British peoplpe taking MDMA LIVE on TV right now

I don't live in the UK so I won't be watching it live. It's on Channel 4 and it's a two part series on the drug Ecstacy. Yesterday they had a debate on the subject, tonight they have two people taking it on live television for an hour or two. Here's a Vice article about the show they did yesterday:

"Well, the votes are in, and the count's findings are conclusive: Britain loves ecstasy. The party drug was the real winner last night on Drugs Live, a UK game show where a soldier named Phil, a lady priest named Hayley, and stern-faced We Need to Talk About Kevin writer Lionel Shriver (she's a woman) competed to see who could get the most wasted on MDMA in the name of “making TV history.”

http://www.vice.com/read/drugs-live-britain-loves-ecstasy

I've heard that studies have been done regarding the use of MDMA in psychology. Using it for treatment of PTSD and helping people with terminal diseases cope with end of like depression. Of course, I can't talk about any personal expirience as per forum rules. Here's the link to the web player for the show:

"Nearly half a million people are believed to take the Class A drug ecstasy every year in Britain and the country was dubbed the 'drug-taking capital of Europe' in a recent EU Drugs Agency report.

Now, in a UK television first, two live programmes will follow volunteers as they take MDMA, the pure form of ecstasy, as part of a ground-breaking scientific study."

http://watchlive.channel4.com/C4

If anyone watches it let me know how it turns out. In the meantime, any thoughts on the use of MDMA as a psychological aid or any other hallucinogens for that matter?

EDIT: Oh christ, the typo in the title. I wish I could fix that.

i honestly dont know if this is awesome or terrible. either way its damn fine television.

I am in the UK, and could not care less. Seen enough people on E over the years when I used to go clubbing, don't need to see Lily Allen's dad off his tits thanks all the same.

MDMA is the best drug ever imho and it deserves the name penicillin of the soul. Though ecstasy comedowns can be pretty fucking bad the day after the rave or event, not sure if the after effects are quite as horrible in the day after taking it in a controlled setting (never tried), but there is a comedown to be sure because of the chemical etc influence.

Any way the douchebags will probably overplay it because ''they are on TV woohoo omg asidanidaad''.

I too am in the UK, my girlfriend is watching it right now for some reason, i cant be bothered, i work in a a busy city centre and every Friday night i see enough idiots drugged up on this causing chaos in the early hours to know that ill just get angry at all the pro-legalisation types. Do what you want in the privacy of your own home or contain it to your clubs, but when it spills out onto the streets when im trying to get home we have a problem.

Not working

@alternate said:

I am in the UK, and could not care less. Seen enough people on E over the years when I used to go clubbing, don't need to see Lily Allen's dad off his tits thanks all the same.

Keith Allen off his tits sounds pretty funny, but man that show sounds fucking pathetic. I also haven't heard of it 'til now, which makes sense as channel 4 is for scummy people.

@kagato said:

I too am in the UK, my girlfriend is watching it right now for some reason, i cant be bothered, i work in a a busy city centre and every Friday night i see enough idiots drugged up on this causing chaos in the early hours to know that ill just get angry at all the pro-legalisation types. Do what you want in the privacy of your own home or contain it to your clubs, but when it spills out onto the streets when im trying to get home we have a problem.

The main reason people want all drugs legalized is well for one, black markets are bad, it would be much better to have a freer market, and second it's hypocritical that 2 quite dangerous hard drugs are perfectly legal and not allowing for competition. Drugs aren't a problem to get but it would be better if the purchase of them would also be taxed.

No thanks, don't really see the point of this experiment, unless it's to find a way to make Keith Allen an even more obnoxious cunt.

Drugs are , bad enough said ..... and no I dont drink either and this sound like a very stupid tv idea.

We Need To Talk About Kevin was awesome.

@Mageman said:

MDMA is the best drug ever imho and it deserves the name penicillin of the soul. Though ecstasy comedowns can be pretty fucking bad the day after the rave or event, not sure if the after effects are quite as horrible in the day after taking it in a controlled setting (never tried), but there is a comedown to be sure because of the chemical etc influence.

Any way the douchebags will probably overplay it because ''they are on TV woohoo omg asidanidaad''.

I don't think they'll go crazy for TV. I'd say most British people are pretty reserved on TV. Unless they're drunk.

So these people are fucking up theirs brains and bodies and possibly going to die for what?

There seems to be a distinct lack of drug education in this thread.

