The article ‘Rolling In,’ by Kathleen Ronayne and Beckie Strum, which appeared in Thursday’s The Daily Orange, is poorly written, biased and incorrect. Firstly, the title is inaccurate. Molly is not ‘the purest form of ecstasy.’ Ecstasy and Molly are two drugs that are said to contain the substance MDMA. Molly is presented as pure MDMA. Secondly, MDMA is not an amphetamine. It is a strong stimulant that is chemically related but not identical to the amphetamine group. Furthermore, the statement that ‘pure MDMA reduces the serotonin in the brain’ is completely false. While under the influence of MDMA, the brain rapidly releases serotonin. That is what makes the drug work. With chronic use, people may experience serotonin depletion, which does not occur while on the drug. Also, that ‘the user cannot tell if it is real or fake happiness’ is a laughable and false claim. Neurotransmitters act in the brain to make us feel certain ways at different levels, at all times. Serotonin makes us feel happy with or without MDMA. It would be interesting for the authors and Ms. Erin Mulvey (who was said to have made the claim) to clarify what distinguishes ‘real’ and ‘fake’ happiness.

MDMA simply increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, thus making the user feel blissful, energetic and open. A drug that decreases serotonin would not have the ability to make anyone feel good. The article is a joke. For a school that has such a focus on objective journalism, ‘Rolling In’ is a huge disappointment. By the way, the opiate heroin isn’t spelled ‘heroine.’ Check your facts and do some unbiased research.

In our society, there are countless misrepresentations, myths and lies about mind-altering substances. Like it or not, people and animals have found ways to alter their states of consciousness since the beginning of time, and we will continue to do so. Deceptions, such as the ones that appear in The Daily Orange’s article, need to be replaced with factual knowledge in order to decrease harm and support safe use.

Sasha Almasian

Sophomore public health major