I read two articles that argued two different sides of ecstasy. The first article that I read is called A Worry For Ravers: One night of ecstasy could cause brain damage by: Mary Carmichael, and her argument was against ecstasy. She talks about two neurologists who are doing experiments with monkeys by injecting MDMA into them, and they are trying to prove if it harms monkeys it'll harm humans as well. They stated, "If ecstasy could eat away at a monkey, it could do the same to us." Neurologist George Ricaurte is convinced that only after one night of taking ecstasy, it causes brain damage in monkeys. The studies and test done on the monkeys showed it killed the brain cells that produce dopamine. "Dopamine deficiency is linked to cognitive and psychiatric problems, which may partially explain why users feel sad and sluggish after a night out," Ricaurte said. He went on to explain how dopamine deficiency can lead to Parkinson's disease, which is where you can't control some muscle movements. His main conclusion to his article is that monkeys are similar to us, and if it deleterious to monkeys, it will have that same effect on humans.

The second article I read was called Ecstasy: A possible new role for a banned club drug by: Eve Conant. Her theory is that using MDMA on cancer patients could be the cure to confronting their fears that come with the end of life. Doctors can prescribe antidepressants, but for some it's not enough, which is why using a more powerful drug could be the answer. "Harvard doctors plan to start testing MDMA in 12 terminally ill cancer patients with moderate or severe anxiety as soon as the DEA grants approval," Conant stated. Conant continued to say how is South Carolina; studies have already taken place on cancer patients using MDMA. "Our hypothesis is that MDMA lowers fear and increases trust, a combination that allows patients to revisit trauma in a therapeutic way," says principal psychiatrist Michael Mithoefer. It helps cancer patients, rape victims, and anyone traumatized compromise with themselves and cope with the severe problem that attacked them. He also thinks that it helps people express their fears more openly and not keep it bundled up inside. "I thought of MDMA as the rave drug," says Shuster (another psychiatrist). "But the more I read, the more I realized this was a scientific question worth asking."

These are two extremely two different articles, one stating how ecstasy causes brain damage, and the other stating how ecstasy could be the new cure for cancer patients, rape victims, or anyone that has been traumatized. Both of these articles could convince someone and make their decision go either way.


Sources
Carmichael, Mary. "Gale Cengage Product Failure." GaleNet. Web. 13 Nov. 2009. .

Contant, Eve. "Gale Cengage Product Failure." GaleNet. Web. 13 Nov. 2009. .