This is such pure Ianuccii. This is the kind of thing that would be right at home as a segment on The Day Today or Brass Eye. Channel 4 is a fucking joke, earlier tonight they had a show on called 'The Audience', which was just 50 people following a guy around in order to help him decide if he should have a year abroad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44OK2tjdA0).

What's next for channel 4? John Snow gets off his tits on mescaline? Jimmy Carr's T4 deathmatch?

"Pure Ecstasy Is Safe, Canadian Doctor Says, But Don't Buy 'E' On The Street"

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/06/14/155033464/canadian-health-official-says-pure-ecstasy-is-safe

"People have horrible memories, and in psychotherapy the idea is that they should be able to talk about them. In PTSD, when faced with that prospect, it can be so overwhelming that they can't do it. So the rationale for using MDMA is that it allows people to open up." - Dr Robin Carhart-Harris

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/sep/16/mdma-drug-experiment-channel-4

"Researchers from Birmingham University claimed the designer drug, also known as MDMA, could be used to treat leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma after making it 100 times more effective at suppressing growth."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8709920/Ecstasy-could-be-used-in-cancer-treatment.html

"Ten of the 12 patients (83%) who were given MDMA no longer showed PTSD symptoms after two months of treatment — in fact, they didn't even qualify as PTSD patients any more. Only two of the eight patients in the placebo group showed such improvement. Three MDMA patients who had told researchers they could not work because of their PTSD returned to their jobs after their MDMA sessions."

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2004887,00.html

@avidwriter said:

So these people are fucking up theirs brains and bodies and possibly going to die for what?

lolwhat

@LD50 said:

"Pure Ecstasy Is Safe, Canadian Doctor Says, But Don't Buy 'E' On The Street"

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/06/14/155033464/canadian-health-official-says-pure-ecstasy-is-safe

"People have horrible memories, and in psychotherapy the idea is that they should be able to talk about them. In PTSD, when faced with that prospect, it can be so overwhelming that they can't do it. So the rationale for using MDMA is that it allows people to open up." - Dr Robin Carhart-Harris

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/sep/16/mdma-drug-experiment-channel-4

It's true, there are many sites where you can check pills etc before popping them, better safe than sorry. You can't really be too careful with this stuff.

La de da adults taking drugs while on a live TV show, now that's sounds like a very fucking dull way to conduct such an experiment.

I've tried MDMA once when I was 18. Pretty fucking amazing experience.

If this happened in America, this country would literally collapse upon itself under pure outrage.

Meh, i have no problem with it being used to treat medical conditions or whatever; hell I have no issue with people taking drugs in general, do whatever you want as long as it doesn't impact me.

But considering how utterly obnoxious the majority of people get when they have used it, they can stay right the fuck away from me because watching you and your ugly slag girlfriend boning at a concert is most definitely impacting me.

That was on Tuesday, if anyone is wondering.

@AlexW00d said:

@alternate said:

I am in the UK, and could not care less. Seen enough people on E over the years when I used to go clubbing, don't need to see Lily Allen's dad off his tits thanks all the same.

Keith Allen off his tits sounds pretty funny, but man that show sounds fucking pathetic. I also haven't heard of it 'til now, which makes sense as channel 4 is for scummy people.

Skins, The Inbetweeners, and Misfits aren't for scummy people at all. I mean, scummy people do watch them, but they're not made specifically for them.

Edit: Then again, I watch them online and they're made for E4, not Channel 4. Also, this has Jon fucking Snow in it so I don't think I'll be able to watch it.

Edit 2: AND CHRISTIAN JESSEN?!? WHO PLANNED THIS THING?

@LD50 said:

If anyone watches it let me know how it turns out. In the meantime, any thoughts on the use of MDMA as a psychological aid or any other hallucinogens for that matter?

Just so you know, MDMA is not a hallucinogen. It is an amphetamine. Very big difference.

I would say that these kind of substances could have a use in medicine, but taking it on TV is fucking stupid. I don't even get what the point of watching people on MDMA is, not gonna be fun or anything.

This just sounds like some kind of gimmick to get viewer ratings and I dun like it one bit! Considering the state of the majority of people in this country the last thing we need is them thinking they have an argument for walking around the streets acting like dickweeds. I'm not against drugs, but I'm sure as hell against people who think taking them makes them quirky, or 'ard or any of the other moronic things most 'recreational' drug users refer to themselves as.

Call me old-fashioned, but the thought of using drugs outside of contained usage such as prescriptions makes me sigh. Let's just fuck up the worlds productivity even more for the hell of it is what this means.

