Lysergic Acid
Diethylamide (LSD)
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is the most potent hallucinogen
known to science, as well as the most highly studied. LSD was
originally synthesized in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffman. However,
its hallucinogenic effects were unknown until 1943 when Hoffman
accidentally consumed some LSD. It was later found that an oral
dose of as little as 0.000025 grams (or 25 micrograms, equal in
weight to a few grains of salt) is capable of producing rich and
vivid hallucinations. LSD was popularized in the 1960s by
individuals like Timothy Leary who encouraged American students
to "turn on, tune in, and drop out." LSD use has varied over the
years but it still remains a significant drug of abuse. In 1999,
over 12 percent of high school seniors and college students
reported that they had used LSD at least once in their lifetime.
Because of its structural similarity to a chemical present in
the brain and its similarity in effects to certain aspects of
psychosis, LSD was used as a research tool to study mental
illness. The average effective oral dose is from 20 to 80
micrograms with the effects of higher doses lasting for 10 to 12
hours. LSD is usually sold in the form of impregnated paper
(blotter acid), typically imprinted with colorful graphic
designs. It has also been encountered in tablets (microdots),
thin squares of gelatin (window panes), in sugar cubes and,
rarely, in liquid form.
Physical reactions may include dilated pupils, lowered body
temperature, nausea, "goose bumps," profuse perspiration,
increased blood sugar, and rapid heart rate. During the first
hour after ingestion, the user may experience visual changes
with extreme changes in mood. In the hallucinatory state, the
user may suffer impaired depth and time perception, accompanied
by distorted perception of the size and shape of objects,
movements, color; sound, touch, and the users own body image.
During this period, the users' ability to perceive objects
through the senses is distorted: they may describe "hearing
colors" and "seeing sounds." The ability to make sensible
judgments and see common dangers is impaired, making the user
susceptible to personal injury. After an LSD "trip," the user
may suffer acute anxiety or depression for a variable period of
time. Flashbacks have been reported days or even months after
taking the last dose.
TRAFFICKING
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) remains available in retail
quantities in virtually every state. LSD production reportedly
is centered on the West Coast, particularly in San Francisco,
northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and recently the
Midwest. Since the 1960s, LSD has been manufactured illegally
within the United States. LSD production is a time-consuming and
complex procedure. Several chemical recipes for synthesizing LSD
are on the Internet, but clandestine production requires a high
degree of chemical expertise. Chemists maintain tight control at
the production level, but do not necessarily participate in the
distribution of the drug. These chemists usually sell the
crystal LSD product to one or two trusted associates, insulating
themselves from the wholesale distributors.
Few LSD laboratories have ever been seized in the United States
because of infrequent and irregular production cycles. In 2000,
DEA seized one LSD laboratory that was located in a converted
missile silo in Kansas. LSD is produced in crystal form that is
converted to liquid and distributed primarily in the form of
squares of blotter paper saturated with the liquid. To a lesser
extent, LSD is sold as a liquid, contained in breath mint
bottles and vials; in gelatin tab form ("window panes") of
varying colors; and in pill form known as "microdots."
Distribution of LSD is unique within the drug culture. A
proliferation of mail order sales has created a marketplace
where the sellers are virtually unknown to the buyers, giving
the highest level traffickers considerable insulation from drug
law enforcement operations. The vast majority of users are
middle-class adolescents and young adults attracted by its low
prices. Rock concerts continue to be favorite distribution sites
for LSD traffickers; however, distribution at raves throughout
the United States is becoming more popular. Contacts made at
raves and concerts are used to establish future transactions and
shipments of larger quantities of LSD.
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