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  • N&PD Moderators: Skorpio | someguyontheinternet

Making meth out of straight Ephedra plant?

D

Dimebagdonny

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Oregon
I've been looking into the meth being produced in afghanistan an wondering i anyone knows more about it. I hope it's slot better than the Mexican shit. If sonic hope I makes it way to the west coast. Here's a link

www.bbc.com

Afghanistan, home to the heroin trade, moves into meth

A new report warns Afghanistan is becoming a major methamphetamine producer, leaving addicts in its wake.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Interesting that they are approaching it in that way. I wonder how they are extracting it? Maybe steam distillation? They must be growing vast amounts. Yet, while wild ephedra sinica is relatively low in alkaloid content I imagine there are cultivars containing much higher levels of levels of ephedrine which make this route more financially viable. Apparently the crafty afghans have figured out to do it. Too bad mexicans don't take a page from the afghans book, as they are notorious for shoddy drug craftsmanship and corner cutting (for example that poor excuse for heroin we call "tar").

I doubt afghan ephedra meth will make it to the US (especially the west coast). Too far and too much competition.

(Mod note: this post might do better in the advanced drug forum, however you guys are welcome to move it elsewhere, or even back here, if you see fit. Not entirely sure where this thread belongs.)
 
Would natural ephedrine produce fully racemic meth? (aren't there 4 isomers of ephedrine, but 2 of them are based on the hydroxyl position which gets birched right off?)
 
Skorpio said:
Would natural ephedrine produce fully racemic meth? (aren't there 4 isomers of ephedrine, but 2 of them are based on the hydroxyl position which gets birched right off?)
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Yeah thats what i thought as well, but i wasnt sure so i kept quiet. Still not sure.

Also on a somewhat related note i read this on Wikipedia which was news to me:

"The dextrorotary (+)- or d- enantiomer is (1S,2S)-pseudoephedrine, whereas the levorotating (−)- or l- form is (1R,2R)-pseudoephedrine.

In the outdated d/l system (+)-pseudoephedrine is also referred to as l-pseudoephedrine and (−)-pseudoephedrine as d-pseudoephedrine (in the Fisher projection then the phenyl ring is drawn at bottom).[41][42]

Often the d/l system (with small caps) and the d/l system (with lower-case) are confused. The result is that the dextrorotary d-pseudoephedrine is wrongly named d-pseudoephedrine and the levorotary l-ephedrine (the diastereomer) wrongly l-ephedrine."

God i love Wikipedia
 
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I also like how that section also uses + threo ephedeine and -erythtreo ephedrine as alternative names. This seems like the setup for a drug geek who's on first type bit.
 
Gaffy said:
I myself don't get it but that's just because I'm a drunk . Anyway, would ephedra grow well in the spanish pyreneas ?
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Ephedra is a genus of gymnosperm shrubs, the only extant genus in its family, Ephedraceae, and order, Ephedrales. The various species of Ephedra are widespread in many lands, native to southwestern North America, southern Europe, northern Africa, southwest and central Asia, northern China and western South America.

In temperate climates, most Ephedra species grow on shores or in sandy soils with direct sun exposure
 
Skorpio said:
Would natural ephedrine produce fully racemic meth? (aren't there 4 isomers of ephedrine, but 2 of them are based on the hydroxyl position which gets birched right off?)
Click to expand...
I was told that it'd make dextromethamphetamine and that pseudoephedrine does depending on cooking method. Unfortunately I'm not a chemist so I don't know much about it
 
Skorpio said:
Would natural ephedrine produce fully racemic meth? (aren't there 4 isomers of ephedrine, but 2 of them are based on the hydroxyl position which gets birched right off?)
Click to expand...
There are four stereoisomers, the dextro- and levo- enantiomers of both ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (which are diastereomers). Natural ephedrine leads to enantiomerically-pure dextromethamphetamine.
 
It all depends on the route, if using the typical RP/I cook both ephedrine and pseudo ephedrine will yield d-methamphetamine.

If using something like a Al/Hg reduction than there would be racemic meth. (Obviously first going to p2p.)

Also there’s other alkaloids in Ephedra sinica which will alter the final product, such as PPA. If I recall right PPA going through the RP/I would yield Amphetamine, so it’d be a bit of cocktail unless the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are isolated.

It’s even possible to pass a crude extract of the plant through RP/I to yield a crude mixture of amphetamines, I wonder if that’s what the Afghans are doing? (I didn’t read the article.)

I personally started some Ephedra sinica myself just for using the herb as is, but if anyone is ever interested in a bit of a grow log/tips I’d be down to write it up. It’s a hardy plant capable of withstanding decent drought and heat.

To finish, the Chinese do have a cultivar that is said to be very high in alkaloids (8% over the typical .5-2%) I wonder if the Afghans are growing that as well?

-GC
 
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Gaffy said:
I myself don't get it but that's just because I'm a drunk . Anyway, would ephedra grow well in the spanish pyreneas ?
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It grows well in many different climates I’ve found. It can take decent amount of rain but doesn’t hurt if drought comes. It takes years to establish though.

-GC
 
Man I wish I understood most of this science talk:( sad to say but nothing else in this worlds has my interest as much as meth and EVERYTHING about it
 
SnafuInTheVoid said:
Yep. I made some "mormon tea" after finding it in the high desert of Utah. Very dry and inhospitable environment. It was everywhere! Grows like a weed.

I was in a wilderness rehab at the time, lol.
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Ephedra nevadensis, which is argued whether it contains ephedrine/pfed or not. That said it does indeed contain stimulant alkaloids like PPA, and I find it funny that Mormons think they’re not getting High drinking it lol.

While PPA can’t make methamphetamine in the usual route (RP/I) it can be turned to p2p same as ephedrine or pfed can, which can then be used in Al/Hg for racemic meth.

If one was really desperate, benzaldehyde from bitter almond oil with l-alanine gives PPA. PPA can be made to P2P easily, which can then be reduced to racemic meth. You’ll have to do the research to know the reactions (no one could make anything with this current info if any mods dislike just let me know) but it’s all completely OTC start to finish.

There’s many routes to the end product. Based on my research I believe 90’s meth was p2p to racemic meth via Leuckart, if anyone reading this has a thing for the old peanut butter. The Leuckart also created the legendary 90’s MDMA that supposedly ain’t the same.

-GC
 
SnafuInTheVoid said:
@G_Chem

I made a very crude brew with nothing but boiling water. I also have no idea what dose I took.

It was certainly not very potent, mild stimulation.
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Any tips for spotting the plant in the wild, or were they just pointed out to you? I’ve been looking but may be too far north if they only grow specifically in the SW.

-GC
 
G_Chem said:
Any tips for spotting the plant in the wild, or were they just pointed out to you? I’ve been looking but may be too far north if they only grow specifically in the SW.

-GC
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Jeez it was about 15 years ago. Somebody pointed it out to me (I'm not native to Utah). I do remember it was quite easy to spot in southwest Utah. The vegetation there is not very diverse and is also sparse. It also has a very distinct look.
 
Yea the E. sinica I’m growing looks almost reed-like or something, very strange plant. I’m assuming Mormon tea looks similar.

-GC
 
My Mormon tea says it's ephedra viridis. It's pleasant enough, but I have no idea if it contains ephedrine.
 
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