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Part 4 - HallucinogensAll hallucinogens are illegal. There are no medical uses for any of them. Hallucinogens work directly on the brain rather than on the central nervous system. They present a vivid, distorted world to the senses, distort the perception of time and confuse thinking. Their effects are unpredictable and vary from person to person and from dose to dose. Use may result in a "good trip," which is a pleasant euphoric "high," or in a "bad trip," which results in terror and paranoia. These "trips" may last up to 12 hours. "Bad trips" have been reported to end in suicide. Hallucinogens, especially marijuana and acid/LSD, are popular among adolescents.
There are many different types of hallucinogens. LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD is often called acid, blotter acid, microdot, purple haze or cubes. It may look like colored tablets, blotter paper, clear liquid or thin squares of gelatin. It may be taken orally, via small pieces of paper being placed on tongue or drops put into the eye. It is odorless, colorless and has a slightly bitter taste. Phencyclidine (sernylan) is often called PCP, hog, angel dust or the peace pill. It may be a liquid, a white crystalline powder, a dyed powder or in pill form. It may be taken orally, injected or added to joints or cigarettes. Mescaline/Peyote (Big Chief, Mescal) comes from the peyote cactus and is often referred to as mesc, buttons or cactus. It generally comes in hard brown discs, tablets or capsules and may be taken orally or ground up and smoked with tobacco. Psilocybin and psilocin are naturally occurring mushrooms, usually found in Mexico or Central America. These are generally referred to as "shrooms," magic mushrooms or sacred mushrooms. These may be fresh or dried and may be taken orally, injected, snorted, smoked or brewed into a tea. The effects may last about six hours. Dealers may obtain the seeds and grow the mushrooms in their basements, while others sell ordinary mushrooms from the grocery store, laced with LSD or PCP, as "magic mushrooms." Some look for naturally growing mushrooms and may select ones that cause death or permanent damage. Some designer drugs also produce hallucinogen effects; some of the common ones include Ecstacy, Adam, Eve, Peace, MDA, STP, DOM, TMA and PMA. They are usually in powder, pill, or capsule form.
HALLUCINOGENS
- What it is
Names:
Cannabis (THC, marijuana), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), acid, peyote (mescaline), ecstasy, PCP (phencyclidine), angel dust, psilocybin (shrooms), phencyclidine, window panes, sugar cubes, purple haze
Type:
Psychedelic
Forms:
All illegal Natural plant derivations, partially or totally synthetic versions; as powders, solutions, pills, or vapors.
Usage:
Sniffed (snorted), injected into bloodstream (mainlining), muscle or under the skin (skin popping), smoked, swallowed, applied to membrane surfaces, cooked into foods; chewed.
What it feels like
No predictable effects: psychosis and flashbacks can occur at any time, even after a long period of time has passed since the last use. Causes unpredictable alterations of mood, thought, and perceptions of time, space and self. Produces vivid distortions of all senses, ranging from extreme excitement and joy to absolute terror--in the same session and varying from session to session. Sensory experiences combine so that what is heard is also believed to have been seen. Initial episodes are often negative, a "bad" trip. Depending upon drug, episodes last from minutes to days; the effects from hours to weeks.
What it does
To your mind:
Disrupts and/or dissociates mental processes. May include delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, panic, confusion, anxiety or loss of control. Sensations become confused; the user may think that he/she "feels" colors and "sees" sounds. User may feel several different emotions at once or have rapid mood swings. A "bad trip" can produce terrifying thoughts and intense fear.
To your body:
Disrupts systems variously from altered heart rate to convulsions. Physical effects may include dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate or blood pressure, loss of appetite, sweating, dry mouth, insomnia, or tremors.
Special Characteristics:
All drugs in this category produce unpredictable effects. Risk is increased by deliberate mislabeling.
Signs of use
Distortion of reality, dilated pupils, dry mouth, sweating, slurred speech, paranoia, anxiety, nausea.
How it can hurt you
Many illegally manufactured hallucinogens are sold on the street as substitute drugs, creating unpredictable risk for buyers. Effects are individual to each user. Psychological and physical reactions are not predictable. Depression can be mild or severe. Psychosis can last for months. Flashbacks can recur at any time. Sense of distance and disassociation, time and body movements feel like they are in slow motion. Poor coordination, dulled senses, impaired thinking, speech is usually blocked and incoherent, permanent speech problems may occur. Paranoia, violent behavior, agitation, irrational thoughts, memory loss, numbness, coma, convulsions, heart and lung failure may result. High doses can produce nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, drooling, loss of balance, and dizziness. Use of hallucinogens can interfere with normal growth and development, and with the learning process. Death can result from convulsions, poisonous dose levels, bizarre accidents, murder or suicide, driving under the influence, fatal effects of substitution or altered manufacture of drugs, lethal effects of combination of drugs. Fetuses of women who take hallucinogens may be aborted; infants may be born with abnormalities, or experience delayed development.
Addiction and Withdrawal
Some hallucinogens may be addicting in that they produce psychological dependence, cravings and compulsive drug-seeking behavior. Flashbacks, which are a reoccurrence of the effects of the use, may occur even after a period of time without drug use.
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