Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

What is LSD?

• LSD is manufactured from Lysergic Acid that is found that grows on the ergot fungus that can be found in certain grains.
• It is produced in a crystal from in illegal laboratories, mostly in the US, and then converted to a liquid form.
• It can be found on the street in many ways: small tablets, gelatin squares, absorbent squares of paper, capsules, or in rare cases in the liquid form.
• LSD is a hallucinogen where the user can see images, hear sounds, and even feel certain emotions that all feel very real, but arent.
• LSD is the most potent hallucinogen on earth.

What Happens While on LSD

• Effects are based on the dosage taken.
• Some side effects include: dilated pupils, fluctuation of body temp, blood pressure, and heart rate, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth and tremors.
• After 30-90 mins. of ingestion users can feel anything from intense bliss, to extreme terror.
• In large dosages auditory and visual hallucinations can occur.
• LSD is so potent that the user can lose all sense of time and reality
• One trademark of LSD is that colors become extremly vibrant.
• BAD TRIPS CANT BE STOPPED- very scary

How it Effects the Brain & Long Term Effects

• LSD effects the serotonin receptor HT2A. It is involved in cognitive thinking and is located in the prefrontal cortex. which controls a person’s impulsiveness.
• This part of the brain controls a person’s impulsiveness.
• LSD has as a similar structure that mimics psychosis. This is what is what is responsible for altered perceptions and senses.
• It is possible to permanent hallucinations this is known as Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptive Disorder, this can be life changing and basically makes you go insane.

Ken Kesey

• Ken Kesey was an author and practically single handedly created the psychedelic 60's.
• Kesey was first introduced to LSD by experiments being conducted. By the US Army.
• He believed that the key to individual liberation was in psychedelic drugs.
• Kesey created the Merry Pranksters which was a group that traveled in a bus they named Further, to NYC to attend the World's Fair to promote his new novel.
• The Merry Pranksters also conducted "Acid Tests" at Kesey's ranch in La Honda, CA.
• These acid tests involved giving out cups filled "electric" cool aid (LSD laced).
• At these parties live bands would perform, like The Warlocks, which later be known as the Grateful Dad.

Nature Vs. Nurture

• Often people abuse psychedelic drugs in order to ease pain and escape reality.
• When we grow up we learn that drugs are bad and to not do them, but in some cases it is in people's nature to want to experiment with these crazy substances

Conclusion