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MDMA was first made in 1912 as an accidental byproduct of a search for anticoagulants. Its potential would not be explored for another half century until the 1970s when the American chemist Alexander Shulgin experimented with the drug and noted its ability to generate feelings of emotional connection. He then introduced it to a group of therapists who used its effects on trust and empathy to bolster their therapeutic effectiveness. Soon however, it spread to the party scene and only a decade later, in 1985, the DEA made the drug illegal classifying it as Schedule 1, drugs with no known clinical use, which halted further research.
Over the last two decades, research into MDMA has reemerged alongside other Schedule…