests. Pretty dumb on Welker's part if so.
Anyways, back to Welker. I'm surprised no one mentioned the fact that he took amphetamines because of difficulties concentrating during the game.
I figure the problem was that he obtained the pills illegally, but had a prescription for it. When he got the prescription from his doctor, he took his eyes off the script and let it bounce around at the medical office. Also...
Reverend said:
"Why would a guy that amped up and intense need amphetamines?"
Such behavior indicates a guy that needs amphetamines.