Club Drug “Molly” Fuels New York Party Scene

If you’re told that some young adults are about to spend the evening with Molly, you might picture one of their girlfriends, or an actress (Molly Shannon or Molly Ringwald), or maybe you expect them to be reviewing a book on the revolutionary war, featuring Molly Pitcher. But the name today has nothing to do with actresses or historical figures. It’s supposedly a “pure” form of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine), a stimulant that is the primary ingredient in “ecstasy.”

One of the problems with the drug, apart from its illegality (MDMA is a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act), is that it is rarely unadulterated. In fact, the Drug Enforcement Administration tells us that less than 15% of the Molly that was seized in the State of New York over the past several years contained any MDMA. Rather, it consisted of any one or more of a number of drugs, including MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as bath salts).

Notwithstanding the dangers, including the fact that if you purchase the drug, you haven’t the slightest idea what chemicals are actually in it, some say Molly has been glamorized by entertainers:

  • Last year, Madonna asked the audience at a Miami concert whether they’ve seen Molly (which most observers assume was a reference to the drug), and was met by an uproar of cheers from the crowd.
  • Molly appears in numerous rap songs, including those by Kanye West, Trinidad James, and others.
  • Rapper Rick Ross’ song “U.O.E.N.O” includes lyrics that seem to many folks to encourage date rape, and talks about surreptitiously putting Molly in a woman’s drink. After the song was released, Reebok announced that it was terminating its relationship with Ross.

Some of the fallout from the use of the drug can be anticipated. But last week it appears to have figured in a shooting at a Harlem bar. Police say that an execution-style murder took place at the bar, after the alleged victim spoke to a woman. This somehow angered the shooter, resulting in the victim receiving a fatal bullet wound to the head. The police claim they have evidence that the suspect was high on Molly. This isn’t the first death in New York attributed to the drug, but it may well be the first known killing by a suspect under its influence.

George Vomvolakis Law Offices
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