Chemical Properties
Compound name- Methamphetamine
Formula-
Methamphetamine Free Base- C6H6CH2CH(NHCH3)CH3
Hill Convention- C10H15N
Molar mass- 149.233 g/mol
Molecular Weight- 149.24
Melting point 76.5°C (170°F)
Boiling point 265°C (510°F)
Percent Composition- C 80.48% H 10.13% N 9.39%
Type of Bonding- Polar Covalent Compound
Methamphetamine Free Base-
An average wrap of speed contains less than 10% Amphetamines, (often as low as 2%) and over 90% of adulterants.
Methamphetamine in its pure hydrochloride salt form is colorless. However Methamphetamine can have color.
RED- The product was made from pseudoephedrine, and the red coloring of the tablet was not adequately washed away (it is difficult).
ORANGE- Ephedrine sulfate was used, and some of the sulfate was reduced to sulfur.
PURPLE- Iodine from a phosphorus-iodine reaction was not washed out.
GREEN- Copper (or other metallic) salts somehow made their way in to the mixture, probably due to the reaction vessel used in the manufacture.
BROWN- Oxidized red coloring (see above), or tablating agent was present in the reduction.
Raceimetric Methamphetamine is a product containing a 50/50 mix by weight of both the D and L isomers, which is done by condensation of phenyl-2 propanone (p2p) and methyl amine. Then it is followed by reducing h2. The pure D isomer was later produced. Starting with 100% L-epedrine, it is converted into a halo compound by using phosphorous pentabromide or eather thenyl chloride. Then it is followed by reducing the phosphorous pentabromide or eather thenyl chloride compound with h2 gas and a palladium catalyst in a water solution yielding the pure D-methamphetamine isomer.
Effects
Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that affects the brain by acting on the mechanisms responsible for regulating the monoamine neurotransmitters. So basically there is a decrease in the production of the neurotransmitters and are being blocked.
The acute effects of the drug closely resemble the physiological and psychological effects, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, vasoconstriction, pupil dilation, bronchial dilation, and increased blood sugar. Ingesting methamphetamine will increase focus, mental alertness, and the elimination of the subjective effects such as fatigue and decrease in appetite.
Soon the acute effects decine, and the brain and body start to metabolize and adapt to the methamphetamine. Users will still want to be in the sense of euphoria and alertness and take more of the drug. This process can be repeated many times leading the user to remain awake for days, after which secondary sleep deprivation starts to effects the user. Effects of sleep deprivation include irritability, blurred vision, memory lapses, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, nausea, and sometimes death. After prolonged use, the meth user will begin to become ill-tempered due to lack of sleep. Side effects include twitching, repetitive behavior, and jaw clenching or teeth grinding. Addicts will lose their teeth due to the jaw clenching repetitive motions and the lack of personal hygiene.
In the brain, Dopamine plays an important role in the regulation of producing the “pleasure” from methamphetamine. Dopamine is manufactured in nerve cells within the ventral segmental area and is released in the nucleus acumens and the frontal cortex.
The primary effect of methamphetamine is its activity on the central nervous system. The drug has been shown to enhance the release of and block the re-uptake of dopamine in the body. This action can result in wakefulness and a decreased sense of fatigue as well as elation and euphoria. An person using the drug may have an increse in heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and breathing rate. The individual may also have dilated pupils, hyperactivity, and tremors. Nervousness, irritability, and paranoia may also be caused from the drug and withdrawal from the drug frequently causes a severe depression. Chronic abuse of methamphetamine may produce schizophrenia-like symptoms such as paranoia, self-absorption, with auditory and visual hallucinations. Violent behavior, anxiety, and homicidal thoughts have been recorded as characteristics of a user. After a long period of use, weight loss, gaunt appearance, decayed teeth, and open sores may be observed in individuals using the drug.
The health impacts of exposure to methamphetamine on children are relatively unknown. Infants born to women that have used methamphetamine during pregnancy have indicated that infants born to methamphetamine users have altered behavioral patterns and lower intelligence test scores than did non-exposed infants. Physical malformations such as cleft lip, cardiac defects, reduced head circumference, biliary atresia, cerebral hemorrhage, systolic murmur and undescended testes have been attributes. Children can also have neonatal death and blindness from mothers using methamphetamine.