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[–] hikedelics 0 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Sass is really poor slang, almost as bad as molly. Both terms are essentially meaningless these days, and I hope they start to die out soon.

Sass is short for sassafras, which is the tree which safrole is steam distilled from. Safrole is the main precursor for making MDA/MDMA. You can choose which end product you make by using different amines during the reductive amination. Using Ammonia (NH3) gives MDA, while using methylamine (CH3NH2) gives MD(Methyl)A. The term sass originally referred to MDMA which was slightly dirty with unreacted starting materials (from sassafras/safrole) that gave the product a brown color and a rootbeer like smell. Somehow this was supposed to be better, or at least less likely to be cut than clean looking powder. Then, around 3 years ago, I'm not sure why or how but sass began to be used to refer to specifically MDA which, for reasons I just described, makes shit all for sense.

To get back to your question though MDA is different than MDMA is several ways. The first thing you would probably notice is a distinct lack of stimulation almost to the point of being slightly sedated. Most people would say MDMA -> dancing, where MDA -> cuddle puddle. MDA is known for being more psychedelic in nature, and visuals are not at all uncommon. MDA is also slightly more toxic even than MDMA.

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[–] slyscafe 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

In terms of just pure chemistry, the two come from two different routes. Yes, you can use ammonia or methylamine, but sometimes the yields aren't so great - nitromethane can be used in situ for methylamine for mercury/aluminum amalgamation; ammonium formate or acetate can be used in place of ammonia in presence of an alkali acetoxyborohydride or cyanoborohydride. But that's just shit I've picked up from Strike's book.

In terms of effects - MDA ('Sass') is slightly more sedating. For me, I can tell if it's MDA pretty quick as I almost always get hit with a wave of nausea at around 30 minutes in, whereas with MDMA I do not get that. The effects themselves are markedly similar, and an untrained eye probably couldn't distinguish between the two. Entactogenic properties exist in both. MDA differs in that I am not overly compelled to jump around at raves, whereas with MDMA I am. I just feel chill on MDA.

MDMA is great though in its own ways. MDMA is slightly less neurotoxic than MDA, and has a bit more of the empathy component to it. Entactogenic properties feel the same, and while I get mild tracers and some color brightening on MDMA, that's the extent of the visual effects. With MDA, there is a bit more of a psychedelic component to it, though I haven't necessarily taken a high enough dose to exhibit it specifically, I would say there is a bit more patterning, but even that is slight.

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[–] Al_Rubyx 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Depends on what you want. Simply put: MDA is worse for you, generally cheaper, and more psychedelic. MDMA is more upper.

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[–] collegetoker ago  (edited ago)

Sass, aka MDA, is a psychedelic amphetamine/empahtogen. It is believed to be more neuortoxic to MDMA due to free radicals being released during metabolism along with dopamine entering the 5ht (serotonin) receptors and damaging them due to a shortage of serotonin and an abundance of dopamine. That being said, MDMA is also likely neurotoxic, but you can protect yourself and reduce tolerance through supplementing your diet with antioxidants https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_article3.shtml.