Drugs are for thugs...

and I believe this song accurately describes how I feel about thugs.

Anybody that's moaning in here actually watch it, or is it typical Giant Bomb cynicism?

Sounds highly entertaining

@jking47 said:

@LD50 said:

If anyone watches it let me know how it turns out. In the meantime, any thoughts on the use of MDMA as a psychological aid or any other hallucinogens for that matter?

Just so you know, MDMA is not a hallucinogen. It is an amphetamine. Very big difference.

I would say that these kind of substances could have a use in medicine, but taking it on TV is fucking stupid. I don't even get what the point of watching people on MDMA is, not gonna be fun or anything.

Gotcha. Should have said psychedelic drugs. Thanks.

@LD50 said:

@jking47 said:

@LD50 said:

If anyone watches it let me know how it turns out. In the meantime, any thoughts on the use of MDMA as a psychological aid or any other hallucinogens for that matter?

Just so you know, MDMA is not a hallucinogen. It is an amphetamine. Very big difference.

I would say that these kind of substances could have a use in medicine, but taking it on TV is fucking stupid. I don't even get what the point of watching people on MDMA is, not gonna be fun or anything.

Gotcha. Should have said psychedelic drugs. Thanks.

Heh, don't mean to keep correcting you but they are not psychedelics either. MDMA does not produce any hallucinations, so does not fall under either of those categories.

@jking47 said:

@LD50 said:

@jking47 said:

@LD50 said:

If anyone watches it let me know how it turns out. In the meantime, any thoughts on the use of MDMA as a psychological aid or any other hallucinogens for that matter?

Just so you know, MDMA is not a hallucinogen. It is an amphetamine. Very big difference.

I would say that these kind of substances could have a use in medicine, but taking it on TV is fucking stupid. I don't even get what the point of watching people on MDMA is, not gonna be fun or anything.

Gotcha. Should have said psychedelic drugs. Thanks.

Heh, don't mean to keep correcting you but they are not psychedelics either. MDMA does not produce any hallucinations, so does not fall under either of those categories.

Huh, someone needs to fix wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychedelic_drugs

And New Scientist Magazine:

"Drug dealers originally wanted to call MDMA "empathy" because of the powerful feelings of "loved up" warmth it induces. MDMA is also a stimulant and a mild psychedelic."

Ecstasy's long-term effects revealed

* Published on 11 February 2009

* In New Scientist Magazine, issue 2695

* by Graham Lawton

http://www.maps.org/media/view/ecstasys_long-term_effects_revealed/

;)

@LD50: Your right, someone should fix that. Secondary psychedelic properties are bullshit imho.

Watching it now, only thing I'm going to say is that it shouldn't have been done live because watching these people trying to stay on time while live is just awkward.

Also, that doctor who talks to the patients after they come out of the brain scanner looks kinda like Cillian Murphy.

@Mageman said:

MDMA is the best drug ever imho and it deserves the name penicillin of the soul. Though ecstasy comedowns can be pretty fucking bad the day after the rave or event, not sure if the after effects are quite as horrible in the day after taking it in a controlled setting (never tried), but there is a comedown to be sure because of the chemical etc influence.

Any way the douchebags will probably overplay it because ''they are on TV woohoo omg asidanidaad''.

Yup. There's a supplement you can take to get rid of that comedown, it's called 5-HTP. It's a natural supplement your body converts to serotonin so your brian can replenish itself more quickly. Doesn't mean you should do it more often, but take one a day in the days after the roll and you won't get that depression after the fact.

@jking47 said:

@LD50: Your right, someone should fix that. Secondary psychedelic properties are bullshit imho.

Fair enough bro. I capitulate, lol.

This is such pure Ianuccii. This is the kind of thing that would be right at home as a segment on The Day Today or Brass Eye. Channel 4 is a fucking joke, earlier tonight they had a show on called 'The Audience', which was just 50 people following a guy around in order to help him decide if he should have a year abroad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44OK2tjdA0).

What's next for channel 4? John Snow gets off his tits on mescaline? Jimmy Carr's T4 deathmatch?

This doesn't sound like it was desperate grab for ratings at all!

@ck1nd said:

Call me old-fashioned, but the thought of using drugs outside of contained usage such as prescriptions makes me sigh. Let's just fuck up the worlds productivity even more for the hell of it is what this means.

How do stimulants make you less productive ? I mean you don't really take MDMA for studying/working like you would with pure amphetamines but it's a leisure time activity.

