MD: A FACT SHEET

Mephedrone, or MD, is a stimulant psychotropic substance, which was banned in India in 2015 under the NDPS Act. It is mostly available in white powdered form, sometimes as tablets or capsules, and is usually ingested orally or snorted. A designer drug, or a New Psychoactive Substance (NPS)— products designed to recreate the effects of banned natural drugs as substitutes—its effects are similar to cocaine and ecstasy. Investigators also call it the ‘poor man’s cocaine’

➘ EFFECTS

Mephedrone is a classic ‘upper’ drug. It increases blood pressure and makes the consumer feel euphoric, more sociable, empathetic, alert and aroused. As the effects wear off, the consumer may experience depression, anxiety, irritability and insomnia. MD also leads to gastrointestinal complications and loss of appetite

➘ THE ORIGIN

The chemical formula of MD was first recorded in a French medical journal in 1929, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. But its potential as an NPS was discovered around 2003 by a group of underground chemists. The discovery went viral globally. Around 2004, a group in Israel is believed to have first started mass manufacturing MD as capsules. The concept went viral in the UK around 2009 as MD replaced cocaine as a party drug. Since it was not banned, the industry thrived due to legal gaps, with MD being sold as ‘plant food’ or ‘fertiliser’

➘ PUNISHMENT

The commercial quantity of MD in India is 50 grams, which means a person found in possession of this quantity is deemed a trafficker or peddler, and can be jailed for 10 to 20 years under the NDPS Act

➘ PRICE

The street price of MD is Rs 1,000Rs 3,000 per gram in India, while it may go up to Rs 10,000 per gram in the international market. In comparison, cocaine’s street price in India is upwards of Rs 3,000. The most expensive drug in the market currently is black cocaine, sold at Rs 20,000 per gram