Lysergic acid diethylamide

"Hallucinogens change the way you sense the world around you. LSD is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It can be painted onto small squares of paper that people lick or swallow."

LSD is one of the most potent, mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains. It is produced in crystal form in illegal laboratories, mainly in the United States. These crystals are converted to a liquid for distribution. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste. Known as “acid” and by many other names, LSD is sold on the street in small tablets (“microdots”), capsules or gelatin squares (“window panes”). It is sometimes added to absorbent paper, which is then divided into small squares decorated with designs or cartoon characters (“loony toons”). Occasionally it is sold in liquid form. But no matter what form it comes in, LSD leads the user to the same place—a serious disconnection from reality. LSD users call an LSD experience a “trip,” typically lasting twelve hours or so. When things go wrong, which often happens, it is called a “bad trip,” another name for a living hell.

The effects of LSD

The effects of LSD strongly depend on the mental state of the user and the circumstances in which the drug is used. Therefore, the same dose can produce good and bad ‘trips’ in the same person, depending on the circumstances in which the drug is used.

The sought-after effects of LSD are -

• changes in mood an sensory perception;
• ‘mind expansion’ as a key to quasi-religious transcendental experiences; and
• effects similar to those associated with Ecstasy-type substances: feelings of empathy and increased sociability.

The possible short-term effects of LSD are -

• a distorted perception of depth, time, and the size and shape of objects;
• hallucinations (that is, stationary objects appear to be moving) (Generally the user knows that these effects are unreal; true hallucinations are relatively rare.); 
• heightened senses (sight, sound and touch);
• psychological or emotional effects such as anxiety, depression, dizziness, disorientation and paranoia;
• physical effects such as dilated pupils, lowered body temperature, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, rapid heart rate; and convulsions;

LSD use increases a person’s risk of injury, especially when the person drives a car, or performs other complex tasks such as operating machinery.

The possible long-term effects of LSD are -

• a growing tolerance to the drug, which disappears quickly after use of the drug is stopped;
• flashbacks (that is, short-lived, intense re-experiences of part of a previous trip) which can occur days or even months after the last dose has been taken, leading to disorientation, anxiety and distress;and 
• prolonged anxiety and depression after use of the drug is stopped.

The physical dangers of the long-term LSD use are unknown.