3 ms·

Ephedrine is not meth. Ephedrine is ephedrine, meth is methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine is a cold medicine (decongestant) that is used as a feedstock chemical

Ephedrine is not meth. Ephedrine is ephedrine, meth is methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine is a cold medicine (decongestant) that is used as a feedstock chemical in the production of meth. It is a relatively harmless medicine in prescribed doses. A complete ban of this medicine would greatly inconvenience tens of millions of hay-fever and allergy sufferers, including me. Currently in the USA, due to the meth industry, individuals 18 years of age and older are limited to purchasing 2.4g per day of pseudoephedrine, and need to provide a government issued ID to make the purchase.

lifeguard 14y ago
Most meth being sold is made in Mexico, from legit ephdrine/ephedra. Then it is smuggled into the USA for sale. If there were no industrial sources of ephedra, meth/speed would have to be made from plants like Ma-huang. The economies of making it this way do not support the explosion ephedra drove in meth production. Millions of dollars of ephedrine based cold 'medicine' are sold over the counter each year making companies like Pfizer serious profits. So they lobbied Bush & Congress not to ban it completely. These events created the meth hell America has been living in, and it could have been stopped.
- theorique 14y ago
  Millions of dollars of ephedrine based cold 'medicine' are sold over the counter each year making companies like Pfizer serious profits. So they lobbied Bush & Congress not to ban it completely. And good for them. I'm not sure why you are placing 'medicine' in quotes. I have found that pseudoephedrine helps allergy and hay fever sufferers like me to deal better with dry winter weather and spring pollen. Substitutes like phenyleprine are weak at best. Every time I purchase pseudoephedrine, I am reminded of the government's futile war on drugs, when the clerk scans my ID and has me sign the keypad stating that I won't buy more than 2.4g per day or start a meth lab. Which I won't. I just want to use a legal OTC medication for its intended purpose.

lifeguard 14y ago

Most meth being sold is made in Mexico, from legit ephdrine/ephedra. Then it is smuggled into the USA for sale. If there were no industrial sources of ephedra, meth/speed would have to be made from plants like Ma-huang. The economies of making it this way do not support the explosion ephedra drove in meth production. Millions of dollars of ephedrine based cold 'medicine' are sold over the counter each year making companies like Pfizer serious profits. So they lobbied Bush & Congress not to ban it completely. These events created the meth hell America has been living in, and it could have been stopped.

theorique 14y ago
Millions of dollars of ephedrine based cold 'medicine' are sold over the counter each year making companies like Pfizer serious profits. So they lobbied Bush & Congress not to ban it completely. And good for them. I'm not sure why you are placing 'medicine' in quotes. I have found that pseudoephedrine helps allergy and hay fever sufferers like me to deal better with dry winter weather and spring pollen. Substitutes like phenyleprine are weak at best. Every time I purchase pseudoephedrine, I am reminded of the government's futile war on drugs, when the clerk scans my ID and has me sign the keypad stating that I won't buy more than 2.4g per day or start a meth lab. Which I won't. I just want to use a legal OTC medication for its intended purpose.