Dangers of Home Drug Creation or Extraction

We hear in the news about how home meth labs are busted all over the country. We also hear reports in the media about how easy it is for people to produce their own methamphetamine and MDMA. If news organizations hadn't started disseminating this information, then arguably there might not have been such a meth problem in rural America. However, an important thing to consider about home drug concoction or extraction is not that many of these chemical processes are illegal, but also highly dangerous.

Methamphetamine is a schedule II drug in the United States and is illegal to possess, sell, or make without a special DEA license. It is a drug with a high risk for dependence and can cause permanent negative physical effects. However, the danger of the drug itself is not the focus of this article. There is truth in media reports that meth can be produced fairly easily with someone with a basic knowledge of chemistry. The problem is that many of the chemicals used in the refining process are extremely hazardous if spilled, ingested, or mixed improperly with other chemicals. Drain cleaner, a common chemical used in the refining process is extremely caustic if it comes into contact with skin and many commercial drain cleaners react violently with aluminum and ammonia. These reactions can produce extreme heat, fire, or harmful vapors. Lye, an alkaline chemical traditionally used in the production of soap, is also commonly used in the methamphetamine production process. Lye is a highly reactive chemical and can not only cause chemical burns upon contact with the skin, but also violent reactions if mixed with other chemicals. Lye reacts violently with aluminum just like drain cleaner, so you can imagine what could happen to a makeshift meth lab if some aluminum foil just happened to be left out near these chemicals.

Not all psychoactive refining processes are illegal like the production of meth. Extracting DXM from cough syrup or LSA from morning glory seeds is not an illegal process, and does not require the kind of chemical setup that meth or MDMA do. However, this does not mean that extracting psychoactives from the aforementioned substances is without risk. Since many psychoactive extraction procedures require nonpolar solvents such as lighter fluid or petroleum ether, the risk of a fire is always there for those who are careless. Furthermore, ammonia is used in certain extraction procedures. If ammonia comes into contact with bleach, the resultant chemical reaction can release harmful and potentially fatal vapors in a poorly-ventilated environment.

The moral of the story is that is generally inadvisable to attempt to either create your own drugs or perform extractions. If you feel that you must do so or feel that you are qualified enough, then please take every precaution necessary. Check areas for dangerous chemicals that can possibly have an adverse reaction with the chemicals you are utilizing in your process. Make certain that there are no open sources of flame near any of your apparatus. Finally, make sure that you are in a well-ventilated area. Open windows if at all possible, turn on a fan to move the air around, or use vents if you have them at your disposal. Amateur chemistry is a dangerous venture, especially when it involves using dangerous chemicals and processes. Like I always say, educate yourself before you attempt to perform any extraction or formulative measure. You could wind up in jail or much worse if you don't.