Last week I took a class about methamphetamine and the dangers that it poses to the housing market, and it was actually really interesting. I learned a lot about the specific dangers that are posed when remediating and living in former meth labs. And also, I am now an expert historian on meth. So without further ado, here is everything that you need to know about meth.
Meth was first synthesized from ephedrine in 1893 by a Japanese chemist. Later in 1919, methamphetamine hydrochloride was created in a powder form that was easier and cheaper to make.
The popularity of meth grew during World War II, when it was used by nearly every branch of the Third Reich’s armed forces. It was sold under the name Pervitin and used to induce lengthened periods of “wakefulness.” It was also given to Japanese Kamikaze pilots in incredibly high doses before their suicide missions. When supplies of meth that had been stored for military use became available to the public, an epidemic of injection abuse began in Japan.
After the war, biker gangs in California realized how easily and inexpensively meth could be made and began mass producing it and transporting it throughout the U.S. This was done by storing it in the crankcases of their motorcycles, which earned it the nickname “crank.” This began the history of meth in America.
In the 50s, meth was prescribed by many doctors as a diet aid and as a treatment for depression. Because it was readily available, it was used as a nonprescription stimulant by college students, athletes, and truck drivers.
In the 60s, injectable meth became more available, which changed the pattern of meth use. Although the injectable form of the drug became very popular, other forms of meth did not disappear and are still available. Meth also began to be used as a treatment for ADHD.
Later into the decade as the highly addictive nature of meth became known, governments around the world began to strictly regulate the production and sale of meth. In the 70s, the U.S. government declared meth a schedule II controlled substance. Afterwards, motorcycle gangs controlled the majority of the production and distribution of meth.
In the 90s, Mexican drug trafficking organizations began creating large labs in California that were capable of producing around 50 pounds of meth in a weekend. Since then, labs have spread across the U.S. mostly into rural communities where supplies required for production are readily available. Independence, Missouri became the meth capital of America and became a major meth hub because of its access to major highway systems.
Since the early 2000s, the DEA has pressed down hard on meth producers, moving much of the production to cartel controlled labs in Mexico. Meth is still produced in the U.S., but a large portion of meth sold in the U.S. is brought across the border.
Meth can be ingested orally and is often hidden in chocolate or in strawberry flavored drinks to addict children, so they can be used to steal supplies. Meth is still able to be legally used in some countries, but use in the U.S. is illegal. Meth can be smoked, injected, inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or taken in suppository form. For every pound of meth produced, about six pounds of toxic waste are produced and for every lab that is seized, an estimated nine more exist.
Meth.
