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Research Tuesday Hallucinogen Report-1
Research Tuesday Hallucinogen Report-1
Research Tuesday Hallucinogen Report-1
Hallucinogens
See page 5.
H
like episodes that can occur long after Dissociative Drugs?
a person has taken the drug, and
dissociative drugs can cause respiratory allucinogens are a class of drugs that cause hallucinations—profound distortions
depression, heart rate abnormalities, and in a person’s perceptions of reality. Hallucinogens can be found in some plants and
a withdrawal syndrome. The good news is mushrooms (or their extracts) or can be man-made, and they are commonly divided
that use of hallucinogenic and dissociative into two broad categories: classic hallucinogens (such as LSD) and dissociative drugs (such
drugs among U.S. high school students, as PCP). When under the influence of either type of drug, people often report rapid, intense
in general, has remained relatively low in emotional swings and seeing images, hearing sounds, and feeling sensations that seem real
recent years. However, the introduction but are not.
of new hallucinogenic and dissociative While the exact mechanisms by which hallucinogens and dissociative drugs cause
drugs is of particular concern. their effects are not yet clearly understood, research suggests that they work at least partially
by temporarily disrupting communication between neurotransmitter systems throughout
NIDA research is developing a clearer
picture of the dangers of hallucinogenic
the brain and spinal cord that regulate mood, sensory perception, sleep, hunger, body
and dissociative drugs. We have compiled temperature, sexual behavior, and muscle control.
the scientific information in this report to
inform readers and hopefully prevent the
use of these drugs.
Classic Hallucinogens*
LSD (d-lysergic acid Peyote (Mescaline)— prevents the normal breakdown of
diethylamide)—also also known as buttons, DMT in the digestive tract. Ayahuasca
known as acid, blotter, cactus, and mesc— tea has traditionally been used for healing
doses, hits, microdots, is a small, spineless and religious purposes in indigenous
sugar cubes, trips, tabs, or window cactus with mescaline as its main South American cultures, mainly in the
panes—is one of the most potent mood- ingredient. It has been used by Amazon region.
and perception-altering hallucinogenic natives in northern Mexico and the
drugs. It is a clear or white, odorless, southwestern United States as a part
of religious ceremonies. The top, or Dissociative Drugs
water-soluble material synthesized from
lysergic acid, a compound derived from “crown,” of the peyote cactus has PCP (Phencyclidine)—also
a rye fungus. LSD is initially produced disc-shaped buttons that are cut out, known as ozone, rocket fuel,
in crystalline form, which can then dried, and usually chewed or soaked love boat, hog, embalming
be used to produce tablets known as in water to produce an intoxicating fluid, or superweed—was
“microdots” or thin squares of gelatin liquid. Because the extract is so bitter, originally developed in the 1950s as a
called “window panes.” It can also be some users prepare a tea by boiling general anesthetic for surgery. While it can
diluted with water or alcohol and sold the plant for several hours. Mescaline be found in a variety of forms, including
in liquid form. The most common form, can also be produced through tablets or capsules, it is usually sold as
however, is LSD-soaked paper punched chemical synthesis. a liquid or powder. PCP can be snorted,
into small individual squares, known smoked, injected, or swallowed. It is
DMT (Dimeth-
as “blotters.” sometimes smoked after being sprinkled
yltryptamine)—also
on marijuana, tobacco, or parsley.
Psilocybin known as Dimitri—is a
(4-phosphoryloxy- powerful hallucinogenic
Ketamine—also known
N, N-dimethyl- chemical found naturally occurring in
as K, Special K, or cat
tryptamine)—also some Amazonian plant species (see
Valium—is a dissociative
known as magic mushrooms, shrooms, “Ayahuasca”) and also synthesized in
currently used as an
boomers, or little smoke—is extracted the laboratory. Synthetic DMT usually
anesthetic for humans as well as animals.
