Psuedoephedrine is the starting ingredient for the newer method of illicit production of methamphetamine. The newer method, the Birch reduction of Psuedoephedrine, is much faster, cheaper, and uses easier to obtain ingredients than production methods used pre-90's.

All the ingredients are easily available or common. The easiest way to control the production of methamphetamine is to limit the purchase of psuedoephedrine because it comes from the pharmacy where pharmacists are already used to tracking controlled drugs.
Source(s):
B.S. Forensic Science, Seminar on Nazi Methamphetamine production, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1999


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