Methamphetamine was first synthesized by the Japanese chemist Nagai Nagayoshi in 1893. He developed the drug from ephedrine, a chemical stimulant he had previously isolated from the Ephedra plant in 1885.
Evolution of the Drug
● 1887 (The Precursor): Romanian chemist Lazăr Edeleanu first synthesized amphetamine, the chemical parent of methamphetamine, while working in Germany.
● 1893 (First Synthesis): Nagai Nagayoshi synthesized methamphetamine in liquid form as a laboratory experiment.
● 1919 (Crystal Meth): Another Japanese chemist, Akira Ogata, streamlined the manufacturing process using phosphorus and iodine. This successfully crystallized the drug into the potent, smokable form known today as crystal meth.
● 1930s–1940s (Mass Production): The drug was commercialized for medical use (such as the decongestant Benzedrine) and was famously distributed by Germany under the name Pervitin to keep soldiers alert during World War II.
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