Most of the meth currently available in the United States is manufactured in Mexico using chemicals from China or India, as Mexico has also restricted sales of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Drug cartels in Mexico also use phenyl-2-propanone (also called phenylacetone or P2P) instead of pseudoephedrine to manufacture meth. P2P can be produced in different ways with different chemicals, and as such it’s extremely difficult for the Mexican government to control. Because meth is highly addictive, more available, and less expensive than other illegal drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, experts predict that meth use will only increase without intervention at the community, state, and federal levels.
