Getting Tough with Ecstasy

April 5, 2001 More Severe Penalty for Selling Ecstasy On March 21, 2001, Diana Murphy, the chairperson of the United States Sentencing Commission, called for increased penalties for selling the hallucinogenic drug ecstasy. A popular drug at "raves," ecstasy use among teenagers and young adults has been on the rise in the past few years. In her report to the US Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, Murphy listed the dangers of ecstasy use and advocated more severe penalties for people who manufacture, import, or sell ecstasy. The new penalties will target people who traffic ecstasy, not those who use it. Penalties for Ecstasy Trafficking Amount of Ecstasy Current Penalty New Penalty 800 pills (200 grams) 15 months in prison 5 years in prison 8,000 pills (2,000 grams) 41 months in prison 10 years in prison

References: Effect of Ecstasy on the Nervous System - from Neuroscience for Kids US Sentencing Commission Testimony of Diana Murphy of the US Sentencing Commission (PDF file)