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Fact Sheet: Hallucinogens
Defining and describing hallucinogens.
Principal hallucinogens include LSD types, phenylethylamines, and ant cholinergic agents.
Hallucinogens can be defined as substance that alters sensory processing in the brain, causing
perceptual disturbances, changes in thought processing and depersonalization.
Hallucinogens are odorless, colorless, tasteless, and one of the most potent psychochemicals
known. Hallucinogens are sold as tablets, capsules, liquid, or on absorbent paper. PCP is illegally
manufactured as tablets, capsules, or colored powder and can be snorted, smoked, or eaten. Other
hallucinogens can come in many forms, including plants and cough suppressants.
Types of hallucinogens.
There are three different types of Hallucinogens. The first type of hallucinogen is LSD and
mescaline.
A second type of hallucinogen includes having agents that have amphetamine-like molecular
structures referred to as phenylethylamines and possess some stimulant action this group
includes DOM, MDA, MDMA. In large doses this group can cause substantial CNS stimulation/
The third major group of hallucinogens entails the anticholinergic drugs, which clock some of
the receptors for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These have been absorbed, used, and abused
for millennia.
A list of street names for various hallucinogens.
There are several different street names the hallucinogens can be identified by. Here are the
following that are divided into categories of different types of hallucinogens
(LSD) acid, blotter acid, windowpane, dots, mellow yellow, Lucy in the sky with diamonds
(PCP) angel dust, ozone, rocket fuel, PCP, supergrass, killer weed, embalming fluid, wack,
ozone, boomers, and cubes
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These are general LSD street names that are used. There are many others besides these but these
are just a few to name. Acid, Doses, Hits, Microdot, and Sugar cubes, Tabs, Trips
Fact Sheet identifies the neurological (brain) effects of hallucinogen abuse.
Some hallucinogens also produce rapid, intense emotional swings. LSD, peyote, and psilocybin
cause their effects by initially disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter
serotonin. Distributed throughout the brain and spinal cord, the serotonin system is involved in
the control of behavioral, perceptual, and regulatory systems, including mood, hunger, body
temperature, sexual behavior, muscle control, and sensory perception. On the other hand, PCP
acts mainly through a type of glutamate receptor in the brain that is important for the perception
of pain, responses to the environment, and learning and memory.
There have been no properly controlled research studies on the specific effects of these drugs on
the human brain, but smaller studies and several case reports have been published documenting
some of the effects associated with the use of hallucinogens.
Physiological effects from hallucinogen abuse
When ingested Hallucinogens are absorbed and diffused into all tissues. They pass through the
placenta into the fetus and through the blood brain barrier. The brain receives about 1% of the
total dose.
Within the brain the hypothalamus, the limbic system and the auditory and visual reflex areas.
Body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure rise. The person sweats, and the pupils of the
eyes dilate. Its effects of the prosthetic nervous system increase salivation and nausea. The
effects start between 30-90 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 13 hours.
LSD's side effects
Users of LSD may experience some physiological effects, such as increased blood
pressure and heart rate, dizziness, loss of appetite, dry mouth, sweating, nausea,
numbness, and tremors. LSD can trigger underlying mental problems and produce
delusions, paranoia, and schizophrenia-like symptoms. Persistent psychosis and
hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) may also occur. Many LSD users
experience flashbacks, recurrences of certain aspects of a life experience (including a
previous drug trip), long after ingestion of the drug. A flashback may occur suddenly,
often without warning, and may occur within a few days or more than a year after LSD
use. LSD users quickly develop a high degree of tolerance for the drug's effects. It is not
considered an addictive drug, however, because it does not seem to produce compulsive
drug-seeking behavior.
PMA's side effects
Side effects may include increased pulse rate and blood pressure, increased and labored
respiration, elevated body temperature, erratic eye movements, muscle spasms, nausea,
and heightened visual stimulation. Higher doses can produce cardiac arrhythmia,
breathing problems, pulmonary congestion, renal failure, hypothermia, vomiting,
convulsions, coma, and possibly death.
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2 C-B's side effects
As reported above, perceptual changes often occur, as do pupil dilation, visual patterning
and movement, mental stimulation, new perspectives, feelings of insight, emotional
shifts, and/or anxiety and confusion. Open-eye visual patterning, color shift, and
wavering or moving vision are common for many people and more likely at higher doses.
Unpleasant stomach effects, allergic type reactions, and unwanted thoughts or visions are
also possible.
Side effects of peyote use
Peyote is not known to be physically habit-forming, but the desirable hallucinogenic
effects of mescaline may cause users to seek out the drug. Impure or large doses of
peyote can have toxic effects, such as nausea and depressed breathing.
