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I'm surprised to read that there are recent innovations in illicit techniques of making methamphetamine that mirror legitimate pharmaceutical methods, but only because I thought methamphetamine was already a legitimate pharmaceutical to some extent.

https://www.goodrx.com/methamphetamine

Other amphetamines are quite well represented at the average pharmacy at least.

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I think it’s more that Eli Lilly and co don’t need to deal with the same supply issues/challenges that warrant the innovation. If they want to make Meth, they can probably just get a bunch of pseudoephedrine delivered.

I don't know chemistry but my reading of the article makes me think the pharmaceutical meth is just the decongestant (L) isomer

Prescription methamphetamine is Desoxyn, which is a CNS stimulant and thus schedule II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desoxyn

You can buy the L isomer OTC as a decongestant, but desoxyn is the D isomer, a stimulant, perscribed for ADHD and narcolepsy.

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