MDMA is different from all the drugs that came before it -- which explains why it has become the fastest-growing illegal substance in America.

How Bad It Is to Be 20 Years Old

The pill was white and smelled like No-Doz. Although it had come to us in the mail inside a tennis ball, it was legal then, fresh from a lab in Texas. No rumors, no culture surrounding it. We took it on a whim, on blind faith -- because it was Saturday and there was nothing better to do. It was late afternoon, warm for November in New Hampshire.

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