Hallucinogens (Psychedelics)

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Hallucinogens(Psychedelics)
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Hallucinogens

• substances that alter sensory processing in the
  brain, causing perceptual disturbances, changes
  in thought processing, and depersonalization

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Modern day history of hallucinogens

• The Native American Church
• The American Indian Religious Freedom Act of
  1978
• Timothy Leary and the League of Spiritual
  Discovery
• The Psychedelic Experience

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The nature of hallucinogens

• Many drugs can exert hallucinogenic effects
• LSD types
• Phenylethylamines
• Anticholinergic agents

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Nature of hallucinogens

• Psychedelic
• Psychotogenic
• Psychotomimetic

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Sensory and psychological effects of hallucinogens

• Altered senses
• synesthesia
• Loss of control
• flashbacks
• Self-reflection
• make conscious the unconscious
• Loss of identity and cosmic merging
• mystical-spiritual aspect of the drug
  experience

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Traditional hallucinogens LSD types agents

• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), mescaline,
  psilocybin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and
  myristicin
• These drugs cause predominantly psychedelic
  effects

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Of high school seniors sampled

• 11.3 had used in 1975
• 8.6 has used in 1992
• 12.2 had used in 1999

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Traditional hallucinogens LSD types agents

• Physical properties of LSD
• In pure form - colorless, odorless, tasteless
• Street names - acid, blotter acid, microdot,
  white lightning

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Traditional Hallucinogens

• Physiological effects
• Massive increase in neural activity
• Activates sympathetic nervous system (rise in
  body temp., heart rate, and blood pressure)
• Parasympathetic nervous system (increase in
  salivation and nausea)

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Traditional hallucinogens LSD types agents

• About half of the substance is cleared from the
  body within 3 hours, and more than 90 is
  excreted within 24 hours
• Effects of this hallucinogen can last 2-12 hours
• Tolerance to the effects of LSD develops very
  quickly

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Other LSD types agents

• Mescaline (Peyote)
• Mescaline is the most active drug in peyote it
  induces intensified perception of colors and
  euphoria
• Effects include dilation of the pupils, increase
  in body temperature, anxiety, visual
  hallucinations, and alteration of body image,
  vomiting, muscular relaxation in very high doses
  may cause death
• Street samples are rarely authentic

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Other LSD types agents

• Psilocybin - its principal source is the
  Psilocybe mexicana mushroom
• It is not very common of the street
• Hallucinogenic effects produced are quite
  similar to LSD
• Cross tolerance among psilocybin, LSD,
  mescaline
• Stimulates the autonomic nervous system, dilates
  the pupils, increases the body temperature

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Other LSD types agents

• Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
• A short-acting hallucinogen
• Found in seeds of certain leguminous trees and
  prepared synthetically
• It is inhaled and similar action as psilocybin

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Other Hallucinogenic (LSD type)

• Nutmeg
• Myristica oil responsible for physical effects
• High doses can be quite intoxicating
• Can also cause unpleasant trips

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Phenylethylamine hallucinogens

• The phenylethylamine drugs are chemically
  related to amphetamines.
• They have varying degrees of hallucinogenic and
  CNS stimulant effects
• Phenylethylamines that predominantly
• Release serotonin are dominated by their
  hallucinogenic action
• Release dopamine are dominated by their stimulant
  effects

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Phenylethylamine hallucinogens

• Dimthoxymethylamphetamine (DOM or STP)
• Designer amphetamines
• 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA)
• Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

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Anticholinergic hallucinogens

• The anticholinergic hallucinogens include
  naturally occurring alkaloid substances that
  are present in plants and herbs
• The potato family of plants contains most of
  these mind-altering drugs
• 3 potent anticholingergic compounds
• Scopolamine
• Hyoscyamine
• Atropine

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Anticholinergic hallucinogens

• Atropa Belladonna The Deadly Nightshade
• Mandragora Officinarum The Mandrake
• Hyoscyamus Niger Henbane
• Datura Stramonium Jimsonweed

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Other hallucinogens

• Phencyclidine (PCP)
• It was developed as an intravenous anesthetic,
  but found to have serious adverse side effects
• It differs from the other traditional
  hallucinogens
• It is a general anesthetic in high doses
• It causes incredible strength and extreme
  violent behavior
• Management of the severe psychological reactions
  requires drug therapy

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Other hallucinogens

• Phencyclidine (PCP) physiological effects
• Hallucinogenic effects, stimulation, depression,
  anesthesia, analgesia
• Large doses can cause coma, convulsions, and
  death
• PCP psychological effects
• Feelings of strength, power, invulnerability
  perceptual distortions, paranoia, violence,
  psychoses,

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Other hallucinogens inhalants

• The most commonly abused inhalants are volatile
  substances that can cause hallucinations,
  intoxication, and euphoria.
• Volatile solvents
• Anesthetics
• Nitrites
• Mild doses - mild stimulations, lack of motor
  control, dizziness, hallucinations
• High doses - violent behavior, heart arrhythmia,
  unconsciousness, death22

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From the forest to the front lawn?