Side effects of "magic" mushrooms
Many people experience nausea and/or vomiting after ingesting mushrooms, especially at
higher doses. Anxiety and unwanted or frightening thoughts and visions are also possible.
Mushrooms can cause strong, temporary changes in an individual's experience of life and
reality. This mushroom trip can be a powerful psychoactive experience, especially at
higher doses, and is significantly affected by experiences and setting. Mushrooms are
neither physically addicting nor likely to cause psychological dependence.
Psychedelic effects of hallucinogen abuse.
There are two different types of psychedelic effects due to hallucinogen abuse.
First is the “Freak-out” or adverse reaction. When this reaction occurs there is a infest
nightmarish experience. The subject may have loss of emotional control and experience paranoid
delusions and hallucinations, panic attacks psychosis and catatonic seizures. Sometimes but
rarely these instance are prolonged for possibly days.
The second type is the nonpsychotic adverse reaction, which may involve varying degrees of
tension, anxiety, fear, depression, and despair but not as intense of a response as the “freak-out”
Short and long-term health risks of the abuse of hallucinogens.
Unpleasant adverse effects because of the use of hallucinogens are not common. These may be
due to the large number of psychoactive ingredients in any single source of hallucinogen.
Short Term
The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken, the user’s
personality, mood, and expectations, and the surroundings in which the drug is used. The
physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and
blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors.
Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user
may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to
another. If taken in a large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual
hallucinations. The user’s sense of time and self-changes. Sensations may seem to “cross
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over,” giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can
be frightening and can cause panic.
Long Term
Some LSD users experience flashbacks, recurrence of certain aspects of a person’s
experience even if the user does not take the drug again. A flashback occurs suddenly,
often without warning, and may occur within a few days or more than a year after LSD
use. Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not
considered an addicting drug because it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking
behavior like cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, alcohol, or nicotine.
Signs and symptoms of hallucinogen abuse
The very same characteristics that led to the incorporation of hallucinogens into ritualistic or
spiritual traditions have also led to their propagation as drugs of abuse. Importantly, and unlike
most other drugs, the effects of hallucinogens are highly variable and unreliable, producing
different effects in different people at different times. This is mainly due to the significant
variations in amount and composition of active compounds, particularly in the hallucinogens
derived from plants and mushrooms. Because of their unpredictable nature, the use of
hallucinogens can be particularly dangerous.
 LSD is sold in tablets, capsules, and, occasionally, liquid form; thus, it is usually taken
orally. LSD is often added to absorbent paper, which is then divided into decorated
pieces, each equivalent to one dose. The experiences, often referred to as “trips,” are
long; typically, they end after about 12 hours.
 Peyote. The top of the peyote cactus, also referred to as the crown, consists of discshaped buttons that are cut from the roots and dried. These buttons are generally chewed
or soaked in water to produce an intoxicating liquid. The hallucinogenic dose of
mescaline is about 0.3 to 0.5 grams, and its effects last about 12 hours. Because the
extract is so bitter, some individuals prefer to prepare a tea by boiling the cacti for several
hours.
 Psilocybin. Mushrooms containing psilocybin are available fresh or dried and are
typically taken orally. Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) and its
biologically active form, psilocin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine), cannot be
inactivated by cooking or freezing preparations. Thus, they may also be brewed as a tea
or added to other foods to mask their bitter flavor. The effects of psilocybin, which
appear within 20 minutes of ingestion, last approximately 6 hours.
 PCP is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water or alcohol. It has a
distinctive bitter chemical taste. PCP can be mixed easily with dyes and is often sold on
the illicit drug market in a variety of tablet, capsule, and colored powder forms that are
normally snorted, smoked, or orally ingested. For smoking, PCP is often applied to a
leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana. Depending upon how much
and by what route PCP is taken, its effects can last approximately 4–6 hours.
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References
Hason, G. R., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2009). Drugs and Society (10th ed.).
Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett.
Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services. (n.d.). Hallucinogen. In Institute for Substance
Abuse Treatment Evaluation. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from
http://www.isate.memphis.edu/hallucinogen.html
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2009, June). NIDA InfoFacts: Hallucinogens - LSD, Peyote,
Psilocybin, and PCP. In The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved April 25,
2011, from http://www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages/acidlsd.html
National Youth Anti- Drug Campaign. (n.d.). Hallucinogens, LSD and PCP Facts . In Above the
Influence. Retrieved April 25, 2011, from
http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/drugs-hallucinogens.aspx