LSD

General Information

Classification: Psychedelic

History

First synthesized by Albert Hofmann on November 16, 1938, LSD went on to become a staple of the psychedelic world and the centerpiece of the 1960s counterculture. On April 19, 1943, Hofmann returned to investigate LSD further and ingested 250 micrograms of LSD. Hofmann believed this dose to have a minuscule, threshold effect. He rode his bicycle home and later wrote that, "... little by little I could begin to enjoy the unprecedented colors and plays of shapes that persisted behind my closed eyes. Kaleidoscopic, fantastic images surged in on me, alternating, variegated, opening and then closing themselves in circles and spirals, exploding in colored fountains, rearranging and hybridizing themselves in constant flux ..." This day in history later became known as Bicycle Day and is celebrated by LSD enthusiasts as the world's first LSD trip.

Dosage

Oral

Duration: 8-12 hours [Can be significantly longer with heroic doses]

Low dose: 50-100mcg

Medium (typical) dose: 100-300mcg

High dose: 300mcg+

Effects

Positive

• Mood lift, euphoria, sense of wellbeing
• Closed and open eye visuals, including the saturation of colors, tracers, etc.
• Enhanced audio/tactile senses
• Increase in associative & creative thinking; introspection
• At high doses, feeling of 'oneness' with everything; ego death

Neutral

• Racing thoughts, thought loops
• Extreme pupil dilation; increased sensitivity to light
• Inability to focus
• Slight increase in body temperature and heart rate
• Time dilation; seconds feel like minutes, minutes like hours

Negative

• Tension
• Anxiety, restlessness, confusion
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Dizziness

After effects

User may feel "out of it" and generally off the day after, esp. with larger doses. Residual euphoria and a "ready to take on the world" feeling may persist. No bodily harm from recreational doses of LSD, though mental effects from long term chronic use can be negative in some people.

Harm Reduction

Avoid driving and operating heavy machinery.

Tolerance

Wait at least four to fourteen days for full effect due to rapid tolerance build, though it's generally advised to wait longer between trips. Ingesting LSD no more than once a month is advised due to the adverse psychological effects of chronic use. The addiction potential of LSD is nonexistant, save rare cases in which a person becomes psychologically addicted.

Risk of Death

While extraordinarily uncommon, a few cases have been reported in the medical literature of dangerous overheating following ingestion of LSD, including one non-fatal case that brought the patient's body temperature to over 106°F (41°C). Impaired judgement presents the highest risk of bodily harm.

Mental Illness

LSD is known to cause latent mental illness to manifest. Those with mental illnesses should not ingest LSD. Those with a family history of mental illness, including but not limited to depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar should use LSD with extreme caution. LSD can cause dangerous physiological and psychological reactions when used in conjunction with lithium or tricyclic antidepressants.

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Chemical name: 9,10-Didehydro-N,N-diethyl-6-methylergoline-8ß-carboxamide

LD50

The LD50 is unknown in humans.

TDL0

The TDL0 in humans is approximately 700NG/KG when taken orally, and 750NG/KG when injected intramuscularly.

Storage

Reactivity

Stable for moderate periods of time under normal temperatures and pressures. Thermal decomposition products of LSD when stored in massive quantities may include dangerous amounts of toxic oxides, carbon, and nitrogen. Long-term storage of LSD should be done by limiting exposure to heat, light, and air; eg. wrapped in aluminium foil, vacuum sealed, and placed in a freezer or refrigerator.

Polymerization

Hazardous polymerization has not been reported to occur under normal temperatures and pressures.

Legal

LSD is illegal to possess for recreational purposes in most nations. This includes the US, Canada, Mexico, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Portugal, Russia, UK, and Brazil.

Some exceptions are made in nations where it is used in legitimate research, such as Russia. A license is required.