Drug Information

LSD

What is it?

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) is a powerful hallucinogen. It's a drug which alters a persons perception of sights, sounds, touch etc., to the extent where hallucinations can occur - that is, where the user sees or hears things that don't, in reality, exist.

LSD is a semi-synthetic drug derived from lysergic acid which is found in ergot - a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. In its pure form it is a white, odorless crystalline powder that is soluble in water.

Medicinal uses
LSD has no applications as a medicine, although it has been suggested that it may have some uses in the treatment of certain mental illnesses.

Use of LSD
LSD is commonly known as 'Acid'. It was popular in the UK during the late 1960's and early 1970's and also again in the late 1980's with the rise of 'acid house parties'. Its popularity has declined with the appearance of Ecstasy and LSD now has a relatively limited number of users when compared to that drug.
It is manufactured for the street market in illicit laboratories, mostly in Europe and North America.

LSD is an almost unbelieveably potent drug. An average dose taken for a 'trip' would be around 200 micrograms. That is one fifth of a milligram - or one five-thousandths of a gram. A single heaped tea spoonful of LSD would contain something like 20-25,000 doses!

Because a single dose of LSD is so small, the pure drug is usually diluted to a great extent and then a single drop containing enough for one dose is placed onto blotting paper, sugar cubes etc. Blotting paper is a popular medium for the drug as it can be cut into squares, representing single doses, that can be decorated with cartoon characters and suchlike (see illustrations at top of page). Alternatively, the drug can be added to gelatine sheets or made into tablets or capsules.
LSD tablets can be very small. An example is that commonly called a 'microdot', which is about the side of a pinhead. This can be very strong because of the difficulty in accurately measuring and preparing the tiny quantities necessary for an effective dose.

A single dose - or 'trip' - costs between 3 and 5 Pound Sterling.

What effect does it have?
The effects of LSD are unpredictable. Like any other drug, its effects depend on the amount taken, the user's personality, mood and expectations, past experience of the drug and the surroundings in which the drug is taken. These factors are particularly important with LSD because its hallucinogenic properties can be so strong. If anything in the immediate environment is perceived as - say - oppressive or threatening, under the influence of LSD the 'normal' reaction of mild anxiety can take the form of totally overwhelming fear.
It is difficult - if not impossible - to predict the effects of LSD on any person, even if they have taken the drug before.

Usually, the user feels the first effects of the drug 30-90 minutes after taking it. The hallucinogenic effects reach a plateau after about 1-2 hours, with repeated peaks of intensity.
LSD causes dramatic changes in perception, thoughts and mood. This can include:

Vivid 'pseudo-hallucinations' - i.e. where a part of the users' concious thought is aware that the hallucinations of sight, sound, smell and touch are not real.
Distorted perceptions of time, where minutes can seem like hours.
Distorted perception of distance, perspective and colour. Small objects may seem huge and large objects small. A close object may seem to be very distant and a distant object very close.
Amplification of the relationship between the user and his/her surroundings - for some this may be a feeling of oneness with the universe, for others a feeling of terror and loneliness.
Apparent fusion of the senses, where sounds are 'seen', colors 'heard' and smells 'felt'.
Loss of control over thought processes, which can result in insignificant thoughts or objects taking on an importance out of proportion to their status.
Mental/emotional experiences of a mystical, religious, or cosmic nature - or that's how they may appear to the user. The validity of such experiences is questionable.

Many regular users experience unpleasant reactions to LSD sooner or later - or this can happen the first time a person takes the drug. These 'bad trips' can occur anytime with any user. They often take the form of very intense feelings of fear, anxiety or depression. Users may feel that they have lost their identity, their place in the world and that there is no reality to hold on to. It is difficult for anyone who has not experienced this to appreciate just how terrifying it can be - when all perceptions are amplified.

In 'bad trips', pseudo-hallucinations can give way to terrifying true hallucinations, sometimes resulting in very erratic behaviour. In some cases, this psychotic state lasts several days or even longer.

Physical effects
The physical effects of taking LSD include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. These usually pass unnoticed by the user as the mental/emotional effects of the drug are far stronger.

Tolerance
Tolerance to LSD's effects develops rapidly, making larger amounts of the drug necessary to produce the same effects. Often, within a few days of consecutive daily doses, no amount of the drug will produce the desired effect. After several days of abstinence the hallucinatory effects are again felt.

Consequences of LSD use

Consequences for health

Physical Health
LSD appears to have few direct effects on the physical health of a user. No deaths caused by an LSD overdose have ever been reported and there is no physical dependence on the drug, as no withdrawal symptoms occur when a user stops taking it.

However, LSD can exert a profound indirect effect on physical health. Cases of suicide have occurred after taking LSD and the drug can induce violent or hazardous behavior, resulting in death or injury to the user or others.
Driving a motor vehicle, walking near traffic or being near vertical drops while under the influence of LSD can all result in serious or fatal accidents. Irrational behaviour is common under the influence of the drug and a user may run onto a busy road or attempt to fly etc. Similarly, the distorted perception of time and distance and other vivid hallucinations caused by LSD make driving a motor vehicle absolute madness - yet an LSD user would have no real appreciation of the dangers.

Mental Health
Repeated use of LSD may result in prolonged depression and anxiety. The drug may reveal deep seated mental or emotional problems that were previously unknown to the user.

Heavy users sometimes develop signs of organic brain damage, such as impaired memory and attention span, mental confusion and difficulty with abstract thinking. It is not yet known whether such mental changes are permanent or if they disappear when LSD use is stopped.

'Flashbacks' can occur, where a person experiences LSD's effects for a short time without taking the drug. These can occur up to two years after the last time LSD was taken and may be very frightening.

A small minority of regular LSD users become psychologically dependent on the drug and the need to keep taking it becomes a compulsion.

Legal consequences

LSD is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to produce, supply or possess it. The offense of supply - in the eyes of the law - can be committed by giving a single dose to another person.