Did someone say that history repeats itself? The hippy culture in the 1960s claimed that LSD led to higher states of consciousness and aided them in their search for religious enlightenment. One advocate of this principle was the Dutch writer Carlos Castaneda. Certain psychedelic generation gurus like Timothy Leary created a secretiveness and marketing mystique unique to LSD/acid. For many, including an explorers' club (group of LSD users) called acid heads in South Africa, he became a prophet. A former leader of this group, Ado Krige, today a rehabilitated drug addict/dealer and now a drug counsellor, claims he was on between 300 - 400 LSD trips. He sometimes used four caps at a time. One cap or unit then contained 700 -1200 micrograms (µg). In the 70s, LSD parties were often accompanied by the music of Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Frank Zappa. Some of these musicians are strongly connected with Satanism. The right company, setting and lighting also played an important part. Users often fasted for days before an LSD/acid party. The idea was to have the maximum experience, pushing the envelope to the limit, to come as close as possible to the point just before losing their sanity (bummer/freak out). With LSD they tried to break away from the conservative frame. The drug encapsulated their slogan: Peace and Love. In one year, 150 top musicians died drug-related deaths. The hippy era with its LSD was perhaps too radical and it ended on the rocks.
Then in the 70s/80s it was the punk culture, the skin heads with their aggression, also strongly driven by LSD. Caps contained more or less 150 g of LSD per unit. Blotting paper/blotter tabs (LSD-impregnated paper) provided LSD in lighter doses and made it more readily available.
Then followed the era of the rave culture which incorporated much of the fashion of the 60s: bell bottom jeans, bangles around the arms, beads around the necks and slang words like vibe, wow, cool, freak out and like. The same yellow face used in the sixties is used as a logo for the spirit of rave on the Internet. According to Ado Krige many of the graphics seen in video games and movies resemble the images he saw many years ago on his LSD trips. The rave hype focuses on the culture, smart drinks and blotter tabs of 25 - 80g. Low doses put users on a mellow trip. Subtly and slowly but surely they are lead into the spirit realm to find PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity and Respect). This sets the perfect trap for a generation who seeks enlightenment.
What is LSD?
 Lysergic acid diethylamide (abbreviated as LSD) is the most popular and potent hallucinogenic substance known to man. Dosages of LSD are measured in micrograms (µg) or millionths of a gram by comparison to cocaine and heroin which are measured in milligrams or thousandths of a gram. Compared to other hallucinogenic substances, LSD is 100 times more potent than psilocybin ( Magic Mushrooms ) and psilocin and 4 000 times more potent than mescaline (Payote Kaktus). Hallucinogens are among the oldest known group of drugs that have been used for their ability to alter human perception and mood. Since 1969 more than 200 types of LSD have been distinguished, and since 1975 more than 350 different blotting paper designs have been manufactured.
The South African scene
According to Supt Brent Birk (SANAB Unit Commander in Pretoria ), LSD is one of the three most popular illegal drugs used by school children. The number of arrests and seizures of LSD by the SAPS seems small but it isn't a gauge for how much LSD is available on the street. Liquid LSD (top level) is destined for transfer to a paper medium (blotter) on mid level. When diluted and applied to paper, LSD begins to degrade quickly. As a result, stash houses containing large quantities of the drug are seldom found. When the user (acid head) buys it, he/she immediately uses it.
Paper emerged as the most popular means of distributing LSD. It does not require expensive pill presses. The perforated paper squares are easy to conceal and transport. Unique designs are used and changed regularly to make the drug more appealing to its target market. According to Supt. Andre Koch (SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Pretoria ) clandestine factories have not yet been found in South Africa. Most of the LSD found in South Africa comes from Europe and certain areas of America .
Although LSD trafficking has assumed an ideological or crusading aspect, in contrast to the trafficking of other drugs in which profit is the sole motivating factor, there is a new tendency in the smuggling of LSD. LSD was mostly smuggled by an individual who built up his own contacts. This resulted in small, exclusive operations which made it difficult for law enforcement to bust networks. According to Supt Casper Venter (FSL in Kuilsrivier) LSD trafficking is closely related to amphetamines at the moment. Supt Brent Birk reported that LSD and Ecstasy (MDMA) go hand in glove when it comes to trafficking. This is confirmed by A Pluddeman in an Oct 1999 Medical Research Council report. The LSD and Ecstasy trade in Durban Is mostly controlled by the so-called bouncer mafia, a group of bouncers who seem to control the drug trade in clubs. The price of units of LSD has decreased in Port Elizabeth and Gauteng since the second half of 1998. Arrests for dealing increased slightly in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Gauteng. Seizures have increased in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth . The use of LSD seems to be common in rave clubs among 18-23 year olds in Gauteng , Cape Town and Port Elizabeth .
