MIND-ALTERING DRUGS “But the man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out.” Ajamian – Cole – Marshall
MIND-ALTERING DRUGS produce a qualitative change in thought, perception or mood cause remarkable distortions in touch, smell, hearing, and vision aka psychedelic drugs psychotomimetic (simulating ‘madness’’) hallucinogens (a hallucination – perception or feeling that has no external cause )
MIND-ALTERING DRUGS lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD ) from ergot – fungus that grows on rye and other grains mescaline from peyote cactus (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) psilocybin from ‘magic mushrooms’ These 3 resemble neurotransmitter serotonin… bind with receptors in the brain… ‘overstimulate’ the receptors tetrahydrocannabinol found in marijuanna… cannabis… extracted from Cannabis sativa
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (or, if you prefer, Lysergsäure-diethylamid)
(not to be confused with LDS)
Urban Legends “Acid stays in your body forever” “That one guy jumped off that building” “Acid fries holes in your brain” “That one guy got stuck”
Effects
Highly varied depending on dose, user’s physiology and psychology Magnified perception Destroy user’s sense of judgment “that one guy who jumped from that building” Strong, often opposite emotions Physically – dilationof pupils, inc heart rate, bp, body temp… sweating, sleeplessness, tremors Potential for bad trips and acid flashbacks No physically addictive properties Fast tolerance cycle
Effects
Highly varied depending on dose, user’s physiology and psychology Magnified perception Destroy user’s sense of judgment “that one guy who jumped from that building” Strong, often opposite emotions Physically – dilationof pupils, inc heart rate, bp, body temp… sweating, sleeplessness, tremors Potential for bad trips and acid flashbacks No physically addictive properties Fast tolerance cycle
LSD’s Structure
Note the indole* ring! * benzene fused to a five membered ring containing a nitrogen Fat soluble Diffuses into brain easily Can cross placental barrier to reach fetus
Mescaline - effects
vivid color hallucinations less potent than LSD high lasts about 12 hours decrease in appetite long term use may cause liver damage
Mescaline - structure
Psilocybin - effects
mild hallucinogen Low dose: similar to cannabis High dose: similar to LSD
Psilocybin - effects
High dose (similar to LSD) intensification of color hallucinations sense of well-being Low dose (similar to cannabis) Not addictive?... But tolerance is an issue
“Lasts up to four hours!”
Similarities in Structure of these 3 Psychedelics Indole – heterocyclic amine
Contains a benzene sharing a C=C with a heterocylic ring containing a secondary amine.
Serotonin
neurotransmitter
LSD Locate indole ring Diethyl amine side chain
Psylocybin
locate indole role note - dimethylamine [-N(CH3)2] note - dihydrogen phosphate on benzene
Mescaline
benzene ring no fused-ring heterocyclic…has primary amine instead
Properties related to Structure
LSD, psyilocybin, (and mescaline) have similar structures… which give them similar properties differences in structure relate to differences in properties presence of more nonpolar groups (-methyl) increases fat solubility which increases their potency presence of more polar groups (dihydrogen phosphate) decreases fat solubility which decreases potency
Comments