Hallucinogens 2

Question 0

What is DMT

Answer 0

 DMT is an indole that is usually snorted, smoked or injected because gut contains enzyme that destroys it
 effects short-las&ng regardless of route (usually less than 30 min)
 5HT2A, 2C and 5HT1A agonist - binds to many other receptors
 unique in that no tolerance forms - no decrease in 5HT2A
 mammals naturally produce small amounts in the brain - levels seem to increase with stress

Question 1

What is psilocybin

Answer 1

  an indole hallucinogen
  ac&ve ingredient in magic mushrooms
  psychological and physical effects seem to be a mild version of an LSD trip
  no cases of lethal overdose reported
  metabolized to psilocin in gut and liver by removing
phosphate groups
agonist at serotonin 5HT2A receptors
psilocybin
H+ psilocin
 
non addic&ve, rapid tolerance
 
  part of religious ceremonies in Mexico

Question 2

What are the effects if DMT

Answer 2

 physiologically - the same as the LSD, psilocybin
 psychologically - hallucinogenic with some interes&ng
twists
 self-transforming machine elves
hKp://deoxy.org/&memind.htm
 intense vivid hallucina&ons

Question 3

What is Ayahuasca

Answer 3

 a concoc&on of plants oVen brewed as a tea by indigenous people of the Amazon (Vine of the soul)
 uses two types of plants - those that contain DMT and those that contain monoamine oxidase inhibitors called beta-carbolines
 taken together, DMT is not degraded by monoamine oxidase and can reach the brain
 brain scanning shows it ac&vates parts of the brain involved in vision and memory
 func&onal brain scanning shows that recalled images produce the same level of ac&va&on in these brain regions as natural images
 now being combined with therapy in withdrawal programs for many drugs

Question 4

What is bufotenin

Answer 4

 a concoc&on of plants oVen brewed as a tea by indigenous people of the Amazon (Vine of the soul)
 uses two types of plants - those that contain DMT and those that contain monoamine oxidase inhibitors called beta-carbolines
 taken together, DMT is not degraded by monoamine oxidase and can reach the brain
 brain scanning shows it ac&vates parts of the brain involved in vision and memory
 func&onal brain scanning shows that recalled images produce the same level of ac&va&on in these brain regions as natural images
 now being combined with therapy in withdrawal programs for many drugs

Question 5

What is the possible harm of bufotenin

Answer 5

 seems to be a big problem in Australia
 2009 case of sudden death of 24 yr-old Australian
man
 thought he was injected MDMA but it was bufotenin
 it has also caused death when taking chinese herbal medicines (Chan Su) that contain toad toxins
 toad toxins contain cardiac glycoside which can cause fatal heart rhythm to develop

Question 6

What is morning glory seed

Answer 6

 contain the hallucinogen lysergic acid amide
 1/10th as potent as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
 100 seeds soaked in water overnight
 crush
 ingest fluid and seeds
 seed companies now coat with eme&c compounds
 effects and mechanism similar to LSD

Question 7

What is mescaline

Answer 7

 from peyote - a small cactus which grows wild in southwest US and South America
 contains more than 30 psychoac&ve compounds - mescaline responsible for vivid colours and other visual effects
 mescaline is a catechol hallucinogen but s&ll interacts with 5HT2A receptors
 seems to give an experience rich with visual distor&ons but subjec&vely different from LSD

Question 8

What is the administration if mescaline

Answer 8

 usually taken orally, but quite biKer
 need a high dose because of poor penetra&on of
mescaline across the blood brain barrier
 dried buKons can be ground into a powder and then smoked
 within first hour, GI cramps, nausea
 in 1 - 3 hours second phase - hallucina&ons - some never get to this stage and only get the cramps and nausea

Question 9

What are the effects of DOM

Answer 9

 also know as STP (serenity, tranquility, peace)
 amphetamine deriva&ve - 2,5 dimethoxy-4-
methylamphetamine
 basic structure is amphetamine but binds to 5HT2A receptors
 effects like a combina&on of amphetamine and LSD
 hallucinogenic effects are the most pronounced
 one hundred &mes more potent than mescaline

Question 10

What is MDA

Answer 10

 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
 structurally related to both amphetamine and mescaline
 mechanism similar to MDMA (transported into nerve terminals) but more strongly ac&vates 5HT2A receptors
 stronger psychedelic component than MDMA  but same feelings of closeness, empathy

