A batch of the drug Molly may have been cut with other chemicals, according to <em>The New York Times.</em>
Four Wesleyan University students have been arrested on drug charges in connection with about a dozen hospitalizations among people who took the party drug MDMA, also known as Molly.
The students have been suspended from the university. Charges include possession of a controlled substance, illegal obtaining and supplying of drugs, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
The Hartford Courant reported that the four students were in custody by 8:00 pm on Tuesday night after search-and-seizure warrants were served.
Molly is the term used to describe a refined form of Ecstasy -- another name for MDMA – which is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that has similarities to the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It can drive up body temperature and cause liver, kidney, and cardiovascular failure.
The New York Times reported that the students were suspended pending a formal hearing, and the information was shared in an email sent to the university community on Tuesday night.
From the report:
The drug has been described as MDMA, frequently referred to as Molly, but Chief William McKenna of the Middletown Police Department said in a statement that this particular batch of the drug may have been cut with other chemicals, “making the health risks unpredictable and treatment to combat the effects complex and problematic.”
Police said eleven Wesleyan students received medical attention over the weekend. According to the Courant, two of the students hospitalized were still being treated at Hartford Hospital, with one in “very critical” condition.
In his email to the campus community, Wesleyan president Michael Roth said the hospitalized students have made progress. From the email:
We are relieved to know that all but two of the students hospitalized over the weekend have been released and are doing much better. And I am pleased to report that the two students who remain at Hartford Hospital have made progress. We continue to be hopeful about their recovery, and we ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We are a community that values freedom. None of us want to see arrests on our campus, but even less do we want to see ambulances rushing from our residences with students whose lives are in danger.
Three of the four arrested students were to be arraigned Wednesday in Middletown: Eric Lonergan of Rio de Janeiro; Zachary Kramer of Bethesda, Maryland; and Rama Agha Al Nakib of Lutherville, Maryland. The fourth, Andrew Olson of Atascadero, California, posted bond Tuesday and is due in court March 3.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.
