Subjective reports of the effects of MDMA in a clinical setting

The psychological effects of MDMA were first reported in 1978 by Shulgin and Nichols, Because it had originally been patented in Germany in 1914 and was no longer patentable, no pharmaceutical manufacturer could be found who was interested in sponsoring an Investigational New Drug application with the Food and Drug Administration or in supporting research (Shulgin 1980). In 1980, it was learned that, in California at least, drugs that were not yet available commercially could be used within a physician's practice if they were manufactured by the physician or by a pharmacist (Younger 1978). The state medical board recommended that there be peer review, informed consent and supporting scientific literature when conducting experimental work (California Board of Medical Quality Assurance 1980). This article is a summary report of data gathered from the first 29 people administered MDMA in a clinical setting. Because the primary purpose of the project was to assist the subjects in achieving their particular and varied goals for having the sessions, the data available for analysis is limited. Only phenomenological descriptions were obtained of the therapists' observations and of the subjects' experiences before, during and after the sessions. Psychological evaluations by independent observers with testing before and after sessions, placebo control group data with double-blind assessment, and laboratory examinations of organ and metabolic functions were not conducted.