What is LSD?

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the major drugs making up the hallucinogen class. LSD was discovered in 1938 and is one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. LSD, commonly referred to as "acid," is sold on the street in tablets, capsules, and, occasionally, liquid form. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste and is usually taken by mouth. Often LSD is added to absorbent paper, such as blotter paper, and divided into small decorated squares, with each square representing one dose.

LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) is known by street names such as acid, blotter, Lucy, smiley’s, paper mushrooms, stars, tabs, M, window panes, sunshine or trips. It is a semi-synthetic psychedelic drug which originates from ergot, a type of grain fungus that typically grows on rye and is the most widely known of the hallucinogenic drugs. It is an extremely potent and an illegal Class A drug in the UK, carrying a penalty of up to seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine or both for possession, and up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine or both for supply or dealing, even if this is without charge and between friends.

Can I get addicted to LSD?

LSD is not considered to be physically addictive because although tolerance levels can be built up whereby more of the drug is required to make easy a trip, the obsessive drug-seeking behaviors of drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin or Alcohol are not brought about by use.

How is LSD taken?

LSD is usually taken orally. This drug may come in the form of a liquid solution which is odorless, colourless and somewhat bitter to the taste, and is sold in small vials. It was previously distributed largely in pill form (frequently called microdots), but the most common form of LSD is now blotting paper which comprises a sheet of blotting paper impregnated with the liquid drug solution, dried, and perforated like a sheet of stamps into small squares measuring a quarter of an inch square called ‘tabs’ or ‘hits’ which are currently sold individually at a street cost in the UK of approximately £1 to £5. The ‘tabs’ of paper are then swallowed or placed on the tongue to absorb the drug.

These sheets of squares often bear a psychedelic print or ‘blotter art’ with various illustrations on them such as strawberries, cartoons, aliens, geometric patterns, angels, Alice in Wonderland, depictions of the Swiss chemist Dr Albert Hofmann (who first created LSD in 1938).

The health hazards of LSD

The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount 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 30 to 90 minutes after taking it. 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 and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in a large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user's sense of time and self changes. Sensations may seem to "cross over," giving the user the feeling of hearing colours and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic.

Users refer to their experience with LSD as a "trip" and to acute adverse reactions as a "bad trip." These experiences are long - typically they begin to clear after about 12 hours.

Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity and death, and despair while using LSD. Some fatal accidents have occurred during states of LSD intoxication.

Many LSD users experience flashbacks, recurrence of certain aspects of a person's experience, without the user having taken the drug again. A flashback occurs suddenly, often without warning, and may occur within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. Flashbacks usually occur in people who use hallucinogens chronically or have an underlying personality problem; however, otherwise healthy people who use LSD occasionally may also have flashbacks. Bad trips and flashbacks are only part of the risks of LSD use. LSD users may manifest relatively long-lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression. It is difficult to determine the extent and mechanism of the LSD involvement in these illnesses.

The most common danger lies in what is known as behavioral toxicity – uncharacteristic or abnormal behaviors brought about by drug use. These may be perceived as negative, such as suicidal tendencies, or positive, such as feeling superhuman - but both can be equally as dangerous and lead users to behave in a dangerous, irrational and sometimes fatal manner.

Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior as do cocaine, amphetamine, heroin, alcohol, and nicotine. However, like many of the addictive drugs, LSD produces tolerance, so some users who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher doses to achieve the state of intoxication that they had previously achieved. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug. NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse) is funding studies that focus on the neuro-chemical and behavioral properties of LSD. This research will provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms of action of the drug.

LSD and the Law?

LSD is extensively known as a prevailing hallucinogenic drug and was used globally in an experimental capacity in the 1950’s and 1960’s by Governments to explore the possibilities of mind control, interrogation and social engineering. Military studies were even carried out to evaluate LSD as a weapon.

Can LSD be traced in a drug test?

Whilst many other illegal drugs such as Heroin, Cocaine and Cannabis / Marijuana can be detected in drug testing kits, LSD is not detectable in this way, as the concentration of the drug are too small to be detected by a visually read analytic test kit and a laboratory test is required to screen for LSD abuse.

Can you die from taking LSD?

So – do people die from taking LSD? The answer, as with most, if not all illegal drugs is yes. However, this is not usually a result of an overdose. As a result of its large index of toxicity, a huge concentration of LSD is required before death results by overdose. In the case of a massive overdose, coma, bleeding disorders and respiratory arrest may occur. It should also be noted that pregnant women should never ever take LSD as it causes uterine contractions which could result in premature delivery and loss of their baby.