About LSDLSD is one of the most potent, mood-changing drugs. It is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
The LSD is produced in crystal form in illegal laboratories, mainly in the United States. The LSD crystals are converted to a liquid for distribution. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste. |
Forms of LSD
Known as “acid” and by many other names, LSD is sold on the street in capsules or gelatin squares (“window panes”), small tablets (“microdots”), or sugar cubes with LSD drops on it ("cubes"). It is sometimes added to absorbent paper ("blotting paper"), which is then divided into small squares with designs or cartoon characters printed upon them. Occasionally it is sold in liquid form. But no matter what form it comes in, LSD leads the user to the same place—a serious disconnection from reality.
Users call an LSD experience a “trip,” typically lasting about twelve hours. When things go wrong, which often happens, it is called a “bad trip,” another name for a living hell. |
Where did it come from?Acid was first introduced to the world in 1938 by a Swiss chemist named Albert Hofmann. His picture is shown below.
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Effects of LSDUnder the influence of LSD, the ability to make sensible judgments and see common dangers is impaired, making the user more likely to personal injury, which can be fatal. After an LSD trip, the user may suffer small anxiety or depression, and may also experience flashbacks of the effects of LSD days or even months after taking the last dose. Flashbacks occur suddenly, often without warning, usually in people who use hallucinogens all the time or have an underlying personality problem. Healthy people who use LSD sometimes may also have flashbacks. Bad trips and flashbacks are only part of the risks of LSD use. LSD users may also show relatively long-lasting psychoses, such as severe depression.
LSD produces tolerance, so some users who take the drug all the time must take higher doses each time to achieve the state of intoxication that they had achieved before. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug. |