THE ERGOT/LSD CONNECTION
Ergot of rye is produced by a lower fungus (Claviceps purpurea) that grows parasitically on rye and to a lesser extent on other species of grain and on wild grasses. Kernels infested with this fungus develop into light-brown to violet brown curved pegs (sclerotic) that push forth from the husk in place of normal grains. Ergot of rye (Secale cornutium) is the variety used medicinally. This fungus produces a number of active chemicals, including ergotamine, which can be used as a treatment for migraine headaches. W A Jacobs and L C Craig of the Rockefeller Institute of New York isolated and characterised the nucleus common to all ergot alkaloids and named it lysergic acid.
The history of ergot is clouded by an aura of the diabolical, spiritual and mysterious, both in its previous use by witches and alchemist and in the more recent times as the bas substance from which the controversial psychedelic drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) was derived. The first mention of a medical use is found in the notes of Frankfurt city physician Adam Lonitzer in 1582, as a drug to precipitate childbirth. In the early middle ages, ergot was responsible for widespread mass ergotism poisonings throughout Europe, which occurred as a result of using ergot contaminated rye for baking bread, which lead to gangrene and convulsions.
According to Elna J van der Westhuizen (Mycologist - Biosystematics Division of the Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Council), the first outbreak of ergotism in cattle caused by ergot (Claviceps purpurea) on ryegrass (Lolium sp.), was in the early 90's in the South Western Cape. In 1996, another outbreak was caused by ergot on nut sedge (Claviceps cyperi on Cyperus esculentus) in the South African Highveld, but that toxin isn't used in synthesized LSD.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic, illegal hallucinogenic drug produced from lysergic acid, which is made from ergotamine tartrate, a substance derived from ergot of rye (Secale cornutum). The synthesis is quite complex and hard to master. Lysergic acid amides van be extracted from seeds of the morning glory or Hawaiian baby wood rose, but huge amounts are needed for the LSD synthesis. Cultivated ergot seems to be the most potent for use in LSD.
LSD was first discovered in 1938 by Dr Albert Hoffman who worked for Sandoz Laboratories in Basel Switzerland. It was developed as a circulatory and respiratory stimulant. No extraordinary benefits of the compound were identified and its study was discontinued. In 1943, Dr Hoffman went on the first ever recorded LSD trip by accident while carrying out an experiment in his laboratory. In the 1940s through to the mid 1970s, LSD was used as a research tool in studies of mental illness. Empirical data subsequently developed proved less promising. LSD emerged as a drug of abuse in certain, primarily medical circles. LSD was successfully tried by the US Military as a truth drug or simply to cause confusion during a battle. It was reported that the hallucinogenic drug BZ was used in experiments on soldiers during, the Vietnam War. The Pent agon denied the story. The spirit realm, demonic manifestations and other symptoms and side effects of hallucinogenic drugs are well pictured in Jacob's Ladder, a film directed by Adryan Lynn.
LSD has been manufactured illegally since the 1960s. The chemists or cooks in the clandestine laboratories and the traffickers work together in close laboratories to produce and distribute major quantities of LSD worldwide. In the late 1960s and early 1970s people began to experiment with LSD (called acid) as a recreational drug. Among hippy and fringe groups it was seen as an almost religious experiment, an alternative way of getting in touch with the self and the rest of creation. LSD was declared illegal and not fit for any medicinal purposes. LSD use declined in the 1970s and the early 1980s but its popularity grew again in the late 1980s and early 1990s among young people. Virtually all the LSD seized during the 1980s was of consistently high purity and sold in relatively uniform dosages of 20µg-80µg.
Packaging
LSD is available indifferent forms. The most common is blotting paper/blotter tabs, gelatin and liquid (at the highest level of the trafficking pyramid). Each form contains different quantities and purities of lysergic acid diethylamide.
Liquid: LSD is a clear/white odourless crystalline substance. Liquid LSD is usually water-based, and soluble in water and other solvents. A single drop of potent liquid LSD could equal 50 times a normal dose. Liquid LSD is uncommon in South Africa and there is no way to gauge its potency. According to Supt Casper Venter, Liquid LSD was found in small eye dropper bottles as well as breathalyser cans in Dec 1998. Although uncommon in South Africa, LSD is sometimes dropped on sugar cubes.
