Euphoria bust in Florida

[Torsten]

Euphoria usually referes to: 4-methylaminorex

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/4_methylam...rex_info1.shtml

Pubdate: Sat, 04 Dec 2004

Source: Miami Herald (FL)

Contact: [email protected]

Website: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/

Author: Darran Simon

EUPHORIA LAB RAIDED AT HOME

A Broward County engineer who Fort Lauderdale police said ran a drug lab

in his home was arrested.

Fort Lauderdale police and federal agents raided a drug lab late Thursday,

where they said a Broward County employee was manufacturing ''pounds'' of

a drug called euphoria.

It was ''one of the largest clandestine labs ever located in the city of

Fort Lauderdale and the southeast part of the state,'' Fort Lauderdale

police spokesman Andy Pallen said.

William Hahne, 46, was arrested at his home at 720 NE 17th Ct. in Fort

Lauderdale, where police and agents from the Drug Enforcement

Administration seized more than a kilogram of euphoria, chemicals and

other equipment.

''The value is well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars,'' Pallen

said Friday.

Hahne, who lives a few hundred feet from Fort Lauderdale High School,

faces federal charges of possession with intent to distribute euphoria,

according to Pallen.

A CrimeStoppers tipster led Fort Lauderdale police to Hahne, Pallen said.

The tipster told police that Hahne had stolen chemicals from a storage

area in the Broward Government Center in June and was using them to

manufacture drugs in his home, Pallen said.

''It is a very elaborate laboratory set-up,'' Pallen said. ``He was very

organized.''

Pallen said Hahn works as an engineer in the county building. Officials

said he has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech

University.

Pallen said the DEA hasn't seen the drug in their labs in more than a

decade. Euphoria can be injected, inhaled or taken orally. It shares

chemical properties with amphetamines and ecstasy, but lasts longer,

officials said.

It is used for intellectual enhancement for activities such as writing,

said Rick Doblin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic

Studies. The drug reduces appetite and keeps people awake for as long as

36 hours, but does not create the jitters as methamphetamine does, he

said. Doblin agreed that it is not widely used or known.

''I don't know anybody that can find it,'' he said.

Tom Angell of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy said he has never

heard of euphoria. ''We just hope that law enforcement isn't giving a

name to what they found. That could create some hysteria about something

that doesn't really exist,'' he said.

Investigators seized the powder form of the drug. One pound of euphoria

can sell for $15,000 or much more if packaged individually, Pallen said.

Pallen said the chemicals could have caused an explosion or fire if

improperly mixed. If inhaled in a gaseous state, they can be deadly.

All chemicals have been removed from the home.

''At this time, there is no danger to the public,'' Pallen said.

Hahne has been making euphoria since June , according to a federal

complaint. He received a substance used to make the drug from someone in

California. Hahne would ship the individual the finished product through

the mail. It would be distributed and the two would split the profits,

the complaint said. Hahne's neighbors said they didn't know him well.

''He kept to himself pretty much,'' said Paul Many, who lives across the

street.

The bust happened in a neighborhood once riddled with crime, including

crack and cocaine sales. Residents credit former Fort Lauderdale City

Commissioner Tim Smith in helping to clean up. They have been doing

neighborhood crime walks every Friday night.

''We solved that being vigilant and not giving up,'' Smith said.

Herald staff writer Ashley Fantz contributed to this report.

[The Dude]

So because it is similar to MDMA and methamphetamine it's schedule 1 right? Even though nobody knows of it and it has pretty much no potential to be abused. I don't understand why a potentially beneficial chemical is immediately scheduled in a knee-jerk reaction because it is 'similar' to two other illegal chemicals.

I don't get why MDMA isn't at least allowed for psychological research as it has already been proven to be very theraputic.

If people can use it to have fun or enhance their lives somehow then it has to be made illegal right?

um sorry about my rant, i don't really know if Euphoria would even be that beneficial, i mean staying awake for 36 hours just doesn't seem healthy.

My point is that there should be a greater open-mindedness to Possibly beneficial chemicals and research should be done.

Why did this guy chose to make Euphoria though? if it's mostly unknown.

[gomaos]

Drugs are illegal because politicians don't like them.

Because of drugs people may become "un-governable" (if that's a word)

Authorities don't really give a stuff about the safety of people.

In our everyday world there are many things and legal activities that are much more dangerous than any drug.

The Anit-drug-war is run because authorities want to stay in power, that's the sole reason.

Putting people in jail for producing, distributing or consuming drugs is entirely immoral, and police who arrest and punish people for drugs are just as evil and wrong as Hitler's gestapo was when torturing jews and dissidents.

That's all there is to it.

The drugwar is a modern witchhunt.

Nobody say that we are any more evolved today then people of the middle ages who burnt witches at the stake.

Those witches were innocent, and so are people who go to jail for drugs.

[Torsten]

Originally posted by El Duderino:

Why did this guy chose to make Euphoria though? if it's mostly unknown.

