Methamphetamine: Encyclopedia II - Methamphetamine - Production

Methamphetamine - Production

Methamphetamine is structurally similar to methcathinone, amphetamine, and other stimulants, and it may be produced from ephedrine or pseudoephedrine by chemical reduction. Most of the necessary chemicals are readily available in household products or over-the counter medicines. This makes methamphetamine appear unusually easy to make, unlike cannabis and cocaine, which are both harvested directly from plants.

Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and ephedrine hydrochloride are commonly available decongestant drugs without strong euphoric effects. There are many different syntheses for conversion which can be found on the internet, although these sources are sometimes not trustworthy, and most experienced 'cooks' learned from either chemistry classes or other 'cooks' in person. The synthesis involves highly dangerous chemicals and processes.

Most production methods involve hydrogenation of the hydroxyl group on the ephedrine/pseudoephedrine molecule. The most common method in the United States involves red phosphorus and iodine which forms hydroiodic acid. An increasingly common method utilizes a Birch reduction process where metallic lithium is substituted for metallic sodium due to the difficulty in obtaining metallic sodium. (The Birch reduction is extremely dangerous since the alkali metal and liquid anhydrous ammonia are both extremely reactive and because the temperature of liquid ammonia makes it susceptible to explosive boiling when reactants are added.) Other less-common methods use other means of hydrogenation, such as hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst.

A completely different synthesis procedure involves creating methamphetamine using phenylacetone and methylamine, both of which are currently DEA list I chemicals. This was once the preferred method of production by motorcycle gangs in California, but DEA restrictions on the chemicals have made this an uncommon way to produce the drug today.

These chemicals are commonly used by people without laboratory training in and around the household for a variety of household uses; however, the production of methamphetamine is not to be confused with these much-safer household uses. In fact, when law enforcement finds a methamphetamine lab, specially-trained and certified professionals, wearing full hazardous materials protection suits, dismantle and dispose of the lab equipment and materials. It is estimated that, for every pound of methamphetamine produced, 5 pounds of hazardous waste are also produced.

Some of the more obvious signs of a 'meth' lab in operation is the smell of a cat urine-like odour and witnessing brass fittings on pipes (eg. propane bottles) turning a blue colour. This is caused by hydrochloric acid vapours and in some cases from anhydrous HCl gas, it also makes stainless steel go a blackish colour and become rusted and anything made of regular steel ends up quickly coated in rust.

The highly toxic by-products are sometimes dumped in unsafe places. Dangerous situations can also result: For example, if the reaction is allowed to overheat, phosphine gas can be produced. When produced in large quantities, it usually explodes (autoignition from diphosphine formation caused by overheating phosphorus), injuring or killing individuals who are present. Since the late 1990s, the number of burn victims in the United States whose injuries were sustained from meth labs has skyrocketed, accounting for over 30% of cases in some parts of the nation ^{[citation needed]}.

Until the early-1990s, methamphetamine was made mostly in clandestine labs run by drug traffickers in Mexico and California; these areas are still the largest producers for the U.S. market. Since then, however, authorities have discovered increasing numbers of small-scale methamphetamine labs all over the United States, commonly located in rural, suburban, or low-income areas. The meth problem is most prevalent in suburban and rural areas of the Southwest and Midwest. The Indiana state police found 1,260 labs in 2003, compared to just 6 in 1995, although this may just as well only mean an increase of police activity [1].

Recently, mobile and motel-based methamphetamine labs have caught the attention of both the news media and law enforcement. The labs can cause explosions and fires, as well as expose the public to hazardous chemicals. In addition to these serious issues, there is also the possibility of a 'cook' being well-armed. The police have responded by the creation of specialized task forces educated in responding to persons involved in methamphetamine production.

On April 6, 2004, Oklahoma issued a state law prohibiting the non-prescription sale of certain over-the-counter medications known to contain ingredients used in meth production. Iowa enacted a law concerning the sale of precursors such as pseudoephedrine. This law requires that non-prescription drugs with pseudoephedrine be placed behind the pharmacist's counter. A person can buy only 330mg of pseudoephedrine per day. The customer must also show identification when purchasing the drug, and sign a logbook when purchasing pseudoephedrine. Oregon passed a similar law which adds that names of the purchasers are to be placed on a list kept for up to two years. In August 2005, Oregon strengthened its anti-methamphetamine laws even further by passing legislation requiring a prescription to obtain drugs containing pseudoephedrine.

In 2002, in Australia a program called 'Pseudo Watch' was introduced in pharmacies. Only one box of pills can be bought at once, all pseudoephedrine only preparations have been taken off the shelves, and the analgesic- and antihistamine- laced blends are the only OTC source available now. On January 1, 2006, all pseudoephedrine containing medicines are now schedule 3, meaning that name and address must be taken and logged into a central database, and on April 1, all liquid formulations containing 800mg or more are moved to schedule 4, which means that sales are monitored.

The amount of methamphetamine actually contributed to the market by small-scale labs is, however, disputed. Large-scale labs maintained by criminal organizations continue to exist, and rely more on diverted or stolen shipments of methamphetamine's ingredients than over-the-counter prescriptions. Drug policy critics suggest that restriction of over-the-counter medication is more politically than socially motivated, and may in fact shift the balance of supply more to the favour of large criminal organizations.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Production", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki