Ecstasy seizures by U.S. Customs officials have increased 430 percent since 1997. Research has linked Ecstasy to brain damage and depression, heart attack and stroke. Until now, federal sentencing guidelines for Ecstasy were hopelessly outdated. As a result, Ecstasy has been a very valuable commodity for smugglers. Production costs and the risk of long-term incarceration were low, while retail prices are high.
Every drug is compared to marijuana.
The new, tougher sentencing guidelines, which go into effect on Tuesday, nearly triple penalties for Ecstasy-related crimes. The new guidelines are aimed at punishing profiteers, not young people who make a bad choice. Overall, the new guidelines boost the average penalty for Ecstasy trafficking from 25 months to 60 months. In the past, possession of 800 Ecstasy pills carried an 18-month sentence. The new guidelines increase that to five years.