• This lecture reviews basic information on most of
  the hallucinogen and dissociative intoxicants
  growing throughout the U.S.
• Psychoactive composition, geographic
  distribution, and brief overview on preparation
  and/or intoxication will be reviewed

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Ephedra Caffeine-like Stimulant
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The Ephedra Equation

• Most dietary supplements marketed as
  psychoactive intoxicants contain ephedrine and/or
  caffeine from a variety of botanical sources.
• In China, Ma Huang is used directly as a tea or
  compounded with other herbs.
• Historically in the U.S., it was used as a
  stimulant tea Mormon Tea, Brigham Tea, and other
  names.
• Contains ephedrine, pseudo-ephedrine,
  nor-ephedrine, methyl-ephedrine, tannins,
  saponin, and flavone

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Ephedra grows in the deserts of the Southwest
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Ephedra of the USE. trifurca, E. viridis, E.
torreyana, E. nevadensis and E. californica

• 100 gm dried ephedra could contain anywhere from
  0 to 2.6 gm of ephedrine
• Herbalists do offer pure extract preparations

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Psilocybe Mushrooms Potent Hallucinogen

• Psilocybin 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-DMT
• Psilocin 4-hydroxy-N,N-DMT
• Psilocybe cubensis typically contains 1.6 mg
  psilocybin per gram of dried mushroom
• 40 mcg/kg intoxicates
• 3 to 4 hour duration

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Psilocybe Mushrooms

• Small brown mushrooms that stain blue to the
  touch
• Illicit cultivation but also foraged from
  temperate climates

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Psilocybe MushroomsReligious Use
Religious use continues in Oaxaca, Mexico
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Psilocybin content
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Dimethyltryptamine Potent Hallucinogen (DMT)

• N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
• 10 to 20 mg smoked 15 minute intoxication
• Approximately 100mg oral ingestion in presence of
  an MAOI 3-4 hour intoxication
• Many sources
• Religious use of ayahuasca continues in Brazil
  indigenous and modern religions Santo Daime
  and Uniao do Vegetal. Both seek permission to use
  in the U.S.

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DMTits as common as crabgrass

• Canary grass Phalaris aquatica, P.
  arundinacea, P. canariensis, P. tuberosa
• Desmanthus illinoensis Prairie Bundleflower
• Many other sources mostly S. America.

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DMT content

• Alkaloids reported as mg/100g raw dried plant
  
• P. tuberosa DMT 100 mg 5-Me-DMT 22 mg
  5-OH-DMT 5 mg
• P. arundinacea DMT 60 mg
• Desmanthus illinoesis (root bark) DMT 340 mg
• Psychotria viridis DMT 200 mg

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Phalaris spp.
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Desmanthus illinoesis
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Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
Sedative-hypnotic properties and possibly
hallucinogenic/dissociative properties Sources
Peganum harmala, Passiflora spp., USED TO MAKE
DMT ORALLY ACTIVE
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Peganum harmala
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Peganum harmala

• Commonly called Syrian rue
• Contains reversible MAOIs that may also be
  psychoactive (2 to 4 beta-carboline content).
• Ayahuascas MAOI source only has 0.5
  beta-carboline content.
• Passiflora approx. 1

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Passiflora incarnata

• Passion flower fruit used in drinks some herbal
  preparations as a sedative

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Peyote Potent Hallucinogen
Lophophoria williamsii
Contains mescaline
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Natural Range of Peyote
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Harvesting Peyote
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Peyote

• Lophophoria williamsii contains 1.5 mescaline
  (b-3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine)
• 3mg/kg potent intoxication
• Up to 8 to 10 hour duration
• Continued religious use in North America
• Other cacti used in South America and also

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Trichocereus spp.

• Most popular source of non-sacramental mescaline
  in the U.S. isnt peyote
• These ornamental cacti can be found almost
  everywhere

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The Peyote Ceremony
Stewart OC. Peyote Religion. Norman, OK
University of Oklahoma Press, 1987.
Aberle DF. The Peyote Religion Among the Navaho.
Chicago, IL Aldine Publishing Co., 1966.
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The Peyote Ceremony

• Reasons for a meeting
• The Road Chief and
• Tobacco prayers
• Ingestion of Peyote
• Power of song
• Water ceremony
• The morning after

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Lysergic Acid Amide
Ipomoea spp. (esp. I. purpurea) Morning Glory
5-10 grams of seeds Aztec Oliliuqui
Argyria nervosa Hawaiian Baby Woodrose 4-8 seeds
ingested
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Salvia divinorum potent hallucinogen

• Many other Salvia spp. may also contain
  psychoactive diterpenes. Salvinorin A
• Related to Sage plants/Mint family
• Does not grow in the United States naturally, but
  can readily be cultivated. Mexican origin
• First reported in 1962 but popularity increased
  via Internet

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Salvia divinorum
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Coleus?
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Datura stramonium Potent Dissociative
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Datura

• Leaves typically cut and smoked
• Contains atropine, scopalomine, and
• Ancient ceremonial use in the U.S.
• Occasional report of death by ingestion of root
• Many other sources for atropine and
  scopalominemandrake, henbane

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Amanita muscaria
Found throughout the U.S. Muscimol is the primary
psychoactive alkaloid Dissociative
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Bufo Frogs

• Contains bufontinin but intoxication primarily
  from 5-Meo-DMT
• The toad is NOT licked but glands are milked for
  poison

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Botanical intoxicantsfuture mayhem?

• None of these plants are addictive, other than
  cultivation of the opium poppy in the U.S., which
  is not common. Illicit cultivation of Cannabis
  spp., of course, continues.
• Eradication of the illicit drug market of
  hallucinogens may drive the resourceful to
  these botanicals more than today.
• It is not feasible to eradicate these botanicals
  from U.S. territory
• The Internet will drive an ever wider
  dissemination of information on these botanicals
  to those seeking this information

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References