cannabisnews.com: Popular Club Drug Rolls Into Spotlight 





Popular Club Drug Rolls Into Spotlight 
Posted by FoM on April 25, 2000 at 09:29:50 PT
By Kristina Hughes, The State News, Michigan State
Source: U-WIRE
An abandoned furniture store pounded with a thriving dance beat as fluorescent glow sticks waved in a tranced fit. Rave kids danced harmoniously to techno music -- some energized by the drug ecstasy. As entrancing images of Japanese caricatures were projected onto a wall, Jeremy -- not his real name -- matched the jazz beat with fluorescent green glow sticks. 
The Lansing high school student -- a regular among the scene -- spoke of the harmony and unity of the culture. "It's all in the feel of the music," he said. Jeremy was one of hundreds who attended "Attack and Decay," a rave presented April 8 by 309 Productions, a local rave organizer. Later, Jeremy openly sold morphine and shared a ventilation mask of Vicks VapoRub with partygoers. But through his frantic dance steps fueled by drugs Jeremy said, "Ecstasy is a thrilling roller coaster ride of peaks." Ecstasy, a popular club drug, has dancers raving on and researchers debating its effects on the brain. Ecstasy, called N-methyl-3, 4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) in medical journals, and E, X, and XTC among users, has ravers "rolling" -- a word used to describe being high on the drug, which is known for its stimulant and psychedelic effects. "Ecstasy has become the shared drug of this generation," said Jim Parker, executive director of the Do it Now Foundation, a nonprofit drug information organization in Tempe, Ariz. "It's the heart and soul of the dance culture. The heart is the music and the beat, and the soul is the spiritual edge (produced by ecstasy), the thing that creates the love vibe which sets raves apart." In a chill-out room, teens slumped against walls give back massages, hugs and light stick shows. "Everyone respects each other and looks out for others," said Sarah -- not her real name. The MSU public policy sophomore uses ecstasy and marijuana. Marijuana, ecstasy, ketamine -- often called Special K or simply K -- and other drugs were exchanged in the open at the Dewitt rave, under the close eye of security guards. The drug party only includes about 20 percent of the ravers, Josh Mueller, a local rave promoter, said. "The drugs are not a problem. We do a very good job at keeping it at a minimum," Mueller said. Before entering the rave, all partygoers are frisked. But not all ravers are rolling on E, and Mueller said the problem of people trying to smuggle alcohol into a rave is more common. "I'm strictly a sober party kid, and the reason why I go is to hear the music," Mueller said. "When people are all about the drugs, the scene's lost." But others believe E enhances the scene. Ecstasy creates a harmonious vibe, Sarah said. "It's like you have a wonderful feeling inside you, and everything in you feels good, and you want to spread it to everyone," she said. Ecstasy is to raves what communal bread and wine is to a church service, Parker said. "If you have to name a product anything, what's a better name than ecstasy? I'm surprised Calvin Klein didn't come up with it," Parker said. The Lowdown on E: Ecstasy, a hallucinogenic amphetamine, is usually taken orally in a capsule or tablet form that can cost from $10 to $35. Effects last four to six hours. The drug was first produced in 1912, and became an experimental drug of the 1960s. Its popularity grew in the 1980s before being named a schedule one illicit drug with no medical benefits in 1986, putting it in the same league with drugs such as heroin and cocaine. However, some hail the drug for its use in psychotherapy, Parker said. Ecstasy increases the supply of dopamine, a chemical neurotransmitter, that increases the level of physical and emotional states, Parker said. "Ecstasy causes pleasurable feelings creating a sense of community and sociability," he said. Natasha, a communication junior using an alias, said she stopped using ecstasy four months ago. She said the high is delirious. "It's a euphoria. You feel really floaty and happy," she said. In the ecstasy experience there are two peaks, Natasha said. Ecstasy is sometimes taken with ketamine to enhance the peaks and prolong the effect of the drug. Ecstasy use increases blood pressure, heat and body temperature and alertness, Parker said. Compared to the side effects of heavier drugs, ecstasy is very attractive, Parker said. But using E has side effects -- dilated pupils, nausea, dry mouth and throat, involuntary grinding of the jaw, nervousness and muscular tension. Rave organizers accommodate for the side effects by selling suckers, pacifiers, juice and bottled water -- all of which were present at the Dewitt rave. But a night of crazed dancing comes with a low. The drug remains in the user's system weeks later. "It's similar to all stimulant drugs that there's always a crash period," Parker said. "You're borrowing the energy from tomorrow to use it tonight." Health researchers are still debating the long-term risks of the drug. Studies show abuse