Science professor allegedly taught students to make ecstasy

[Deleted member 15428]

A Japanese university professor could face up to 10 years in prison after allegedly teaching his students how to produce MDMA to "further their knowledge" of pharmaceuticals, according to reports.

Tatsunori Iwamura, 61, has been likened to Walter White, the fictional chemistry teacher in the cult TV series Breaking Bad who starts manufacturing crystal meth after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer.

Iwamura, a professor at Matsuyama University in Ehime prefecture, has reportedly admitted getting students in his pharmaceutical science class to make MDMA – commonly known as ecstasy – along with the "designer drug" 5F-QUPIC, in 2013.

Japanese law requires researchers to obtain a licence from regional authorities to manufacture illegal drugs for academic purposes.

The Kyodo news agency quoted unnamed sources as saying that Iwamura had a license issued by a local government outside Ehime but it had expired.

Local drug enforcement authorities believe 11 students produced the drug under Iwamura's instruction. Four students, along with an assistant professor, have also been referred to prosecutors, Kyodo said.

The university said it would discipline Iwamura and the assistant professor once the investigation had ended.

"We sincerely apologise for causing serious concern to students and their parents," said Tatsuya Mizogami, the university's president, according to Kyodo.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...sor-allegedly-taught-students-to-make-ecstasy

 

[Trisc]

Which Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio game is getting pulled off the shelves over this blunder?

 

[RestEerie]

私の名前を言い

 

[Acorn]

Could he show me too? For science.

 

[Laserdisk]

Walt.gif

 

[Deleted member 2809]

Doesn't sound wise at all.

 

[Koukalaka]

Hey now, he's just enhancing their future employability.

 

[Bedameister]

I mean they didn't sell it or produce it on large scale so I don't see the problem.
We're talking about university here, not high school chemistry. It's not unusual to produce substrates like this in organic chemistry.
Professor is to blame for not paying attention to the legal requirements but it's not like he's Walter White now

 

[Flaurehn]

Yeah, science bitch

 

[Turnabout Sisters]

guess that's a Japanese thing. my ochem professor taught us the basic idea for synthesizing many drugs including LSD and meth. Illicit drugs were the subject of retrosynthesis exercises as well, I'm pretty sure these kinds of problems were standard excercises that could be found in any ochem textbook. probably especially in a textbook made for an undergrad class such as Drugs and Toxins, which I think most schools have

the basic outlines of synthesis of countless illicit drugs can be found on Wikipedia, or any university library. Moreover, a motivated chemistry undergrad could work out retrosyntheses for practically any popular (or not) illicit drug, they generally aren't that complicated or uneducated traffickers wouldn't be able to cook them

tldr any student advanced enough to be taking a "pharmaceutical science class" would probably have already realized that most illicit drugs are only a hop and a skip away from stuff they have been synthesizing since freshman year

mtldr japan is batshit

 

[Dark_Castle]

Jesse we have to cook.

 

[Euler.L.]

Making MDMA should be rather trivial for a pharma student.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

he can't keep getting away with it

 

[Peru]

 

[TheYanger]

guess that's a Japanese thing. my ochem professor taught us the basic idea for synthesizing many drugs including LSD and meth. Illicit drugs were the subject of retrosynthesis exercises as well, I'm pretty sure these kinds of problems were standard excercises that could be found in any ochem textbook. probably especially in a textbook made for an undergrad class such as Drugs and Toxins, which I think most schools have

the basic outlines of synthesis of countless illicit drugs can be found on Wikipedia, or any university library. Moreover, a motivated chemistry undergrad could work out retrosyntheses for practically any popular (or not) illicit drug, they generally aren't that complicated or uneducated traffickers wouldn't be able to cook them

tldr any student advanced enough to be taking a "pharmaceutical science class" would probably have already realized that most illicit drugs are only a hop and a skip away from stuff they have been synthesizing since freshman year

mtldr japan is batshit

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Big difference between teaching them the science behind it and having them do it, which the article quote in the OP states he did.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

This is the best professor ever.

 

[Doukou]

I'm glad the Breaking Bad sequel is trying new things.

 

[PopsMaellard]

I mean, the article said he had a license to do this but it expired, which kind of feels more like he just forgot to renew it and went on with business as usual?

 

[MegaMix]

Promotional material for Breaking Bad film?

 

[ProstatePuncher]

 

[CoolOff]

Yeah Mr. Iwamura! Yeah science!

 

[Deleted member 15428]

guess that's a Japanese thing. my ochem professor taught us the basic idea for synthesizing many drugs including LSD and meth. Illicit drugs were the subject of retrosynthesis exercises as well, I'm pretty sure these kinds of problems were standard excercises that could be found in any ochem textbook. probably especially in a textbook made for an undergrad class such as Drugs and Toxins, which I think most schools have

the basic outlines of synthesis of countless illicit drugs can be found on Wikipedia, or any university library. Moreover, a motivated chemistry undergrad could work out retrosyntheses for practically any popular (or not) illicit drug, they generally aren't that complicated or uneducated traffickers wouldn't be able to cook them

tldr any student advanced enough to be taking a "pharmaceutical science class" would probably have already realized that most illicit drugs are only a hop and a skip away from stuff they have been synthesizing since freshman year

mtldr japan is batshit

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ochem? What's that?

 

[Euler.L.]

ochem? What's that?

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Organic Chemistry

 

[ManixMiner]

So even if the kids miss out on further education they still have a trade to fall back onto. Well at least he prepared them for something.

 

[SapientWolf]

I guess people started asking questions when the final was at a rave.