Probably because he had access to these particular ingredients.

[2b]

You mean 'ice' ? Was a large import bust in Sydney (79kgs Dec 21 2000) http://www.afp.gov.au/afp/page/Media/2000/1221ice.htm

4-methylaminorex is usually called Ice in the Asia / Pacific region. Not that hard to come by in Australia.

[Jack]

i ca assure u this stuff has huge potential of abuse..

[Torsten]

Originally posted by 2benubee:

You mean 'ice' ? Was a large import bust in Sydney (79kgs Dec 21 2000) http://www.afp.gov.au/afp/page/Media/2000/1221ice.htm

4-methylaminorex is usually called Ice in the Asia / Pacific region. Not that hard to come by in Australia.

You got this all wrong!!

No, I don't mean ice. Euphoria is *sometimes* called ice, but usually not, because ice is in fact just a certain crystal form of methamphetamine HCl. It is this methamphetamine that is popular and common in Asia, whereas Euphoria isn't.

Most of the Ice in asia isn't Ice either, but rather just plain methamphetamine HCl. But Ice sounds a lot cooler (pun intended), so the media prefers that term.

Ice = methamphetamine HCl

Methamphetamine HCl does not often equal Ice

Euphoria = methylaminorex

Euphoria sometimes equals Ice

Ice does not often equal methylaminorex.

confused yet?

[2b]

Sorry but the link is no good so I'll post it any way , I know it's old but the information is clear. :

4-Methylaminorex

by Eleusis

The 4-Methylaminorex pseudo-FAQ (beta)

Due to strangely increased demand for 4-Methylaminorex "recipes" that I have received by mail, I decided to compile a short document with the cognate preparation of this interesting compound. This may become a full-fledged FAQ in the future, depending on user response and outside input donated where this will undoubtedly be deficient.

*STANDARD DISCLAIMER*

This is for informational purposes only. It is being produced in order to illustrate the novel structure and effects of the aryl-oxazolines. Use this information at your own risk, I cannot be held responsible for what you do with it, etc... and so on.

Q1. What is Ice?

A1. Ice is a norepinephrine potentiator (neuromodulator class). It has a characteristic look and feel, like white opaque ice, hence the name. Ice is currently a Schedule I drug as designated by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) which means it is felt to have NO medical use whatsoever. It was originally researched for appetite suppressant ability, but never pursued, probably because it's too much fun. Ice is also synonymous with "U4Euh".

Q2. Can Ice/U4Euh be made from amphetamine/methamphetamine?

A2. It is *technically* possible, but requires some backwards motions to get back to a sec. alcohol. At least one individual, in a personal communication to me, indicated that "they knew of someone who could convert crank [methamphetamine] into ice by washing it with something". This is not possible and more than likely is just a street name for clean crank (meth).

Q3. What kind of chemical is it?

A3. In drug parlance, which is notoriously Non-IUPAC compliant, Ice is synonymous with "Euphoria" (U4Euh), 4-Methylaminorex, or, chemically speaking: dl-cis-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phenyl-2-oxazoline. This is a tongue twister of a name, so I will explain and illustrate it with a cheap floozie of an ascii drawing.

//

// ____ _____ ____CH3

| || | |

| || | |

/ O N

/ //

//

|

N

/

H H

The numbering starts at the heterocyclic Oxygen and goes counter-clockwise. So the amine is at the 2 position, the methyl is at the 4 position, a phenyl ring is tacked on at the 5 position. Also, the 2-oxazoline part is often merely called oxazoline, as the double bond to the heterocyclic Nitrogen is implied.

It is interesting to note that all of the stereoisomers of 4-MAR are centrally active [1] (ie - it is not stereospecific in action).

Q4. What does Ice/U4Euh do?

A4. The document at Hyperreal.com describing the effects of Euphoria would be a good place to start. Anecdotally, it is said to help concentration and thinking - a sort of "make-you-smarter" drug, with a minor speed-like component to it. Time of action is around 4-6 hours (some say 14-16). Dosage varies but a good start is 20mg for a 150lb individual. It is smoked as the free base or the hydrochloride salt - both have relatively low melting points.

Cognate Preparation of 4-Methylaminorex

Reagents

Phenylpropanolamine HCl

Methanol

Cyanogen Bromide

Sodium Acetate

Sodium Carbonate

Water

Benzene (or similar)

Ether

Extraction of Phenylpropanolamine from OTC preparations

Extract Phenylpropanolamine HCl (PPA) from OTC diet pills by crushing and dissolving in 5mL ethanol and 5mL distilled water per gram of PPA. Decant solution onto the Buchner funnel and repeat with 2 more volumes of solvent. Use ethanol/water instead of just water because it has less tendency to form a colloid with any cellulosic binders present which would otherwise severely clog the filter paper.

Distill off most of the solvent then add cold water to dissolve all of the PPA solids. Basify to approximately pH 9 with 10% Sodium Carbonate or Sodium Hydroxide solution. Extract out PPA base using 3 volumes of ether of approximately 1/3 the volume of water. The ethanol will follow into the ether as well, but very little of the formed salt will.

