Amphetamines FAQ

Yes. 'Ice' and 'glass' are the same thing, a pure recrystallized form of methamphetamine common in America and the Far East. Like crack-cocaine, it comes in larger crystals or rocks. When smoked, its effects are comparable to crack in intensity but are much longer lasting. This intensity has actually slowed its spread as a recreational drug. The high is just too hardcore for most casual drug users. (The effects are described as like being hit with a sledgehammer).

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Speed is sold cut to very low purity, 5%-10%. Ecstasy is more expensive than Speed so dealers can charge more for an Ecstasy pill than they could for Speed.

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Yes and no. Amphetamines are very strong. If pure speed was sold, it would be overwhelming, and would induce AmpPsychosis if used in the way most clubbers do, i.e. one to two grams per night between a small group of about 3-5 people. A medical dose of 5 mg dexedrine is comparable to one average line of speed. One gram at 5%-10% purity gives you 50 -100mg of amphetamine sulphate, or 5-10 Dexedrines.

It depends. Speed is commonly cut with pill filler, which is the biggest ingredient in Ecstasy and Paracetamol and every other type of pill. Caffeine, glucose powder, baby milk or talcum powder are also common used to cut speed. While none of the above are harmful if swallowed, they are less safe - and more painful - to snort. Baby milk and talcum powder are very dangerous if speed is injected as they clot easily in the blood.

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Speed is a lot cheaper but longer lasting. A lot of cocaine's appeal is based on status, almost like champagne compared to sparkling white wine when many people can't tell the difference. The physical effects of both are very similar, but cocaine is very much ego centered, whereas speed is a more physical rush. Historically the use of speed has dipped as cocaine use increases and vice versa.

It is chemically very easy to produce, and recipes are readily available on the internet. Some of the chemicals, however, are hard to get ahold of. Small scale production still flourishes though. Ecstasy, by contrast, requires professional / degree level chemistry and lots more equipment to produce.

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Yes. Long-haul truck drivers, particularly those regularly driving across America and Australia, are well known as a user group. Athletes, dancers and actors have also been known to use it to improve performance.

Hypertension, hyperthyroidism, urinary retention, glaucoma and arteriosclerosis are just some of the medical conditions that are incompatible with amphetamine use.

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Amphetamines can be detected for 24-72 hours. Methamphetamines, on the other hand, are detectable within a slightly longer 24-96-hour period.

Amp psychosis is a state of mind characterized by hyperactivity, feelings of paranoia and persecution, hallucinations and other unpleasant things. The exact mechanism is unknown. Speed, like alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine, works directly on the dopamine "reward" pathways in the brain, used for modulating pleasure and mood. A single large dose or - more commonly - consistent hard abuse can induce psychosis. The symptoms are very similar to schizophrenia but it is short-lived, measured in hours and days.

No. Speed and pregnancy do not mix. While medically supervised low dose amphetamines do not cause birth defects, there is an increased risk of low birth weight and premature delivery.

Amphetamine base is a purer form of powdered street amphetamine and is not used to line and clean waste pipes. You can find out more here.