of ecstasy can lead to liver damage, irregular heartbeat, heart attacks, strokes, seizures, delusions, paranoia and brain damage, said Dennis Martell, an MSU health educator. "It's dangerous and people need to know the facts about it," Martell said. Rick Doblin, president of Multi Disciplinary Psychedelic Studies in Sarasota, Fla., said people have used the drug for more than 20 years and haven't shown these symptoms. "It probably isn't a big problem or we'd know about it," he said. There have been few deaths related to the drug, Parker said. These deaths were caused by hyperthermia, associated with the body overheating, Parker said. Drinking lots of water and taking a break from the dance floor is recommended. Rave On: Natasha now dances without E. She said her friends' dependence on the drug is cause for concern. "I have friends who take up to 10 pills a night while attending the club or a rave," Natasha said. "They're not capable of being happy themselves, and they need these drugs to be happy." During a low after taking the drug, her friend attempted suicide. "When you come down from ecstasy you're very depressed," Natasha said. Natasha said she encourages others to quit. "I'm definitely a crusader. I'm trying to tell people you don't need drugs to have fun," she said. But for many club kids, drugs are not necessary for a good time. "I'll go sober or without drugs, and I'll have a blast," Sarah said. The changing rave culture toward drugs worries some techno fans. Mark Boote, manager of Spiral Video and Dance, 1247 Center St. in Lansing, remembers the unity in the music when he first attended clubs in New York 15 years ago. "The first clubs I went to growing up were about coming together -- gays, blacks, whites and all ethnicities," Boote said. "Dance music was about soul and coming together. They were community settings to come to dance -- and it's changed, which is a shame." Not So Easy E: Since 1986, an underground market has developed for the drug in response to increased legal constraints, Doblin said. "(Laws have) increased nonmedical use by creating financial incentives to smuggle and sell it on the black market," Doblin said. In Lansing, arrests have caused a decrease in supply, Natasha said. "The price has hiked up to $35 a pill compared to $15 to $20 a pill," she said. Natasha said major drug busts can force the market further underground. "It's a very secretive matter in the terms of dealing and supplying," she said. "If you restrict the drug and hike up the prices it's almost exclusive." Techno dance clubs in Lansing, such as Paradise, 224 S. Washington Square in Lansing, and Spiral, won't tolerate E. Plainclothes security guards circulate both clubs to infiltrate drug activity and underage drinking. At Paradise, those who are caught are barred, Jim Williams, a club manager, said. "There hasn't been an increase in use because of how intolerant we are," Williams said. Williams said there have been about three arrests at Paradise since the beginning of the academic year. Boote, manager of Spiral and a 15-year veteran of the club business, is aware of the drug scene. On Thursday nights, when about 300 people pack the bar, between 10 and 15 security guards are on duty because of the 18-and-up crowd. "Drugs are certainly an inherent part of the rave culture," he said. "We keep our eyes out for dealers who try to infiltrate the crowd." (U-WIRE) Dewitt Twp.Published: April 24, 2000(C) 2000 The State News via U-WIRE Copyright © 2000 At Home Corporation. CannabisNews Articles on MDMA - Ecstasy:http://google.com/search?lc=&num=10&q=cannabisnews+ecstasy+site:cannabisnews.comhttp://google.com/search?lc=&num=10&q=cannabisnews+MDMA+site:cannabisnews.com
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Comment #9 posted by dddd on April 27, 2000 at 02:49:28 PT
Another comment from me
 Age-wise,I am nearing 50.In the eighth grade,I lost track of how many times I dropped acid after the 200 notches on the wooden headboard of my bed.In the years following,through high school,and college,I fried the hell out of my brain with massive quantities of mescaline,acid,mushrooms,,etc..you name it. At the age of 20,I went downtown Seattle to take an "I.Q." test,that was put on by MENSA.This was a supervised test that lasted 3 or so hours.The night before,I had foolishly got really stoned on some dynamite Nepalese "Finger Hash",and I barely made it in time for the test. I fully expected the results to come back,confirming my I.Q. to be somewhere around room temperature.My Mom was close to tears when I showed her the results.I was one marble short of being a member of Mensa. FoM said;"I can count on one hand how many times I ever tripped but I do not haveanything but good memories of those days and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experiment with these drugs. I can'timagine wanting to do acid very often but if you plan it and follow all the safety rules that you should it can be avery mind expanding experience. I do not think a person should ever do acid without someone being aware thatdoesn't partake just in case you need to be talked down. My husband and I have training in that particular areafrom many yeasr ago. I wish we could teach today what we learned many years ago.Peace, FoM!...Anyway,,I wanted to tell this very personal story about myself,after reading what FoM said,because I think LSD,mescaline,mushrooms,and such,,can be a very positive thing,,but this is not to say I recommend them for all,but I am convinced that they have a strange and significant value in what they do,,and they are not necessarily "good",,,but they are not "bad"................May JAH shine brightly on all of you................dddd
