Meth Matters: Report on Methamphetamine Users in Five Western Cities by Susan Pennell, Joe Ellett, Cynthia Rienick, and Jackie Grimes
Certain aspects of the manufacturing, trafficking, and using of the illegal drug methamphetamine (meth) have consequences and ramifications that are quite different from those of other illegal drugs. These differences have implications for targeting law enforcement and for developing effective drug treatment strategies. Meth is homegrown in the U.S. and easy to make, and most of the chemicals in its recipe can be obtained with little difficulty.
The following document is in pdf format. Source: National Department of Justice. http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/176331.pdf

Methamphetamine by Office of National Drug Control Policy
Methamphetamine, a derivative of amphetamine, is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Amphetamine was originally intended for use in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers and has limited medical applications, including the treatment of narcolepsy, weight control, and attention deficit disorder. Methamphetamine can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. Methamphetamine use produces increases in energy and alertness and a decrease in appetite. An intense rush is felt, almost instantaneously, when a user smokes or injects methamphetamine. Snorting methamphetamine affects the user in approximately five minutes, whereas orally ingesting methamphetamine takes about 20 minutes for the user to feel the effects.
The following document is in pdf format. Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy. http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/drugfact/pdf/95653-6.pdf

Methamphetamine: An Update on an Emerging Problem
Once seen most commonly in the West and Southwest, methamphetamine (also known as "meth," "speed," "crank," and "crystal") has begun to spread throughout the United States. Since the early 1990s, it has gradually moved into the Midwest and South and is now found in many major metropolitan areas throughout the country, although less so in the Northeast.
The following document is in pdf format. Source: NIJ Journal. http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/jr000245c.pdf

Methamphetamine: Drug Facts by The Office of National Drug Policy
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. Methamphetamine users feel a short yet intense "rush" when the drug is initially administered. The effects of methamphetamine include increased activity, decreased appetite, and a sense of well-being that can last six to eight hours. The ease of manufacturing methamphetamine and its highly addictive potential has caused the use of the drug to increase throughout the nation.
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/methamphetamine/index.html