this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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Not entirely true. Methamphetamine has two enantiomers, dextro-methamphetamine and levo-methamphetamine. Desoxyn is 100% dextro-methamphetamine, while most street meth will be a racemic mixture containing practically equal amounts of each enantiomer.
I would say this isn’t true either. Both impact the CNS is much the same way, but the addition of the methyl group allows for meth to much more easily cross the blood brain barrier, producing markedly more psychological and euphoric effects. Methamphetamine also lasts 2-3 times as long.
This is why a lot of things used in biological processes need to be purified, one of the steps is separating the enantiomers. Chirality in molecules is common but people might not know what it means, especially when it comes to drugs or supplements. Molecules with chiral centers rotate one way or the other (Dextro- or Levo-rotation) , this can be determined in a lab using light waves, so it's called optical activity. You could find L-carnitine supplements in a grocery store, for example. When synthesized both enantiomers are produced, but only one is useful for biological mechanisms. D-carnitine is considered toxic because it can cause the L-carnitine in your body to be less effective, and you don't want your cell metabolism to stop or slow.
I used carnitine as an example, but stereochemistry is really important to understand when it comes to drug manufacture