from certain types of mushrooms found takes the form of a white crystalline
Much of the ketamine sold on the street
in tropical and subtropical regions of powder and is typically vaporized or
has been diverted from veterinary
South America, Mexico, and the United smoked in a pipe.
offices. Although it is manufactured
States. In the past, psilocybin was
Ayahuasca—also as an injectable liquid, ketamine is
ingested during religious ceremonies by
known as hoasca, generally evaporated to form a powder
indigenous cultures from Mexico and
aya, and yagé—is a that is snorted or compressed into pills for
Central America. Psilocybin can either
hallucinogenic brew illicit use. Because ketamine is odorless
be dried or fresh and eaten raw, mixed
made from one of several Amazonian and tasteless and has amnesia-inducing
with food, or brewed into a tea, and
plants containing DMT (the primary properties, it is sometimes added to drinks
produces similar effects to LSD.
psychoactive ingredient) along with a to facilitate sexual assault.
vine containing a natural alkaloid that
*In this report, the term “hallucinogen” will refer to the classic hallucinogenic drugs LSD and Psilocybin.
Salvia divinorum—also
known as diviner’s sage, While regular use of hallucinogenic
Maria Pastora, Sally-D, and dissociative drugs in general has Why Do
or magic mint—is a remained relatively low in recent years, People Take
psychoactive plant common to southern one study reported that the United States
Hallucinogenic
Mexico and Central and South America. ranks first among 36 nations in the
Salvia is typically ingested by chewing proportion of high school students ever or Dissociative
fresh leaves or by drinking their extracted using LSD or other hallucinogens in Drugs?
juices. The dried leaves of salvia can also their lifetime (6 percent versus 2 percent Hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs
be smoked or vaporized and inhaled. in Europe) (Hibell, 2012). have been used for a variety of reasons
Additionally, tourism to the Amazon (Bogenschutz, 2012; Bonson, 2001).
for the purpose of using ayahuasca has Historically, hallucinogenic plants have
How Widespread become increasingly popular among been used for religious rituals to induce
Americans and Europeans in recent states of detachment from reality and
Is the Abuse of
years, and ayahuasca use has also been precipitate “visions” thought to provide
Hallucinogens and reported in major cities in Brazil and mystical insight or enable contact
Dissociative Drugs? abroad (Barbosa, 2012; McKenna, with a spirit world or “higher power.”
According to the 2013 National Survey on 2004). Although DMT is a schedule More recently, people report using
Drug Use and Health, 229,000 Americans I drug, plants containing DMT are hallucinogenic drugs for more social or
ages 12 and older reported current (past- not scheduled, and there is ambiguity recreational purposes, including to have
month) use of LSD and 33,000 reported over ayahuasca’s legal status in the fun, help them deal with stress, or enable
current use of PCP (Substance Abuse and United States (McKenna, 2004). Two them to enter into what they perceive
Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Brazilian churches have obtained as a more enlightened sense of thinking
2013). Among high school seniors, salvia permission to import and use these or being. Hallucinogens have also been
was significantly more popular than plants in their ceremonies. investigated as therapeutic agents to
LSD or PCP when it was added to the treat diseases associated with perceptual
Monitoring the Future survey in 2009. distortions, such as schizophrenia,
Past-year use was reported to be 5.9 obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar
percent for salvia, 2.7 percent for LSD, disorder, and dementia. Anecdotal reports
and 1.3 percent for PCP. Fortunately, rates and small studies have suggested that
have dropped significantly for saliva—to ayahuasca may be a potential treatment
1.8 percent in 2014—with LSD and PCP for substance use disorders and other
use dropping slightly (Johnston, 2014). mental health issues, but no large-
scale research has verified its efficacy
(Barbosa, 2012).
Specific short-term effects of LSD, psilocybin, peyote, DMT, and ayahuasca include:
Numbness Hallucinations
Feelings of detachment from self and environment Use with high doses of alcohol or other central nervous
system depressants can lead to respiratory distress or
Increase in blood pressure, heart rate, respiration,
arrest, resulting in death
and body temperature