Names Ephedrine is the
generic name of the drug and its . Its is
ephédrine while its is
efedrina.
Recreational use As a
phenethylamine, ephedrine has a similar chemical structure to
amphetamines and is a
methamphetamine analog having the methamphetamine structure with a
hydroxyl group at the
β position. Because of ephedrine's structural similarity to methamphetamine, it can be used to create methamphetamine using
chemical reduction in which ephedrine's hydroxyl group is removed; this has made ephedrine a highly sought-after chemical precursor in the
illicit manufacture of
methamphetamine. The most popular method for reducing ephedrine to methamphetamine is similar to the
Birch reduction, in that it uses
anhydrous ammonia and
lithium metal in the reaction. The second-most popular method uses
red phosphorus and
iodine in the reaction with ephedrine. Moreover, ephedrine can be synthesized into
methcathinone via simple
oxidation. As such, ephedrine is listed as a table-I precursor under the
United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
Use in exercise and sports Ephedrine has been used as a
performance-enhancing drug in
exercise and
sports. It can increase
heart rate,
blood pressure, and
cardiac contractility as well as act as a
psychostimulant. : In
saquinavir synthesis, the half-acid is resolved as its salt with l-ephedrine.
Legal status Canada In January 2002,
Health Canada issued a voluntary recall of all ephedrine products containing more than 8mg per dose, all combinations of ephedrine with other stimulants such as caffeine, and all ephedrine products marketed for weight-loss or bodybuilding indications, citing a serious risk to health. Ephedrine is still sold as an oral nasal decongestant in 8mg pills as a natural health product (NHP), with a limit of 0.4g (400mg) per package, the limit established by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act as it is considered as Class A Precursor. NHPs containing ephedrine or pseudoephdrine as their sole active ingredients are restricted to being behind-the-counter at pharmacies, requiring customers to request them from the pharmacist. Combination NHPs containing other ingredients can be in a regular pharmacy self-selection area for purchase, but are still restricted to pharmacies and a pharmacist must be available to answer questions from a customer if necessary.
United States In 1997, the
FDA proposed a regulation on ephedra (the herb from which ephedrine is obtained), which limited an ephedra dose to 8mg (of active ephedrine) with no more than 24mg per day. This proposed rule was withdrawn, in part, in 2000 because of "concerns regarding the agency's basis for proposing a certain dietary ingredient level and a duration of use limit for these products." In 2004, the FDA created a ban on ephedrine alkaloids marketed for reasons other than asthma, colds, allergies, other disease, or traditional Asian use. On April 14, 2005, the
U.S. District Court for the District of Utah ruled the FDA did not have proper evidence that low dosages of ephedrine alkaloids are actually unsafe, but on August 17, 2006, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Denver upheld the FDA's final rule declaring all dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids adulterated, and therefore illegal for marketing in the United States. Furthermore, ephedrine is banned by the NCAA, MLB, NFL, and PGA. Ephedrine is, however, still legal in many applications outside of dietary supplements. Purchasing is currently limited and monitored, with specifics varying from state to state. The
House passed the
Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 as an amendment to the renewal of the
USA PATRIOT Act. Signed into law by President
George W. Bush on March 6, 2006, the act amended the
US Code (21 USC 830) concerning the sale of products containing ephedrine and the closely related drug
pseudoephedrine. Both substances are used as
precursors in the
illicit production of
methamphetamine, and to discourage that use the federal statute included the following requirements for merchants who sell these products: • A retrievable record of all purchases identifying the name and address of each party to be kept for two years • Required verification of proof of identity of all purchasers • Required protection and disclosure methods in the collection of personal information • Reports to the
Attorney General of any suspicious payments or disappearances of the regulated products • Non-liquid dose form of regulated product may only be sold in unit-dose blister packs • Regulated products are to be sold behind the counter or in a locked cabinet in such a way as to restrict access • Daily sales of regulated products not to exceed 3.6g to a single purchaser, without regard to the number of transactions • Monthly sales to a single purchaser not to exceed 9g of pseudoephedrine base in regulated products The law gives similar regulations to mail-order purchases, except the monthly sales limit is 7.5g. As a pure herb or tea,
má huáng, containing ephedrine, is still sold legally in the US. The law restricts/prohibits its being sold as a dietary supplement (pill) or as an ingredient/additive to other products, like diet pills.
Australia Ephedrine and all
Ephedra species that contain it are considered Schedule 4 substances under the
Poisons Standard. A Schedule 4 drug is considered a Prescription Only Medicine, or Prescription Animal Remedy – Substances, the use or supply of which should be by or on the order of persons permitted by State or Territory legislation to prescribe and should be available from a pharmacist on prescription under the
Poisons Standard.
South Africa In South Africa, ephedrine was moved to schedule 6 on 27 May 2008, which makes pure ephedrine tablets prescription only. Pills containing ephedrine up to 30 mg per tablet in combination with other medications are still available OTC, schedule 1 and 2, for sinus, head colds, and influenza.
Germany Ephedrine was freely available in pharmacies in Germany until 2001. Afterward, access was restricted since it was mostly bought for unindicated uses. Similarly, ephedra can only be bought with a prescription. Since April 2006, all products, including plant parts, that contain ephedrine are only available with a prescription. ==Production==