Black beauties were prescription amphetamine capsules that became one of the most widely recognized street drugs of the 1970s. Sold under the brand name Biphetamine 20, each black capsule contained 20 milligrams of amphetamine split evenly between two forms: 10 mg of amphetamine and 10 mg of dextroamphetamine. They earned their street name from their distinctive solid black capsule appearance.
What Was Actually in Them
Biphetamine capsules used a resin complex to deliver their amphetamine payload. Instead of simply dissolving in the stomach, the drug molecules were bound to tiny resin particles. As the capsule moved through the digestive tract, naturally occurring ions in body fluids gradually swapped places with the bound drug, releasing it over a longer period than a standard tablet would. This extended-release mechanism meant a single capsule produced effects that lasted for hours, which made it appealing both as a prescribed medication and as a recreational drug.
The “20” in Biphetamine 20 referred to the total milligram dose. The two amphetamine forms in the capsule are closely related but not identical. Dextroamphetamine produces stronger mental stimulation, while the other form (levoamphetamine) adds more of a physical, peripheral effect like increased heart rate and blood pressure. Together, they created a potent combination that users described as intensely energizing.
Why They Were Prescribed
Biphetamine was originally marketed for weight loss. Amphetamines powerfully suppress appetite, and during the 1960s and 1970s, doctors prescribed them freely for obesity. Diet pill culture was at its peak, and black beauties became one of the most commonly diverted prescription drugs of that era. Patients could get them from a doctor for weight management, then use them recreationally or share them. The line between medical use and misuse was remarkably blurry.
Students, truck drivers, and shift workers also used them to stay awake and alert for extended periods. The combination of appetite suppression and sustained energy made them popular across a wide range of people, not just those seeking a high.
How They Compared to Modern Medications
If the formula sounds familiar, it should. Adderall, the most widely prescribed ADHD medication in the United States, contains a similar mix of amphetamine salts. Adderall itself has an interesting lineage: it was originally sold as a weight loss drug called Obetrol before being rebranded in 1996 as an ADHD treatment. The name literally stands for “ADD for all.”
The key differences between black beauties and modern amphetamine prescriptions come down to regulation, dosing precision, and medical oversight. Today’s amphetamine medications are manufactured under tighter quality controls and prescribed within structured treatment plans. But the core pharmacology is strikingly similar. All amphetamine-based medications remain Schedule II controlled substances under federal law, meaning they carry a high potential for abuse that can lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
Health Risks of Amphetamine Abuse
The short-term effects of amphetamines include increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, faster breathing, raised body temperature, reduced appetite, and heightened alertness. At higher doses or with repeated use, the picture gets darker. Anxiety, paranoia, and auditory or visual hallucinations can occur even at relatively low doses. Memory, decision-making, and complex attention all suffer.
Chronic amphetamine abuse causes measurable damage to the brain’s dopamine system. Over time, the nerve terminals that release dopamine degenerate, and dopamine levels in key brain regions drop. Animal studies have linked this kind of repeated exposure to changes resembling the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. The psychological toll is equally serious: long-term users frequently develop psychotic episodes that look nearly identical to schizophrenia, with symptoms appearing either during active use or during withdrawal.
Fatal overdoses, while relatively rare, typically involve dangerous overheating, cardiovascular collapse, muscle breakdown that poisons the kidneys, or dangerously low sodium levels. Chronic abuse has also been linked to direct heart muscle damage and problems with heart valves.
Why They Disappeared
Biphetamine was eventually pulled from the market. The FDA withdrew its approval, with the withdrawal taking effect on June 16, 2006. No generic equivalent was ever made available. By that point, the medical community had largely moved away from prescribing amphetamines purely for weight loss, recognizing the high abuse potential and the availability of other options. The cultural moment that made black beauties ubiquitous had passed decades earlier, but the formal regulatory end didn’t come until well into the 2000s.
Today, the term “black beauties” occasionally surfaces in online drug markets or nostalgia-driven conversations, but any pill sold under that name now has no connection to the original Biphetamine formula. Street pills marketed with vintage names are unpredictable in composition and carry their own serious risks, since there is no way to verify what they actually contain.