I saw this documentary on how I think ecstasy (or was it acid?) started out as a government study on ways to deter alcoholism with the idea that would they come up with these drugs that would basically give you a good feeling so you don't need to drink alcohol and then the doctor could slowly cut back the medication until the person was effectively "cured". funny thing is that once the recreational use of the drug exploded, it was harder for the scientists to get it than it was for the average person on the street and the government started to outlaw it then.
The name of the documentary was Hoffman's Potion, it was apparently on acid.