PMA and PMMA - The Law

The Law

Making, selling, and buying PMA and ecstasy is illegal. There are tough laws and penalties tied to them. PMA and ecstasy, as well as other club drugs such as LSD and GHB, have been categorized under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970. The CSA ruled that federally regulated drugs must be categorized into one of five schedules. The schedules are based on a substance's medicinal value, possible harmfulness, and potential for abuse and addiction.

Aussie Overdoses

In June 2005, twelve people in Australia overdosed on what they thought was ecstasy. All of the victims took a form of the drug called red mitsubishi or orange CK. Some of those taking the drug had suffered strokes after taking the pills. One nineteen-year-old girl died after taking only half of a tablet. Although the popularity of ecstasy is beginning to wane, its use is still a threat, especially because PMA is being used as a supplement to or substitution for ecstasy.

PMA has been listed as a Schedule I drug since 1973. Ecstasy has been listed as a Schedule I drug since 1985. Schedule I controlled substances are defined as having a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. However, PMA is produced legally in the United States for limited commercial applications, and a small quantity is allocated for Schedule I drug research.

Because PMA is so similar to ecstasy, it is regulated under the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000. The act gave authority for stiffer sentencing for those involved in the manufacture, import, export, and trafficking of ecstasy and ecstasy-like substances. The increase in ecstasy users, the drug's potential for causing permanent brain damage, and the deaths associated with ecstasy usage led to the passage of the Ecstasy Prevention Act of 2001. This act enhanced the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000 by providing funds for the education of law enforcement officials and the public, and for medical research done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

In 2002 the DEA began a program called Operation X-Out, which focused on identifying and dismantling organizations that make and distribute club drugs like ecstasy. Investigations involving ecstasy and club drugs increased, new task forces were created in cities like Miami and New York, and cooperation with international law enforcement was expanded. Some law enforcement agencies have begun to work with communities to form anti-rave initiatives to try to minimize the use of club drugs. They have passed new ordinances that deal with licensing requirements for large public gatherings and have been enforcing existing fire codes and health, safety, and liquor laws. In some areas juvenile curfews have been put in place.