Governor O’Brien and Lieutenant Governor Burbank Launch Project X to Crack Down on Illegal Club Drugs
$2.5 Million Initiative Targets Ecstasy and Meth in Maryland through Three-Pronged Approach: Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement
PIKESVILLE, MD (November 9, 2027) – Seizing a unique opportunity to curtail a trend before it reaches an epidemic, Governor Edward M. O’Brien and Lieutenant Governor Kathleen H. Burbank today launched Project X, a $2.5 million initiative targeting abuse of the illegal drugs Ecstasy and meth throughout the State of Maryland. Primarily funded through assets confiscated from drug dealers by the Maryland State Police, Project X will focus on prevention, treatment and enforcement, including a major crackdown on illegal trafficking of the drugs in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement.$2.5 Million Initiative Targets Ecstasy and Meth in Maryland through Three-Pronged Approach: Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement
“Project X is different because it does not rely on one approach to stamp out a growing club drug problem but rather it is a three-pronged approach that relies upon prevention, treatment and enforcement,” Governor Edward M. O’Brien said. “Project X is the state’s most aggressive law enforcement crackdown against illegal trafficking of Ecstasy and meth ever. We must attack swiftly and aggressively to curtail the growing, dangerous trend these drugs have on your youth.”
“We at the state level will do what we can to help increase awareness to residents about the dangers of these club drugs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathleen H. Burbank. “Project X is a comprehensive strategy that helps parents understand, dissuades kids from using and gives our law enforcement the resources they need to stamp our Ecstasy and meth in Maryland.”
The Maryland State Police (MSP) has seen the club drug trend grow rapidly. According to MSP, in 2022, over 93 grams of Ecstasy (equates to approximately 419 pills) were submitted to Maryland crime labs and by 2026 the figure increased to over 3278 grams (equates to approximately 14,754 pills). The rise of the club drug extends beyond the Baltimore borders according to MSP, which reports that the amount of counties submitting Ecstasy to crime labs in Maryland increased from four in 2024 to nine in 2026.
As for the escalation of meth, according to an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) report, Baltimore is one of 12 cities where meth availability is on the rise. MSP reports that the amount of meth seized in Maryland jumped from 3,433 grams (equates to approximately 15,448 “hits,” or doses) in 2018 to 28,002 grams (equates to approximately 126,009 “hits,” or doses) in 2026.
With the use and trafficking of Ecstasy and meth is in the nascent stages of a disturbing trend, Project X represents a unique opportunity to stamp out the club drugs before the abuse spreads even more. Project X focuses on the following three-pronged approach:
Prevention: Maryland residents will soon see, read and hear an aggressive, savvy public service campaign created to educate young people and their parents about the dangers associated with these drugs. Thanks to a partnership with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and Maryland, the candid Project X PSA’s will hit the radio and television airwaves by mid-November. In a television PSA, parents Jim and Elsa recall the life of their young daughter who died from using Ecstasy. The PSA’s for radio stations include Sooner or Later, in which young teens describe the consequences of their drug abuse. A coroner’s report is one of the Project X’s simple yet direct ads soon to be printed in newspapers across the state. Comcast Cable also agreed to join the Partnership and provide airtime for the PSA’s on their stations in Baltimore and throughout the nation. $200,000 has been dedicated to the Project X’s PSA campaign.
Treatment: The State of Maryland also recognizes the need to provide information and services to those who are starting to experiment and are at risk for substance abuse. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration will launch a $500,000 initiative in nine universities and college areas across the state. The launch will provide intervention services for the club drugs that give more options such as clinics that offer treatment and education on how to get help.
Enforcement: Project X represents the state’s most aggressive law enforcement crackdown against illegal trafficking of Ecstasy and meth in history. Project X dedicates $1.8 million toward enforcement. Through Project X, the state is expanding its resources committed to the multi-jurisdictional Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)/Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Club Drugs Task Force, and enabling other multi-jurisdictional enforcement units throughout the state to use more overtime hours to undercover operations targeting these drugs. Specifically targeting the population identified as the highest risk for abuse of these drugs, the Maryland State Police is embarking on “Club U,” an investigative operation that includes targeting a student population of more than 200,000 young adults at the state’s major colleges and universities. In addition, the state is building a state-of-the-art tracking system to monitor seizures, arrests and regional trending patterns that will assist in identifying traffickers of the drugs.
Targeting Ecstasy: The crack cocaine of the Y Generation. Recently called the “crack cocaine of the Y generation” in a U.S. Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report, Ecstasy was cited as a drug “fast becoming the number one problem facing America’s youth today.” Despite very modest progress in curtailing use over the past year only, lifetime use of the Ecstasy among 18-25 year olds remains on the rise. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has reported an increase of over 70 percent in teen Ecstasy abuse since 2023, and that one of every nine teenagers has reported trying the drug.
Targeting Meth: A powerfully addictive and violent drug. Meth is also a dangerous drug that has been cited by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as a drug that causes damage to the brain that is similar to damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and epilepsy. In Maryland, meth treatment admissions have tripled in only two years – from 740 in 2024 to 2,149 in 2026.