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on April 25, 2000 at 20:33:00 PT
Thanks Kapt!
Thanks kaptinemo,I mind when I can't find any good news article but I just did! They are Legalizing Medical Marijuana In Hawaii! That's great news! I just got it posted.Here it is!Hawaii Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Billhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5510.shtmlI think that my past experience with mind altering drugs have been helpful to me. I'm sure others feel the same. I am talking about LSD and Mushrooms. I can count on one hand how many times I ever tripped but I do not have anything but good memories of those days and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experiment with these drugs. I can't imagine wanting to do acid very often but if you plan it and follow all the safety rules that you should it can be a very mind expanding experience. I do not think a person should ever do acid without someone being aware that doesn't partake just in case you need to be talked down. My husband and I have training in that particular area from many yeasr ago. I wish we could teach today what we learned many years ago.Peace, FoM!
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on April 25, 2000 at 18:54:36 PT:
You needn't apologize, FoM
I'd rather have a slow newsday than one brimming over with bad news being ham-handedly exploited by the antis. Besides, the current thread is something I've always found interesting: the correlation of creativity and psychotropics. Certainly, cannabis use and *appreciation* of the arts has been a matter of historicity; just look at some Persian, Hindu and Moghul era miniatures dating back (allegedly) to the 14th Century and what do you find? Portrayals of people lounging about, enjoying each other's company, listening to music...and puffing on hookahs. Given that tobacco hadn't made it to that area of Asia until the 1600's it isn't hard to figure what they are smoking.But the creativity aspect is what is most intriguing...and embarressing for the antis. The presence of psychotropics in the arts are unmistakable, yet hurriedly glossed over: Coleridge's opium addiction and his masterpice of Xanadu, for example. The antis are quick to proclaim that such instances were more the exception than the norm, and hope the average person will swallow the lie and look no further. (For those who *are* interested, I would recommend finding a copy of 'Shaman Woman/Mainline Lady' by Palmer and Horowitz; you'll be surprised at who had used and credited it for their stirring their own personal muses).Yet, how do they explain to the public that the man who developed the now-standard DNA tests (praised by police forensic scientists, everywhere) has used almost every illicit mind-altering substance imaginable? And that he directly credits his LSD usage for his inspirations? That many of the inventions housed with the little box we use to read these words were dreamed up (in some cases, literally) in bull sessions of techies wreathed in pot smoke? How much of our modern technology has depended upon the creativity enhancing effects of mind-altering substances? More than they have the courage to admit.Tyranny never flourishes when creativity is present, because the creative recognize it for what it is: mediocrity. In tyrannies, it isn't the best and brightest who rule, but the bureaucrats, whose only thoughts are maintaining order.Which I honestly believe is one of the reasons why, for instance, that alcohol is legal and cannabis isn't. Alcohol dulls the wits in most. Cannabis can inspire; booze just...deadens. Numbs. Or worse, fosters aggression. Work a population to exhaustion, allow them little time to think, and allow them only a drug whose only saving grace may be a slight vasodilation, opening the plaque filled arteries a little more so that death is foresatalled a bit longer... while you get a few more years of work out of them. That is, if they don't injure or kill themselves or the ones around them in their drunken rages... but that's 'collateral damage' amongst the hoi polloi, so who cares? But never let them get a sniff of something that makes them question the The Way Things Are. Because once they step off the treadmill, they become dangerous.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 25, 2000 at 17:56:49 PT
The news Is really slow
I also want to mention that I haven't fallen asleep at the wheel. The news has been very slow. When it breaks loose again I get it up. It is because of the holiday weekend I'm sure. 
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 25, 2000 at 17:53:10 PT
Oops!
I meant mind expansion! I never will learn to spell or type I suppose!
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 25, 2000 at 17:50:16 PT
I Agree!
Hi observer!I got what you meant and I definitely agree with you. I am watching the news in California and a man got charged with being intoxicated and lost his job because he drank some Kava tea. When will it stop! I have Kava and will always have Kava here. It is good for calming you down if you are really uptight but thats all. It is like a little marijuana high but much milder. This is a mixed up world that sure has a repulsion for a little relaxation. What's wrong with a little mind expandion for goodness sake? I'm address " them " surely not you!Peace, FoM!
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Comment #3 posted by observer on April 25, 2000 at 17:06:25 PT
MJ / Music
Hi FoM! I'm not saying that what Anslinger said isn't true... I think that his points about cannabis and music may have more than a little merit. (His classic Reefer Madness claims are laughably bogus of course.) I don't think anything is inherently wrong with using cannabis to enhance one's musical abilities. See: http://www.marijuana-uses.com/ esp. http://www.marijuana-uses.com/examples/webster.htm (Though I bet that some might try to argue Eze 28:13, Isa 14:11, Dan 3:5 etc. give them authority to somehow condemn others for music they disapprove of... I would not always agree.)I think it is interesting how that accounts of Ecstasy users at "Raves" seem to parallel 1930's anti-marijuana propaganda, though.- - -(link to 1937 H.J.Anslinger article, source of quotes below.http://www.redhousebooks.com/galleries/assassin.htm ) 
goocol.com search for: marijuana and music
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 25, 2000 at 15:28:39 PT
Musicians
observer, I had a Musician say to me one time in Cnn's Talk Back Live News Chat that when you take Marijuana away from a Musician they also lose their talent. I thought about it and mostly I agree that could be true. Marijuana is an enhancer of sorts. So what's wrong with being enhanced a little gees!
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Comment #1 posted by observer on April 25, 2000 at 15:03:10 PT
Drugs and Wicked -- A:Jazz, B:Rock, or C:Techno
News Article, Year: 2000 (Kristina Hughes, The State News, Michigan State)``pounded with a thriving dance beat ''``Rave kids danced harmoniously to techno music -- some energized by the drug ecstasy. ''``entrancing images''``matched the jazz beat with fluorescent green glow sticks. ''``high school student ... "It's all in the feel of the music," he said. ''``his frantic dance steps fueled by drugs''``drug of this generation ... The heart is the music and the beat, and the soul is the spiritual edge (produced by ecstasy)''``sophomore uses ecstasy and marijuana''News Article, Year: 1937 (H.J. Anslinger)``he will become a philosopher, a joyous reveler in a musical heaven''``Others of mediocre musical ability became almost expert; the piano dinned constantly''``those who first introduced it there were musicians, who had brought the habit northward with the surge of "hot" music demanding players of exceptional ability, especially in improvisation.''``the musician who desired to get the "hottest" effects from his playing often turned to marijuana for aid''``marijuana has a strangely exhilarating effect upon the musical sensibilities''``The musician who uses "reefers" finds that the musical beat seemingly comes to him quite slowly, thus allowing him to interpolate any number of improvised notes with comparative ease. While under the influence of marijuana, he does not realize that he is tapping the keys, with a furious speed impossible for one in a normal state of mind; marijuana has stretched out the time of the music until a dozen notes may be crowded into the space normally occupied by one.''
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