LSD |
19) Information on LSD
Drug
Facts: D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is the most potent hallucinogenic
substance known to man. Dosages of LSD are measured in micrograms, or
millionths of a gram. By comparison, dosages of cocaine and heroin are measured
in milligrams, or thousandths of a gram. Compared to other hallucinogenic
substances, LSD is 100 times more potent than psilocybin and psilocin and 4,000
times more potent than mescaline.
The dosage level
that will produce a hallucinogenic effect in humans generally is considered to
be 25 micrograms. Over the past several years, the potency of LSD obtained
during drug law enforcement operations has ranged between 20 and 80 micrograms
per dosage unit. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recognizes 50
micrograms as the standard dosage unit equivalency.
LSD is
classified as a Schedule I drug in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. As a
Schedule I drug, LSD meets the following three criteria: it is deemed to have a
high potential for abuse; it has no legitimate medical use in treatment; and,
there is a lack of accepted safety for its use under medical supervision.
LSD was synthesized in
1938 by a chemist working for Sandoz Laboratories in Switzerland. It was
developed initially as a circulatory and respiratory stimulant. However, no
extraordinary benefits of the compound were identified and its study was
discontinued. In the 1940's, interest in the drug was revived when it was
thought to be a possible treatment for schizophrenia. Because of LSD's
structural relationship to a chemical that is present in the brain and its
similarity in effect to certain aspects of psychosis, LSD was used as a
research tool in studies of mental illness.
Sandoz
Laboratories, the drug's sole producer, began marketing LSD in 1947 under the
trade name "Delysid" and it was introduced into the United States a year later.
Sandoz marketed LSD as a psychiatric cure-all and "hailed it as a cure for
everything from schizophrenia to criminal behavior, 'sexual perversions,' and
alcoholism." In fact, Sandoz, in its LSD-related literature, suggested that
psychiatrists take the drug themselves in order to "gain an understanding of
the subjective experiences of the schizophrenic."
In psychiatry, the use of LSD by students was an
accepted practice; it was viewed as a teaching tool in an attempt to understand
schizophrenia. From the late 1940's through the mid-1970's, extensive research
and testing were conducted on LSD. During a 15-year period beginning in 1950,
research on LSD and other hallucinogens generated over 1,000 scientific papers,
several dozen books, and 6 international conferences and LSD was prescribed as
treatment to over 40,000 patients. Although initial observations on the
benefits of LSD were highly optimistic, empirical data developed subsequently
proved much less promising.
As enthusiasm for
the untested assumptions became tempered by the findings of actual
experiments-and as less scrupulous professionals in the industry relaxed
supervision and control of experiments-LSD emerged as a drug of abuse in
certain, primarily medical, circles. Some psychiatric and medical
professionals, acquainted with LSD in their work, began using it themselves and
sharing it with friends and associates.
During the early 1960's, this first group of casual LSD users
evolved and expanded into a subculture that extolled the mystical and
pseudo-religious symbolism often engendered by the drug's powerful effects. The
personalities associated with the subculture, usually connected to academia,
and the propaganda they circulated soon attracted a great deal of publicity,
generating further interest in LSD.
During the late
1960's and early 1970's, the drug culture adopted LSD as the "psychedelic" drug
of choice. The infatuation with LSD lasted for a number of years until
considerable negative publicity emerged on "bad trips"- psychotic psychological
traumas associated with the LSD high-and "flashbacks," uncontrollable recurring
experiences. As a result of these revelations and effective drug law
enforcement efforts, LSD dramatically decreased in popularity in the
mid-1970's. Scientific study of LSD ceased circa 1980 as research funding
declined.
As a casual drug of abuse, LSD has remained popular
among certain segments of society. Traditionally, it has been popular with high
school and college students and other young adults. LSD also has been integral
to the lifestyle of many individuals who follow certain rock music bands, most
notably the Grateful Dead. Older individuals, introduced to the hallucinogen in
the 1960's, also still use LSD.
Inexpensiveness
(prices range from $2 to $5 per dosage unit or "hit,"; wholesale lots often
sell for as little as $1 or less), ready availability, alleged "mind-expanding"
properties, and intriguing paper designs make LSD especially attractive to
junior high school and high school students.
LSD has been
available-at first legally, then on the illicit market-for over 40 years. Its
use in scientific research has been extensive and its use has been widespread.
Although the study of LSD and other hallucinogens increased the awareness of
how chemicals could affect the mind, its use in psychotherapy largely has been
debunked. It produces no aphrodisiac effects, does not increase creativity, has
no lasting positive effect in treating alcoholics or criminals, does not
produce a "model psychosis," and does not generate immediate personality
change.
However, drug studies have confirmed that the
powerful hallucinogenic effects of this drug can produce profound adverse
reactions, such as acute panic reactions, psychotic crises, and flashbacks,
especially in users ill-equipped to deal with such trauma.
Effects: The
short-term effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount of the
drug taken; the user's personality, mood, and expectations; and the
surroundings in which the drug is used. Usually, the user feels the first
effects of the drug within 30 to 90 minutes of ingestion. These experiences
last for extended periods of time and typically begin to clear after about 12
hours. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature,
increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite,
sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. Sensations may seem to "cross over" for
the user, giving the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. If taken in a
large enough dose, the drug produces delusions and visual
hallucinations.
Long-term users
often have flashbacks, during which certain aspects of their LSD experience
recur even though they have stopped taking the drug. In addition, LSD users may
develop long-lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression. LSD
is not considered an addictive drug - that is, it does not produce compulsive
drug-seeking behavior as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine do. However, LSD
users may develop tolerance to the drug, meaning that they must consume
progressively larger doses of the drug in order to continue to experience the
hallucinogenic effects that they seek.
Street Names:
LSD is sold under more than 80 street names including acid, blotter, cid,
doses, and trips, as well as names that reflect the designs on sheets of paper.
Mode of Use : LSD most often is found in the form of
small paper squares or, on occasion, in tablets. On occasion, authorities have
encountered the drug in others forms-including powder or crystal, liquid,
gelatin squares, capsules and laced on sugar cubes and other substances. More
than 200 types of LSD tablets have been encountered since 1969 and more than
350 paper designs have been acquired since 1975. Designs range from simple
five-point stars in black and white to exotic artwork in full four-color print.
Paper forms are placed on the tongue or underneath. Liquid form has been placed
directly in the eyes.
Rehabilitation: Successful rehabilitation includes a
calm, stress free environment, plenty of liquids, and replenishing of vitamins
that have been burned out of the body. Use of a mild sedative to help sleep is
often helpful, as the lack of sleep is what can cause the hallucinations. After
feeling physically better, proper rehabilitation therapy can commence that
deals with relapse prevention, dealing with the reasons the addict turned to
drugs in the first place, and any personal failings that need strengthening. It
is highly recommended that a daily routine of proper exercise, nutrition, and
rest be followed as effective relapse and craving prevention. Ideally a
cleansing program would be also administered to help rid the body of the
residual toxins that can impair health in the future and cause
cravings.
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