LSD: The Science of the drug Acid!

LSD: The Science of the drug Acid

By Kelly Moran 

Hey you guys! Today I will be talking about one of the most interesting drugs which we've all heard of commonly referred to as acid. LSD is a psychedelic drug that has often been referred to as acid, blotter, dots, California sunshine, electric Kool-laid and much more. It was first sold on the street in the early 1960's when times were changing with women's rights, african american rights, and when the hippie era came in which divided America (this came more in the mid 60's). LSD was and still is an easy drug to take and become addicted to because it's colorless, odorless, tasteless, and just taking a little amount (25 micrograms: less than the weight of two salt grams) is enough to get a person high and take in the effects of it. The drug is also easy to hide considering it is often found on tiny squares of absorbent paper. The drug is very difficult to detect since only a little amount if often taken and is metabolized in the body soon after. LSD is usually very cheap. One dose usually ranges from 5 dollars to being for free. LSD was first made in Switzerland in order to make new medicines. Dr. Albert Hoffman was a prominent swiss scientist who had majored in chemistry. Hoffman was mainly interested in the chemistry of plants and animals and created medicines for them. He later joined pharmaceutical chemical department of Sandoz laboratories where he studied medicinal plant squill (a lily-like plant) and the fungus of ergot (type of fungus on a plant) and with this he created a medicine with his team to purify and synthesize active constituents (components of something). After this he went more in depth into lysergic acid (a shared component of ergot alkaloids (naturally occurring nitrogen components)). From his research of this acid he created LSD-25 in 1938 which he didn't realize would later be one of the most influential drugs to ever change America and it's lifestyle. Five years later, Hoffman discovered the effects of LSD through absorbing it through his finger tips. After discovering the massive psychological effects of LSD, Hoffman became interested in psychedelic drugs and traveled to Mexico with his wife to study mushrooms and other psychedelics and what they did to the brain. Hoffman thought LSD was a marvelous drug because it was used very successfully in the study of psychoanalysis (a study of treating mental disorders with giving patients consciousness and unconsciousness or reality and fantasy). Hoffman although thought the drug was useful in these experiments was upset that the youth of the late 60's demonized in into becoming the useless and frowned upon drug that it is thought of today. Acid was supposed to be used as in experiments and not for regular pleasure. LSD makes people hallucinate because it triggers the receptors in your brain the give you the ability to see but they trigger them in a different way making you have static to your brain waves which is why thing comes out fuzzy and bizarrely when on acid. The serotonin in your brain is still creating electric impulses to make you see but it makes you see things in a different way. This is most likely due to a chemical reaction. As surprising as this may sound LSD supposedly is one of the safest drugs you can take in terms of that it's not addictive and cannot kill you directly. The thing that makes LSD unsafe is the trip that comes with it. Like dreams, LSD trips can be great and soothing and other times they can be like terrifying nightmares. LSD is rumored (since being acid) to ruin your brain and create holes. That is not true. LSD is not neurotoxic and cannot create holes in your brain but simply serotonin which is the substance in your brain that filters out reality from fantasy. LSD replaces serotonin while in you and you are no longer able to filter out things normally which is why people commonly loose their sense of reality on LSD trips. Although LSD makes you loose your sense of reality it can also bring back old memories, flashbacks, old emotions, and help you regain a certain memory or a certain incident again. Some LSD trips like dreams can symbolize things that you are going through since your brain is still running but in different way therefore it filters things that you may are not used to. Things that you may have not felt or remembered come back. It can often help people get over trauma, treat mental disorders, or help doctors discover new information about the brain of someone with a psycheatric disorder. LSD though is also known for creating mental disorders and sprouting them and can damage your brain. Although it is a fascinating drug, the effects on your brain are extremely life lasting and can cause you to be traumatized years after still suffering from flashbacks of your trip. Hope you enjoyed! 

Bibliography: http://science.howstuffworks.com/lsd1.htm

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006042509701

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080427173517AAdnR3P

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACID

Here is a short video my brother made imitating what it might be like to be on acid! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXKqVpOfjOA