‘Molly’ Of Increasing Concern To Dancehall Elders

The use of the drug ‘Molly’, which is being glamorized in song by some Jamaican Trap artists, and which has been under the radar of the National Council for Drug Abuse for some time, is again becoming cause for concern, as, among other things, it is being used to initiate the sexual ‘battery’ of unsuspecting women, at parties, according to reports.

Approximately a month ago, the Jamaican police also raised an alarm that the drug, which is also known as ‘ecstasy’, was reaching into the hands of students who were attending ‘pill parties’ and consuming Molly in food and drinks.

Around the same time, popular Spanish Town-based music selector Neako Fire, issued a warning to female party-goers to beware of men offering them drinks, as in a growing number of cases these free drinks were being spiked with Molly, by depraved persons and their cronies.

“Mi want every woman weh party- as a matter of fact, yuh nuh haffi party – yuh have a drugs weh name Molly weh di whole a di young deejay dem a sing bout now,” Neako said. “Mi a advise di woman dem, don’t teck no drink from nobaddy when oonu guh a di event dem an guh a di party, caw di yute dem a buy oonu drink an a Molly oonu and den oou sex drive tun up, an den dem teck oonu weh and run battery pon oonu an dem suppm deh.”

According to the National Council on Drug Abuse, Molly, commonly known as ecstasy but with the scientific name methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), which is a synthetic, mind-altering drug with hallucinogenic effects, is produced in improvised labs and packaged for cultural appeal to youths.

Molly, which is primarily used for recreational purposes gives the desired effects of altered sensations, increased energy, empathy, and pleasure. When taken orally, the effects begin within 30 to 45 minutes and last for three to six hours, but is often accompanied by “severe physical psychological consequences and is potentially lethal”.

Among the signs of intoxication are increased energy, sense of pleasure, sociability and feeling of euphoria, but the negative effects may include sweating, muscle tension, increased heart rate, suppressed appetite, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, grinding of teeth, jaw pain, anxiety, panic attacks, tremors and hallucination.

Withdrawal symptoms include confusion, panic and insomnia, which may last for weeks, while chronic abuse may result in severe depression, anxiety, paranoia, apathy, distortions in perception and memory and suicidal tendencies.

The drug has the potential to impact the heart and blood via increased heart rate and blood pressure, possible cardiovascular failure induced by high body temperature and dehydration.  It can also result in irreparable brain damage, internal bleeding in the lungs, liver damage and jaundice, kidney failure and muscle tension, rigidity and breakdown of skeletal muscle.

Artists such as Popcaan and Bounty Killer have decried the use of Molly in the recent past, but the drug again came in for scrutiny on Sunday, after Dancehall artist Lincoln 3Dot pointed to its abundance at events which he attended in Jamaica, and contended that the issue was not making the news as he had expected.

“Mi deh a Jamaica the other day and come like mi was di only person weh nah tek Ecstasy or Molly,” he stated in response to a statement on ZJ Sparks Instagram page.

He was supported by Ce’Cile who concurred that the drug use was proliferating, and could get out of control in the near future.

“He actually speaking facts though…the damn drug / Molly problem is an issue.  And everyone laughing and reposting some craziness nowadays its gonna become a pandemic…,” the Changez artiste said.

There were acknowledgements by several commenters that Molly usage was a growing problem among some impressionable youth, who were ‘inspired’ by the songs which glamourized the drug.

“This is surely not a phase… I live in Montego Bay & if you ain’t high off x/molly.. you ain’t shyt. ppl come work high… take it while at work.   Molly been apart of entertainment industry for decades. was it popular? Yes.. was there ppl using? Yes.. but they weren’t addicts!   Because for many it was a once in a blue moon kinda drug.. to have a fun night with friends or your partner.   This is a norm now. I had to push my finger down someone’s throat for taking 3 at once.   They doing stuff because they hear it in a song,” one woman noted.

“The Molly pandemic is coming to Jamaica an thanks to the f-cking dancehall artist uno refuse to say that they are the influencers of this new generation madness! This Molly thing need to be address artist uno a sing bout taking it fi get band protect the minds of our young,” one man added.

Among the artists who have exalted the usage of Molly is Skeng, who teamed up with Navaz on the track Pop Molly with an accompanying video illustrating how to engage in the act.

He also mentions the usage of Molly in Protocol, his collab with Tommy Lee Sparta.   His compatriot Intence also sings about the use of Molly in his song Yahoo Boyz.

During a recent workshop held by the St Catherine South Police Division at the Greater Portmore Police Station, police officers had  expressed dismay about the rate of juvenile delinquency in high schools and the “alarming rate of drug use” including Molly by students.

The Constabulary’s Safe Schools Coordinator for the division, told principals, teachers, guidance counsellors, and deans of discipline from more than 25 schools in Portmore that  there was an “increasing use of Molly” by students, which was of  serious concern to law enforcement, according to The Star.

“There is an emerging drug outside of the school community known as ‘molly’, and some of our students are attending what is called ‘pill parties’. This is new because formerly you would hear about ecstasy as a party drug,” the officer had said.

Jamaica is a signatory to the 1988 United Nations (UN) Drug Convention and so the island prohibits the manufacture, sale, transport, and possession ecstasy and methamphetamine, and regulates the precursor chemicals used to produce them, which means that under the Jamaican law, possession of ecstasy is illegal and subject to criminal and civil penalties.

The illicit possession of precursor chemicals is also prohibited by law, and, under the Precursor Chemicals Act or 2005, violations are punishable by criminal and civil penalties up to $35,000 and or three years imprisonment.

However as far back as 2013, the National Council on Drug Abuse reported that there had been an alarming increase in the seizure of ecstasy tablets, from 9 and 6 in 2011 and 2012 respectively to 153 up to April 2013.

In 2002 the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention had reported that back in 2000, police in Jamaica had made the first reported seizure of ecstasy tablets which amounted to 5,070 in total.

Despite the fact that such figures could be misleading as a guide to the level of increasing local usage as the tablets were about to be exported, there is evidence that the drug is also used locally, especially at uptown “rave parties” and night clubs,” the report had stated.