GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC AND MASS-SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM A CLANDESTINE LABORATORY INVOLVED IN THE SYNTHESIS OF ECSTACY FROM SASSAFRAS OIL

The various samples from a clandestine drug laboratory reported to be involved in the synthesis of 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstacy, or XTC) are analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Safrole, the starting material for the synthesis, is obtained from the roots of the sassafras plant. GC-MS of the sassafras oil reveals the presence of safrole (4-allyl-1,2-methylenedioxybenzene) as the major component, as well as smaller quantities of camphor, eugenol, a dimethoxyallyl- and trimethoxyallylbenzene. A second sample obtained from the clandestine laboratory is from the treatment of the sassafras oil with HBr. Although this sample contains many brominated and several nonbrominated components, the major constituent is the synthetic precursor for MDMA, 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-bromopropane, along with quantities of the regioisomeric 3-bromopropane. The samples from the clandestine laboratory do not reveal the presence of any MDMA. However, upon treatment with methylamine, the brominated sassafras oil gives MDMA as the major amine product.