Crystal MDMA refers to the crystalline powder form of 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, the synthetic chemical most commonly known as the active ingredient in ecstasy pills. Widely recognized by various street names such as Molly, MD, and Mandy, MDMA is classified as a Class A drug in the UK, indicating its high potential for abuse and legal restrictions.

While ecstasy tablets conceal the MDMA in their composition, crystal MDMA is distinctly visible, often appearing as small, colorful rocks or a powder resembling granulated sugar. This substance can range in color from off-white to shades of yellow, grey, purple, or light brown, each hinting at its crystalline nature. On the street, it is sometimes referred to as MDMA ‘on the rock’ or simply as ‘shards.’

Typically, the going rate for crystal MDMA is around £40 per gram. Users have several methods of consumption, including ingesting it by wrapping in a rizla paper like a pill, dabbing it onto the tongue and gums, or mixing it into drinks. Each method offers a slightly different experience and onset of effects.

Crystal MDMA is most commonly sold for around £40 per gram, and either appears as small coloured rocks, or is powdered, taking on a form like granulated sugar. It might be referred to as MDMA ‘on the rock’ or as ‘shards’.

It can be taken as a bomb, wrapped in a rizla and ingested like a pill, dabbed on to the tongue and gums with a fingertip, or sprinkled into drinks.

Many users believe that taking crystal MDMA is safer than taking an ecstasy tablet because it allows more control over the dosage compared with taking an ecstasy tablet, and they can feel more confident that what they’re ingesting is pure and not cut with other street drugs or fillers.

However, this confidence is misplaced. Previous studies in the US have found that drugs sold as ‘pure’ MDMA are often mixed with other substances, such as ketamine, amphetamines, or synthetic cathinones (known as ‘bath salts’).

Ian Hamilton, Associate Professor at University of York, told the Daily Mail: ‘Crystal MDMA is significantly stronger than its pill equivalent – many people will not be aware of this, particularly those that haven’t used the drug before.

‘For more experienced users the risks of harm are not as great, although naïve, and inexperienced users of crystal MDMA can still develop serious problems including potential fatal overdose.

‘The other important difference between MDMA pills and crystal is the speed at which it is absorbed by the body, crystal is absorbed much faster which can prove to be dangerous.

‘Faster absorption means the effects of the drug act more rapidly this can lead to significant health risks such as respiratory failure and fatal overdose.’

MDMA is the active ingredient in ecstasy tablets 

In all its forms, MDMA gives users a sense of euphoria and energy, explaining its popularity on the club, rave and festival scenes, with effects usually felt 20-40 minutes after taking it.

As the drug enters the blood and nervous system, a period known as ‘coming up’, users may experience an elevated mood, higher levels of empathy to friends and strangers, and some mildly hallucinogenic visions.

It can also affect the user’s other senses, particularly enhancing their sense of touch, sound and sight, making experiencing music, lights, and other people more enjoyable.

MDMA is both a stimulant and an empathogen, and increases brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, the happy hormones, and norepinephrine which controls our fight or flight system.

The effects continue until the drug begins to wear off, which can take up to 10 hours, depending on the dosage, what other drugs and alcoholic drinks were consumed, and the user’s tolerance levels.

The drug can also cause jaw clenching, teeth grinding, and muscle spasms which can affect the ability to urinate.

Other physical side effects include an increased heart rate and blood pressure, blurred vision, nausea and sweating.

As the drug wears off, users can feel ‘hollow’, and experience anxiety, paranoia, confusion, and depression, a state referred to as a ‘comedown’, which can persist for days after use.

MDMA can lead to death through heatstroke (hyperthermia) because of how it raises the body’s internal temperature, and because it is usually taken in hot and crowded environments with vigorous dancing.

Once the body temperature has reached over 40°C (104°F), it can trigger organ failure and respiratory collapse.

Because of how hot it can make people feel, MDMA can make people sweat profusely, quickly depleting their sodium levels.

To cool down, they might drink a lot of water, which can cause the sodium levels in the blood to drop below safe levels, a condition called hyponatremia.

When this happens, it means that fluid seeps into cells and causes headaches, confusion, nausea, fatigue, muscle cramps, and in severe cases, seizures, coma, organ failure and death.

While a lot of MDMA deaths are a ‘polydrug’ fatality, where more than one drug was involved, in 2023, 79 deaths were recorded in England and Wales with MDMA mentioned on the death certificate.

In 2018, there were 92 deaths recorded.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data for the year ending March 2024, an estimated 2.2 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 years in England and Wales reported using ecstasy/MDMA in the last year.

Jan Gerber of Paraclesus Recovery told the Daily Mail that MDMA isn’t considered an addictive drug, but people’s tolerance to it can increase quickly. 

He said: ‘If it’s consumed daily or every few days, the the effect flattens very quickly, and the come down, the after effects, get more and more severe. 

‘There is a risk for dependence, which is mostly seen in people from the clubbing or raving scenes where everybody around them takes it regularly.

‘People learn that taking this substance gets them into a very emotionally light and loving place, and the craving for that feeling can make them want to take it again.’