When considering present and future availability of PMA, what needs to be remembered, is that for unscrupulous producers solely intent on making money - and not being caught- PMA offers an active product that is made from a starting material far easier to procure than those used for MDMA manufacture.
In fact, for the common peracid, over the counter (OTC) synthesis, which first requires isomerising safrole, anethole is one step closer to PMA than safrole is to MDMA. It can also amount to a considerable time saver for the chemist, as isomerisation without a particular ingredient can take 16+ hours.
As import restrictions limit the amount of MDMA entering the country, and already tight legislation further limits availability of safrole and isosafrole (and to a lesser extend piperonal), anethole is (or will be) likely to be seen by some low life producers as a far easier starting point.
As mentioned, the process of manufacturing PMA from anethole can be totally OTC as far as ingredients are concerned. So, while at present, reported police seizures of the drug are low, people should not become complacent on the issue. While such a large MDMA market continues to exist, and supply of the drug becomes further restricted, it is a very real threat. Some might even say that the recent rescheduling of ketamine potentially exacerbates this problem by limiting availability of another commonly used substitute.
Recently while at a party, I was approached by someone who spoke of PMA as being a more "natural" product made from oil of anise. He was quite convinced that it was "better" for you than MDMA, and also said word among the natural high scene frequently confirmed this. It took me some time get him to see things differently, but even then, I was one voice against many he'd heard that supported the silly notion that PMA was a more natural, and therefore safer drug than MDMA. Of course PMA is no more natural than MDA, although both are produced in-vivo in very small quantities by the liver following the ingestion of herbs and spices containing the respective essential oil alkenes.
While I would hope most Bluelighters are more soundly informed, stories like this serve to demonstrate how easy it is for such misconceptions to spread amongst those who know no better and have little to no contact with those who do.
PMA was found in F1's last year wasn't it?
If you are still unconvinced of the "real" dangers of PMA existing in Australia, try doing a search on this board. drplatypus will also be able to confirm that a great proportion of reported PMA fatalities have occurred in Australia. Samadhi lost a close friend to it, and Ianhard, a once keen BL poster and supporter of PMA, died from it.
