From: [r--t] at [chiquita.dqc.org] (Twizzlers makes mouths happy)
Newsgroups: alt.drugs.chemistry,alt.drugs,rec.drugs.misc,talk.politics.drugs
Subject: OTC PPA, ephedrine, phenylalanine legality
Date: 12 Nov 1995 03:14:00 GMT

It's pretty common knowledge that stuff like phenylalanine, phenylpropanolamine
(PPA), and ephedrine all of which are similar or actual human hormones
or amino acids, can be made into other drugs like meth, ice, and cat...
And such that the government has and will in the future make them harder
to obtain in quantity OTC... [ephedrine is the oral form of epinephrine, 
or adrenaline... you can get epinephrine in quantity expensively OTC in
Primatene Mist, I'm not sure how it would be utilized in respect to ephedrine.
Ephedrine is a viable precursor to methcathinone and methamphetamine.
PPA is somewhat of a stimulant and popular in diet pills like Dexatrim.  I've
also seen in real cheaply in other products, relating to Dexatrim which
is pretty expensive for what you get. I don't remember if PPA is associated
with any hormones or similar to any amino acids, please inform.  Apparently
4methylaminorex (ice) can be made from PPA without too much effort.. 
phenylalanine is similar to amphetamine and can be made into methamphetamine..]

A rundown of states restricting sale of ephedrine containing products-

State         Ephedrine-Only    Ephedrine-Combination
-----------------------------------------------------
Arizona       Schedule V        No restriction
Florida       Rx drugs          Rx drugs
Idaho         Rx drugs          Rx drugs
Michigan      Rx drugs*         Yes
Missouri      Schedule IV       Schedule IV
New Mexico    Rx drugs          Rx drugs
North Dakota  Rx drugs          No restriction
New Jersey    **                No restriction
Nevada        Schedule III      No restriction
Ohio          Schedule V        Schedule IV
Oklahoma      Schedule V        No restriction
Oregon        Rx drugs          No***
Washington    Rx drugs          Schedule IV
Wisconson     Schedule IV       Schedule IV

*  Possession of more then 4 gm requires an Rx.
** 50 mg is Rx only; less then 50 mg is OTC.
***OTC's exempted on a case-by-case basis.

I am not quite sure how Ephedrine-Combination products are restricted
in Michigan, where epinephrine is unrestricted.

--National Association of Boards of Pharmacy survey.