History and culture of substituted amphetamines

Amphetamine and methamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants used to treat a variety of conditions. When used recreationally, they are colloquially known as "speed" or sometimes "crank". Amphetamine was first synthesized in 1887 in Germany by Romanian chemist Lazăr Edeleanu, who named it phenylisopropylamine. Around the same time, Japanese organic chemist Nagai Nagayoshi isolated ephedrine from the Chinese ephedra plant and later developed a method for ephedrine synthesis. Methamphetamine was synthesized from ephedrine in 1893 by Nagayoshi. Neither drug had a pharmacological use until 1934, when Smith, Kline & French began selling amphetamine as an inhaler under the trade name Benzedrine for congestion.

During World War II, amphetamine and methamphetamine were used extensively by Allied and Axis forces for their stimulant and performance-enhancing effects. As the addictive properties of the drugs became known, governments began to place strict controls on these drugs. On October 27, 1970, with the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act, amphetamine was made a Schedule III controlled substance in the United States, but it was later moved to Schedule II. Amphetamine is currently indicated in the United States for ADHD and narcolepsy, with lisdexamfetamine (a prodrug) indicated for binge eating disorder; and methamphetamine is indicated for ADHD, though prescribed at significantly lower rates compared to amphetamine.

Despite strict government controls, recreational amphetamine and methamphetamine use is extremely prevalent worldwide. Due to the large underground market for these drugs, they are often illegally synthesized by clandestine chemists, trafficked, and sold on the black market. Based on seizures of drugs and precursor chemicals, illicit amphetamine production and trafficking is much less prevalent than that of methamphetamine.