@Everyones_A_Critic said:

@Mageman said:

MDMA is the best drug ever imho and it deserves the name penicillin of the soul. Though ecstasy comedowns can be pretty fucking bad the day after the rave or event, not sure if the after effects are quite as horrible in the day after taking it in a controlled setting (never tried), but there is a comedown to be sure because of the chemical etc influence.

Any way the douchebags will probably overplay it because ''they are on TV woohoo omg asidanidaad''.

Yup. There's a supplement you can take to get rid of that comedown, it's called 5-HTP. It's a natural supplement your body converts to serotonin so your brian can replenish itself more quickly. Doesn't mean you should do it more often, but take one a day in the days after the roll and you won't get that depression after the fact.

Yeah it seems to be OTC here, will keep in mind, thanks.

@cheebaking said:

There seems to be a distinct lack of drug education in this thread.

Which can be easily solved by going and and doing drugs.

All I gotta say is... There's a million magical ways to say no!

@Sploder: Actually you're right. I absolutely would pay money for that. Though it would still be one of the signs of British TV collapsing into idiocy.

You love sugar and salt? Chocolate and coffee? You should give drugs a chance - you will love them too. Only advise - stick to the classics, and always be trippin', never be stayin'.

ALSO: Don't do drugs, kids.

@GunslingerPanda: What's wrong with getting ratings? This is Channel 4, not the BBC. They're obligated to their advertisers to get ratings.

Its not the TV company that should be blamed anyway, it's all the people that lap that shit up. It's like when I complain about gossip magazines and then realise the real problem is all the people buying the magazines with the dirtiest gossip.

@Seppli said:

You love sugar and salt? Chocolate and coffee? You should give drugs a chance - you will love them too. Only advise - stick to the classics, and always be trippin', never be stayin'.

You realize people eat sugar and salt to survive, right?

@Snail said:

@Seppli said:

You love sugar and salt? Chocolate and coffee? You should give drugs a chance - you will love them too. Only advise - stick to the classics, and always be trippin', never be stayin'.

You realize people eat sugar and salt to survive, right?

He's not saying they don't, just that if you love mood affecting chemicals you may love mood affecting chemicals.

Taking a 'party drug' under clinical conditions is hardly going to have been riveting tv either way, pipe some good old 3 hour long mixes of Josh Twink's Higher state of conciousness into the mri room along with a smokey atmosphere and now we're talking! clubbing in the 90's hoooooooooo!

@Freshbandito said:

@Snail said:

@Seppli said:

You love sugar and salt? Chocolate and coffee? You should give drugs a chance - you will love them too. Only advise - stick to the classics, and always be trippin', never be stayin'.

You realize people eat sugar and salt to survive, right?

He's not saying they don't, just that if you love mood affecting chemicals you may love mood affecting chemicals.

He's implying that if one enjoys sugar or salt it's because they are mood affecting chemicals. That's ridiculous.

@kagato: I think the driving force behind it isn't legalisation. It's David Nutt trying to convince us that scientists need to be able to study MDMA for its possible medicinal uses. You might think that's the thin end of the wedge, I don't know. David Nutt is probably pro decriminalisation as well, but I don't know whether that's the point of the programme (because I didn't watch it).

Honestly it just seemed like one of Channel 4's periodic "yeah, we're messing with your whole morality, yeah?" things. It's produced good stuff in the past (Tony Harrison reading V) but especially these days it feels like they're trying to recapture past glories with slightly underbaked "controversial" programming. Now that they're the network running E4 and showing 2 Broke Girls it's difficult to really think of them as intellectual agitators anymore.

I didn't watch it, it sounded pretty dumb. Did I miss any funny moments though?

@Aetheldod said:

Drugs are , bad enough said ..... and no I dont drink either and this sound like a very stupid tv idea.

well...no

@Seppli said:

You love sugar and salt? Chocolate and coffee? You should give drugs a chance - you will love them too. Only advise - stick to the classics, and always be trippin', never be stayin'.

ALSO: Don't do drugs, kids.

Everyone who ever took cough syrup and coffee and is now criticizing ''drugs in general (which is stupid but what ever)'' is a filthy hypocrite.@Snail said:

@Seppli said:

You love sugar and salt? Chocolate and coffee? You should give drugs a chance - you will love them too. Only advise - stick to the classics, and always be trippin', never be stayin'.

You realize people eat sugar and salt to survive, right?

You realize mdma has potential to help some people to survive, right ?