Question 11

What are the effects of MDA

Answer 11

 much more toxic than MDMA
 same effects as MDMA physiologically
 deaths seem to be from very high blood pressure and strokes
 anecdotally reported as being an unpredictable drug by users

Question 12

What are anticholinergics

Answer 12

 an&cholinergics can give hallucinogenic effects - but oVen don’t remember it - no vivid sensory effects - some&mes called the original deliriants
 produce increased heart rate, dry mouth, lack of perspira&on (generally inhibits secretory glands), cons&pa&on, difficulty urina&ng
 all can be fatal - rapid heartbeat and overhea&ng (made worse by lack of perspira&on), asphyxia
 no euphoria and generally unpleasant
 same mechanism - preven&ng acetylcholine from binding to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors

Question 13

What are plants containing anticholinergics

Answer 13

 three major an&cholinergics are atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine
 Four of the beKer known plants that contain various combina&ons in rela&ve amounts are
 Deadly Nightshade/Belladonna
 mandrake
 hensbane
 Jimsonweed (Datura)

Question 14

What is PCP

Answer 14

 PCP and ketamine are both dissocia&ve anesthe&cs and are classified as deliriants
 very different experience from true hallucinogenics - completely removed from reality
 used by a small minority, but considered one of the most dangerous drugs of abuse
 reliably linked to
 suicides (from severe depression)
 drownings
 self-inflicted wounds
 violence

Question 15

How is PCP administered

Answer 15

 some hard core users may snort or inject also
 ketamine effects last 35 - 40 minutes
 PCP effects last 4 - 8 hours

Question 16

What are the behavioural effects of PCP at low doses

Answer 16

  Very different effect than other hallucinogens because they are anesthe&cs
  at low doses:
  relaxa&on, warmth, numbness
  euphoria, distorted body image
  feeling of floa&ng
  profound analgesia
  near death-like experiences

Question 17

What are the behavioural effects of PCP at high doses

Answer 17

  Very different effect than other hallucinogens because they are anesthe&cs
  at low doses:
  relaxa&on, warmth, numbness
  euphoria, distorted body image
  feeling of floa&ng
  profound analgesia
  near death-like experiences

Question 18

What is the mechanism of PCP

Answer 18

 both affect a wide variety of neurotransmiKer systems including glutamate, noradrenaline, dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin
 both PCP and ketamine block the ion channel that is part of the NMDA glutamate channel
 ketamine and PCP are the only hallucinogens shown to be reinforcing in animals
 but liKle evidence to show it is via dopamine release at the nucleus accumbens

Question 19

What are the damages caused by PCP

Answer 19

 most problems occur if a user enters a psycho&c state
 because of the anesthe&c proper&es may not feel
pain
 perform “superhuman” feats

Question 20

What is salvia

Answer 20

 seems not to work if swallowed
 if thoroughly chewed, absorbed in buccal membranes
 can also be smoked
 ac&ve ingredient is salvinorin A, which is the only known hallucinogen not to contain nitrogen and therefore not an alkaloid
 the only non-alkaloid known to bind to opioid receptors
 binds potently and selec&vely to opioid kappa receptors (known to induce
dysphoria)
 most report unpleasant effects - anxiety, fear, confusion
 effects last 20 - 45 minutes

Question 21

What is amanita muscaria

Answer 21

 mushroom (Inspira&on for Santa?)
 alcohol-like effects with hallucina&ons, aggressive
behaviour
 par&al paralysis with vivid dreams at high doses
 recycled in the good old days - excreted unchanged in the urine
 turned Vikings into “beserkers” - a half-crazed fearless state
 ac&ve ingredients of muscimol (GABA-A receptor agonist) and ibotenic acid (agonist at glutamate receptors)

Question 22

What is bromo dragonfly

Answer 22

 A phenethylamine
 Called dragonFLY because of its strucutral
resemblance to the insect
 Synthesized in 1998 for use in animal research
 Effects in humans can last 1 – 3 days
 Interac&ons with both 5HT2A and 5HT1 receptors
 Schedule III drug in Canada, legal in many countries
 Effects mimic LSD but tend to be more intense and longer las&ng
 Several deaths related to taking this drug (some&mes with ketamine)