• 🇳🇿 🇲🇲 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇦🇺 🇦🇶 🇮🇳
    Australian & Asian
    Drug Discussion


    Welcome Guest!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

US bans ephedra

Trillian

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 3, 2002
Messages
237
FDA to Ban Ephedra

FDA to ban ephedra sales

Federal action comes after dissecting 16,000 consumer reports of herb's harmful effects

December 31, 2003
By JOE CANTLUPE and JERRY KAMMER

of Copley News Service


WASHINGTON, D.C. - After almost a year of hearings, study and debate, the Bush administration Tuesday announced plans to ban the sale of the herbal stimulant ephedra because of links to deaths and other serious side effects.

The nationwide ban, which would take effect in a few months, comes about six months after Illinois became the first state to ban ephedra-based products. Two other states, New York and California, also already have bans in place.

The Bush administration expects the dietary supplements industry to challenge its decision in court and is bracing for a legal battle.

"The time to stop taking these products is now," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in announcing the government's first-ever ban of a dietary supplement. "They are simply too risky to be used."

(more in article link)

I know there's been some discussion recently of herbal supplements/remedies etc here, so i thought this might interest some people. The TGA could easily follow suit.
 
In Qld as far as I know all products containing over ~ 2% ephedrine are banned, which would technically place ephedra in the same category as it usually contains around 3% ephedrine.

Whether it's admitted or not, one of the major pushes behind banning ephedra, or more specifically ephedrine, has to do with the manufacture of methamphetamine. With the recent rise in the popularity in the US of the hypo/I2 reduction method (made famous in Aus), it is perhaps with fair reason that the DEA and other drug enforcement workers have been looking rather worried.

While there is no doubt ephedra/ephedrine/pseudo can be dangerous to those with underlying cardio/vascular problems, it does seem to conveniently provide the convincing argument needed to kill 2 birds with 1 stone :\
 
Man I am so gonna be pissed if I can't buy ephedra anymore...I saw this article somewhere the other day but forgot about it, thanks for posting it Trillian..
 
Yeah, I am not sure if this is correct information, but you can grow these following spieces reported contain some the alkaloid ephedrine:

* Ephedra gerardiana Ma Huang/Gerard Ephedra

* Ephedra sinensis also called Ma Huang/Chinese Ephedra

From a source which I am not allowed to say according to the bluelight guidelines:

Ephedra gerardiana is a high yielding source of Ephedrine, which virtually gives Pakistan a monopoly for the naturally produced drug. The ephedrine is extracted fom the green branches and possesses the same properties as ephedrine from Ephedra sinica, but with a higher total alkaloid content from 1.0 to 2.5% (below 1.0% for E. sinica). Total alkaloids are made up of about half ephedrine and the rest pseudoephedrine, N-methylephedrine, norephedrine and related compounds. Ephedrine acts like adrenaline, but is orally active. Ephedra herb varies greatly in quality as the drying process is difficult and can eliminate almost all of the ephedrine from the final product before it reaches market. The ephedrine in ephedra is destroyed by heat, and drying is usually done at ambient temperature, in the dark and at low humidity, and may take several weeks. Alkaloid levels in the plant also vary greatly and are the lowest after rain.

these following spieces reported to contain the alkaloid pseudoephedrine:

* Ephedra campylopoda Israel Ephedra

* Ephedra major Mediteranean Ephedra

* Ephedra nevadensis Mormon Tea

* Ephedra viridis Green Ephedra

The "Mormon Tea" has a interesting information from the same source:

Ephedra nevadensis is one of the pseudoephedrine containing ephedras, and is used mostly for it's expectorant and stimulating action and has a long history of traditional use. Mormons, who are strictly against the use of drugs such as tea and coffee prefer this tea, without regard for (or especially because of) it's strong activity. The aphrodisiac effect has also given this plants it's other name "Whorehouse Tea". Although most commonly taken as a pleasant beverage, it has also been used as a remedy for kidney and bladder problems. Natives of the American Southwest drink a decoction several times a day to relive kidney pain or to treat fever. The beneficial effects are most liley due to the diuretic action of the plant.

Pharmacology:

Unlike many other Ephedra species, Ephedra nevadensis does not contain ephedrine in any appreciable quantities, but owes most of its bioactivity to generous amounts of pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine's considerably lower pressor effect in comparison to ephedrine makes it a lot safer for use in medicine, but also decreases the stimulant action much sought after in this genus.


Remember Ephedrine is a "TGA - Schedule 9" (same as heroin!!!) drug in Australia and Ephedra herbs is also scheduled. It is also a customs prohibited import. Many countries are scheduling ephedrine and ephedra products, but many find their new laws challenged, ending in a confusing legal mess. Make sure you have up to date information on your local legislation before ordering any ephedra products from anywhere.

Cheers,

Urbie %)
 
Thanks urbanhog, I thought there must have been some way to legally sell ephedra products in Qld.

Hey Psychadelic_Paisly, enjoy your time in the US. Look forward to hearing some of your adventures.


There is a good paper on Rhodium describing the problem of ephedra and methamphetamine manufacture. It's a bit old (1995) but it illustrates how the problem has been regarded by the DEA

Ephedra's Role As a Precursor in the Clandestine Manufacture of Methamphetamine


If anyone is confused about the chemical differences between ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, this should help to explain. Because there are Two Chiral Centres (see here) there are a total of 4 possible isomers. Compared to each other, pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are non-enantiomeric isomers (termed diastereomers). Only the (-) ephedrine and the (+) pseudoephedrine are active in man and convert to the psychoactive (d) form of methamphetamine, so isn't it (or wasn't it) fortunante that nature only produces the active 2

ephediso.gif



Taken from: Designating the Configuration of Stereogenic Centers


Half way down this page is a good list of pubmed papers, many with conflicting views on the safety of ephedra products


Herb-Med - Ephedra sinica
 
Last edited:
I presume regulations banning products with ephedrine probably count the alkaloids methylephedrine, ephedrine and pseudo all as active constituents, which would explain why the raw product is often banned

Couple of interesting facts in this report (AUS)

...Precursors
During 2001–02 Customs detected 1628 attempted importations of amphetamine-type stimulant precursors: ephedra/ma huang (532) and ephedrine/pseudoephedrine (1096). Many of the precursors detected were unlikely to have been intended for use in the manufacture of illicit drugs, but were active ingredients in health supplements and cold-and-flu preparations.

The United States was the embarkation point for 1160 detections of amphetamine-type stimulant precursors in 2001–02, which constituted 71.2 per cent of the number of detections. Other significant embarkation points included Canada (69), the United Kingdom (41), China (34) and Thailand (33).

The most commonly detected method of importing amphetamine-type stimulant precursors during 2001–02 was through the post, accounting for 88.9 per cent of detections (1448) and 13.7 per cent of the total weight. Sea cargo accounted for 82.7 per cent of the total weight of detections in only two detections. Air cargo accounted for a further 3.2 per cent of precursor detections, accounting for 2.8 per cent of the total weight. The forms of amphetamine-type stimulant precursors detected by Customs in 2001–02 included capsules, caplets, tablets, powder, leaves, sachets, suppositories, tea bags and plasters.

From; Amphetamines
 
Last edited:
Top