Modern-day mass produced cartel meth is pretty unimpressive, particularly when smoked. I was never a big meth fan even back when high quality pseudoephedrine derived meth was predominant (a decade ago), but this new cartel stuff is notably less euphoric and pleasant, particularly when smoked. It has sort of a fuzzy, scattered high, edgy feel to it, and almost has a dissociative quality to it.
My theory is that, while mostly dextromethamphetamine, it has enough remaining levomethamphetamine in it to be pharmacologically relevant (in terms of overall perceived effect). Keep in mind, l-methamphetamine is a selective and potent norepinephrine releasing agent, so even small amounts (say 5%) would change the feel of it compared to enantiomerically pure d-meth (such as that made from pseudoephedrine -- which the mexicans abandoned in favor of the much cheaper precursor P2P; this produces a 50:50 ratio of d-meth:l-meth, which they then take some more steps to lower the l-meth content, but it never really gets much less than 7%). The resulting product has a different feel to it than pure d-meth since l-meth is some pretty nasty stuff (l-methamphetamine is an even more selective norepinephrine releasing agent than straight ephedrine). The presence of this l-meth content is most apparent when smoked because of the speed of onset and relatively small amount that can be smoked in one hit. Large oral doses are better since the onset is more gradual and the release of serotonin (which only occurs significantly at higher doses) helps smooth out the rough edges.
So yeah I could see a first timer smoking this newer stuff and thinking that it's a shitty drug. Again, being primarily an opioid abuser, I was never a meth afficionado, but over the course of my life I've probably consumed in total a few ounces of meth (most of which was the older pseudoephedrine-derived meth), and the differences between the two are quite clear. And the differences between the old pseudo d-meth and this new mass-produced dirt cheap mexican cartel meth become most abundantly clear when it is smoked. When taken orally however, at high doses (enough to evoke notably serotonin release, perhaps 80mg+) the differences are less apparent. Still feels different, but not nearly as dramatically so as when smoked.
Anyone who has has both the pseudoephedrine derived d-meth, and this new P2P derived "mostly d-meth, with some l-meth" cartel made shit, knows that the difference is striking. Aside from the effect profile, the crystals themselves appear different (the crystals are not completely clear, are more much more fragile and shale-like, whereas good pure crystalline d-meth is very hard, and completely clear and glass-like).
The crystalline structure of the new mass produced cartel meth
definitely a big step down, especially when smoked.
