The Hive was a

website A website (also written as a web site) is any web page whose content is identified by a common domain name and is published on at least one web server. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, such as news, educatio ...

that served as an information-sharing forum for individuals and groups interested in the practical synthesis, chemistry, biology, politics, and legal aspects of mind or body-altering drugs. Participants ranged from pure theorists to self-declared

organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...

chemists as well as forensic chemists, who used the Hive to keep abreast of developments in

clandestine chemistry Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market. Smaller labs can be run by ...

. At its peak, the Hive had thousands of participants from all over the world.

History

Although it had been in operation since 1997, The Hive gained broader awareness in 2001 when a

Dateline NBC ''Dateline NBC'' (also known simply as ''Dateline'') is a weekly American television news magazine reality legal show that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship general interest news magazine, but now focuses mainly on ...

special ''The "X" Files'' aired. This investigation into the use and production of

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...

featured the Hive and its founder, who operated under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

'Strike' ( Hobart Huson). Strike was the founder and site designer of the Hive as well as the author of several popular books (''Total Synthesis I'' and ''II'', and ''Sources'') instructing readers how to synthesize a variety of

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

s (specifically

), obtain equipment and chemicals, and avoid prosecution. He remained anonymous until Dateline's investigation and interviews revealed that Hobart Huson (owner of the Strike-recommended laboratory supplier "Science Alliance") was the man behind Strike. The NBC program showed Huson/Strike at his office/chemical warehouse, complete with a stuffed bee sitting by his computer. The program led to Huson's arrest and imprisonment, but also spurred the site's growth. A person by the username 'Rhodium' and a small group of dedicated individuals actually ran the Hive and its sister site Rhodium.ws for most of the sites' lifespans. While The Hive was a public forum for asking questions and exchanging information, Rhodium.ws hosted a collection of drug synthesis information in more condensed and organized form, much of it derived from messages posted on the Hive. It also had a large collection of articles from academic journals, plus considerable general-purpose information on practical chemistry. Rhodium's site was also taken offline shortly after the Hive. Most of the archive is hosted by

Erowid Erowid, also called Erowid Center, is a non-profit educational organization that provides information about psychoactive plants and chemicals. Erowid documents legal and illegal substances, including their intended and adverse effects. Inform ...

. Scattered across the net is more than 1.73 gigabytes of files that were once part of Rhodium's archive. The Hive was closed in 2004 due to hosting issues. In 2015 the site was made accessible again as a complete archive at Erowid, but the forum pages however are now broken as of late 2016. The Hive now has a successor, "Thevespiary", which hosts a multitude of drug-related articles, synthesis guides, and drug-related news as well as pharmaceutical information.

References

External links

The Hive Archive
the official and complete forum archive at Erowid
The Hive
Background about The Hive
Erowid
archive of Rhodium content
Thevespiary
the successor to The Hive. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hive Internet properties established in 1997 Internet properties disestablished in 2004 Defunct darknet markets Crime forums

History

See also

References

External links