Meth Production Today Over 90% of m

Meth Production Today

Over 90% of meth labs in the United States use one of two methods for methamphetamine production. There are hundreds maybe over 1000 different recipes for the two methods. Both methods use either ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or one of its derivatives, or ephedra as the starting material. Examples of derivatives of pseudoephredrine may be pseudoephedrine hydrochloride or d-pseudoephridine hydrochloride. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine (or its derivatives) are ingredients in some sinus and cold remedies purchased over-the-counter. Ephedra is a plant material which can be purchased in bulk form from Asian export companies or in the form of tablets of capsules or powdered plant material from some health food stores. The two methods used are either the (1) Red Phosphorous method or (2) Birch or Nazi Method.

Red Phosphorous Method (or Red P Method)

Ephedrine (or pseudoephedrine or ephedra) is cooked for several hours with hydroiodic acid and red phosphorous to form methamphetamine. Hydroiodic acid (a controlled chemical) is not purchased direct but made from iodine crystals and acid which are added to the brew. Red phosphorous also is usually not purchased direct but is purchased in the form of strike matches or highway road flares, and the red phosphorous extracted from these products. The steps involved are typically as follows:

If cold or sinus tablets are the starting material, the active ingredient is separated from the binders by crushing and dissolving in a suitable solvent (e.g. acetone, ether, mineral spirits, methanol, etc.). The material is filtered (usually a coffee filter). The filter containing a white sludge is discarded. The filtered liquid is evaporated (in a glass jar or coffee pot). The whitish residue contains the purified ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.
If ephedra plant material is used, the active ingredient is extracted by dissolving in a suitable solvent (e.g. methanol, ether, etc.). The mixture is filtered. The solvent is evaporated leaving a greenish-brown tar-like substance.
The extracted ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or greenish-brown tar-like substance from ephedra plant material is cooked for several hours with red phosphorus, iodine crystals, and acid (usually hydrochloric acid) in a vessel fitted with a condenser.
The reaction mixture is cooled, filtered, and made basic using sodium hydroxide (lye, e.g. Red Devil Lye). Salt may be added in some recipes.
The methamphetamine is extracted from the mixture by mixing with a solvent (methanol; ether; acetone; etc). The solvent is evaporated leaving the methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine hydrochloride (meth crystals, or "ice") is created by bubbling hydrochloric acid gas into the container containing the solvent/methamphetamine solution. Eventually the solution turns to a white paste. The material is filtered to remove excess liquid. The meth crystals collected on the filter are allowed to dry.
The hydrogen chloride gas might be created by mixing rock salt and battery acid or muratic acid and aluminum foil in a gas can connected to the methamphetamine container with a hose.