What Methamphetamine Looks Like And How It Is Taken

Methamphetamine most often comes in the form of white or clear crystals, which give it its nickname "ice" or "glass." Methamphetamine crystals can also be brown in color. These crystals are most often smoked with a pipe or snorted (Figure 2.1) and can easily be dissolved in water and injected intravenously. Methamphetamine crystals are also taken rectally. Meth powder and crystals often contain contaminants and impurities (including lead) from the chemical synthesis process that are often toxic. Approximately 50 milligrams (mg) of metham-phetamine will give the user a significant high, although the absolute content of meth in a given batch of powder or crystals varies, making it difficult to know the precise amount of the

Figure 2.1 Methamphetamine can come in a crystallized form and be snorted with a "pipe" (shown here). Methamphetamine in this form is known as "ice" or "glass." The drug is also found in pill or tablet form, but produces a less immediate high, because the drug does not directly enter the bloodstream when taken orally.

Figure 2.1 Methamphetamine can come in a crystallized form and be snorted with a "pipe" (shown here). Methamphetamine in this form is known as "ice" or "glass." The drug is also found in pill or tablet form, but produces a less immediate high, because the drug does not directly enter the bloodstream when taken orally.

drug that is being taken. Methamphetamine crystals cost anywhere from $300 to $4,000 per ounce, depending on where they are being sold.

Methamphetamine can also come in the form of colored pills or tablets (Figure 2.2), which many users consider safer than raw powder because they are less likely to be laced with contaminants. However, pill and tablet forms of methamphetamine often do contain impurities. These forms often produce less of a "rush" (the immediate pleasurable feeling produced by a drug) compared to when the drug is injected or smoked. This is because the pills must be absorbed through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract prior to entering the bloodstream and subsequently the brain.

Most methamphetamine in the United States comes from

Figure 2.2 Methamphetamine can be found in pill form, as shown here. Many users incorrectly believe that pills are less likely to be laced with other drugs or contaminants.

underground "clandestine" laboratories in the western United States (primarily California) and Mexico. These labs are found in apartments, hotel rooms, basements, garages, rented storage spaces, and even moving vans. Lab operators often make their labs "mobile" so they can easily be packed up and transported. Meth labs are also often "booby trapped" with explosives to destroy the evidence in case they are discovered, and meth lab operators often arm themselves with guns and other weapons to defend their prized source of income.

Continue reading here: Methamphetamine And Adolf Hitler

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