Distill off ether/ethanol for later recovery of the solvents and weigh the amount of solid PPA base, mp 101C. The amount you process here determines, obviously, the amounts of everything else to use later on.

Forming the Oxazoline Ring

The ideal ratio of all the reagents is as follows [2]:

1.0 Mole Phenylpropanolamine (MW: 151.2)

1.1 Moles Cyanogen Bromide (MW: 105.93)

3.0 Moles of Sodium Acetate (MW: 82.04)

The Sodium Acetate may be prepared by carefully adding an equinormal amount of Sodium Hydroxide to glacial Acetic Acid and drying the resultant salt at 120C for 15 minutes.

The preparation of Cyanogen Bromide is covered in another document of mine.

This compound should only be prepared in an area of *adequate* ventillation. A full covering fume hood is ideal (geez - make one, I did) or outside with the wind blowing away from you. Cyanogen Bromide acts on cytochrome oxidase just like any other cyanide and can kill you quite effectively and quickly. Also, it has been known to decompose spontaneously when impure.

Dissolve 15g (.142M) of Cyanogen Bromide in 50mL of Methanol at 0C.

Dissolve 19.5g (.129M) of Phenylpropanolamine and 31.8g (.387M) of Sodium Acetate in 300mL of Methanol at 0°C. Place this in a round bottom flask equipped with a stirrer magnet and addition funnel.

Add the Cyanogen Bromide solution to the flask though the addition funnel over a period of 15 minutes with stirring.

React for an additional 45 minutes at 0°C.

Evaporate solvents at reduced pressure and with gentle water bath heat (50C tops) - do not attempt to recover!

Dissolve the oily residue in water and then add saturated Sodium Carbonate solution until a white solid precipitates.

Filter this cake of white solid on the Buchner, then wash twice with ice cold water and dry in a vacuum dessicator.

Recrystallize the crude dried product from Benzene to yield ~63%.

*OPTIONAL* - Form the hydrochloride salt by bubbling HCl gas though the Benzene until white crystals fall out or shaking with 5% HCl and evaporating the water off.

References

Journal of Forensic Sciences, v34, #4, 1989, "The Stereoisomers of 4-Methylaminorex", pp 963-979, Klein, Sperling, Cooper & Kram

Journal of Medicine Chemistry, v6, 1963, "2-Amino-5-Aryl-2-Oxazolines. Potent New Anorectic Agents", pp 266-272, Poos, Carson, Rosenau, Roszkowski, Kelley & McGowin

Euphoria Document @ http://hyperreal.com/drugs/

[Torsten]

Eleusis wasn't always right.

Anyway, that was a long time ago and drug names change over time. Seriously, there is no methylaminorex flooding the asian markets. The stuff causing problems over there is methamphetamine made cheaply from ephedrine and iodine. It's dirty and nasty and causes all sort of problems. And it's called ice in the western media because some nitwit read somewhere that ice is methamphetamine HCl.

The name Ice where it refers to methylaminorex is unfortunate cos it was previously and later used for the fully crystallised form of methamphetamine HCl. The special crystallisation method renders this form of methamphetamine vaporizable at temps about 70 degC lower than normal methamphetamine HCl. ie it melts - hence the name Ice.

I have always advocated the use of the term euphoria for methylaminorex to make sure people like you don't get confused.

You can argue about this all you like, but you are still wrong

[Torsten]

If you read the whole article you posted in your initial post then you would have realised how confused the writers are about this issue:

‘Ice’ is crystalline methamphetamine. Other names include Shabu, Euphoria, Ice cream, Batu, Glass, Crystal, Quartz, and Crystal Meth,.Crack

Meth or 4-Methylaminorex.

Yes, they are right that Ice applies to all of these in some way, but that doesn't mean that all of these are the same thing. Obviously 4-methylaminorex is not the same as methamphetamine!!!

‘Ice’ is a particularly potent form of amphetamine due to its high purity levels (more than 80% where street level amphetamines’ purity starts at 3 %).

Correct. Ice needs to be very pure or it will not melt and boil at the low temperatures needed for vaporising.

Crystalline methampetamine (‘ice’) is widely manufactured in China and the Philippines.

Correct too, but in this case they are not talking about methylaminorex.

[ 20. December 2004, 15:50: Message edited by: Torsten ]

[simon_marklar]

yeah torstens right - none of the "ice" in sydney is aminorex.

and very little of the "ice" in sydney is 80%+ pure.

%simon

[Skulking Lurker]

Yeah, most of it is Methylsulfonylmethane, I'm led to believe.

[2b]

Your right , Eleusis wasn't always right (but not bad for an arts student ! )I could never understand what was right but it's now clear seeing out in writing. The "Ice" i've seen was very white(?) and hardly worth the effort ? Yeah it had a low melting point , but what ever it was it didn't come close to expectations. :confused: