Between Hard Summer, Electric Daisy Carnival, Coachella, and other major electronic music festival throughout the year, MDMA and other drugs follow them and take many lives in their wake. However, a new effort in teaching the dangers and limits of MDMA may come to save people looking to have a good time.
Janine Jordan, who is the founder and chairwoman of Electronic Music Alliance has teamed up with the Drug Policy Alliance in order to compile a set of frequently asked questions with answers that aim to educate on the pros and cons of taking MDMA.
What is the different between Ecstasy, Molly and MDMA?
MDMA is the proper scientific term for the drug, and is short for for 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine. Since that’s obviously a mouthful, the street names Molly and Ecstasy found common use. While there’s a general belief that the names may indicate the purity of the drug, the lack of regulation regarding MDMA stemming from its prohibited status means that no one really knows what they’re getting. Below are some of the questions and answers that talk in depth about MDMA, its uses, and its side effects. 
Does MDMA have any medical benefits?
MDMA has a history of experimental usage in the therapeutic communities and is currently being tested as a treatment for people with PTSD, anxiety, autism and other disorders. Many groups exist that lobby for the drug to be approved by the FDA, including the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS.
Is it accurate to associate overdose with MDMA?
While overdoses do occur, they are rarer than other issues with MDMA. Most health issues related to MDMA stem from mixing it with other drugs or medications, pre-existing medical conditions, or dehydration. Hyperthermia is the most common cause of problems with MDMA, while many people run into issues when they think they’ve ingested MDMA but have taken something else entirely different.
What kind of risks does MDMA pose?
Despite its reputation, MDMA has been found to be one of the least dangerous drugs commonly taken for recreation. However, MDMA can increase the risk of heat stroke and cause people to retain dangerous amounts of water that can become toxic.
So what is the risk reduction strategy?
In order to minimize risk and focus on harm reduction, EMA and DPA both advocate for providing education to drug users, creating safe environments that include cool down spaces, and access to water. Lastly, they suggest testing your drugs so you know what you are ingesting.
Also check out this short video that displays how to test the chemical composition of MDMA for safety.
