Presenting Gone South Season

Pseudoephedrine

In the 1990s, methamphetamine production saw a significant shift with the rise of the pseudoephedrine reduction method. Jed Lipinski explains that this method involved extracting pseudoephedrine from over-the-counter cold medicines like Sudafed, then reducing it with chemicals such as iodine or red phosphorus to produce methamphetamine 1. This method became popular due to its simplicity and the accessibility of its ingredients.

In just a few hours you had methamphetamine.

--- Jed Lipinski

Before this, meth cooks relied on the P2P method, which became more restricted as phenyl 2 propanone was classified as a controlled substance 1.

   

P2P Method

The P2P method, which stands for phenyl 2 propanone, was the precursor to the pseudoephedrine reduction method. Jed Lipinski notes that this method involved mixing P2P with other chemicals to produce meth, but it faced challenges as the DEA began to tightly control precursor chemicals like ether 1. This led to increased scrutiny and regulation, with chemical companies reporting suspicious orders to authorities.

That's a lot of freaking ether. You've got to be making huge quantities to buy ether in that quantity, you know what I mean?

--- Steve Peterson

Steve Peterson recalls how law enforcement responded to these changes, including tracking large orders of ether to prevent illegal meth production 1.