Blotter: Paper sheets are printed, perforated and impregnated with LSD. Paper blotter/blotter acid/tabs (impregnated paper) are the most common form of LSD. It is a paper blotter divided into squares with distinctive, often cartoon-based designs, like postage stamps or transfers. A single tab usually contains between 30 - 100µg of LSD with a street value of R35-R70. It is created by taking a sheet of absorbent paper (usually decorated and perforated) and soaking it in a dilution of lysergic acid diethylamide, a process called lay the sheets. Designs are often applied commercially by printing companies using offset lithography, silkscreen printing or photocopiers, or they can be applied by rubber stamps or drawn by hand. Designs range from simple five-point stars in black and white to exotic artwork in full four colour print. Dilution can vary greatly from batch to batch. There is no easy way to determine the exact dosage of a particular tab.
LSD blotter ranges in colour from clear to white, in its purest form, to tan or even black, indicating poor quality or degradation. To mask product deficiencies, distributors often supply LSD to off-white, tan or yellow paper to disguise discolouration. The dilution of LSD crystals typically follows a standard, predetermined recipe to ensure uniformity of the final product. Excessive dilution yields lower potency dosage units that soon become unmarketable. When using blotter, one can't add significant amounts of adulterants.
Microdots: Tiny tablets known for being extra strong and he avy and normally dark in colour. LSD is mixed with binding agents, such as spray dried skim milk, for producing microdots.
Gelatin: Gelatin chips/window panes. Gelatin LSD is made by mixing liquid LSD with gelatin and forming it into small, thin squares. Less of the LSD is exposed to sun and air, which break down lysergic acid diethylamide. A single square of gelatin is usually stronger than a single blotter tab of LSD (approximately 50 - 150µg per square).
The rumours that LSD was found on stickers and stick on tattoos are, according to the FSL, untrue.
Administration
LSD is mostly ingested orally but can be snorted or injected. A microdot tablet or square of the perforated LSD paper is placed in the user's mouth, chewed or swallowed and the chemical is absorbed from the user's gastrointestinal system. LSD is metabolised in the liver and is excreted in the urine. According to pathologists (Niehaus & Botha) LSD can still be detected in urine five days after use.
Dose and effects
The dosage that will produce a hallucinogenic effect in humans is generally considered to be from 25µg and higher. Dosage and quality vary sharply, even in a particular type. These small squares (trips, caps or hits) are assumed to be one dose. It can be cut into halves, quarters or even smaller.
Effects are unpredictable and depend, more than with any other drug, on the amount taken, the user's personality, mood and expectations and the surroundings in which the drug is taken. Hallucinogens are unpredictable in their effects each time they are used.
Usually it takes 4-3 minutes to dissolve a "unit" under the tongue. Effects start 30-90 minutes after ingestion, and the trip can last from 5-24 hours, although trips lasting 8-12 hours are more common. The trip tends to get more intense after two to four hours. The experiences may be pleasant or upsetting. Come home refers to the end of an LSD trip.
Psychological effects
At lower dosage levels the visual images are intensified in colour or flashes of light are seen. The visual images progress to brightly coloured geometric designs and become distorted shapes and sizes. Stationary objects may seem to move around. At higher doses, images appear as distortions of reality or as completely new visual images and can be perceived with the eyes open or closed. LSD significantly alters mood, perception of time and place and impairs judgement. Sensations and emotions change much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user may feel different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. One's thoughts are often tumbling over one another in a hurry to be expressed. - A user. The psychological phenomenon imprinting occurs. This is a psychological process whereby being exposed to an event, thought or other experience makes an impression on one's psyche. Acid is thought to trigger pre-existing, latent mental conditions in susceptible individuals. Once psychoses have been triggered, they are difficult to treat. LSD may exacerbate depression. It leads to irrational thought processes and behaviour, e.g. misjudging distances or thinking that one can fly.
Acid is thought to trigger pre-existing latent mental conditions in susceptible individuals. Once psychoses have been triggered, they are difficult to treat. LSD may exacerbate depression. It leads to irrational thought processes and behaviour such as misjudging distances or thinking that one can fly.
Physical effects
Subtle changes with higher temperature, hypertension, palpitations or bradycardia, chills, goose bumps, headache, nausea/vomiting, dilated pupils (mydriasis), loss of appetite, sleeplessness (insomnia) frequently after a trip, lachrymation, dry mouth, impaired motor coordination, increased blood sugar(hyperglycaemia), salivation, tingling in fingers and toes, weakness, tremors, facial flushing, chills, profuse perspiration, dizziness, inappropriate speech, blurred vision, intense anxiety and synaesthesia (hearing colours and seeing sounds). A tolerance to tripping on LSD develops quickly (within three days). It means one cannot use it every day, and even higher doses will not necessarily produce a trip. Usually a three day drug-free period is necessary to trip again. LSD has a serotonin blocking effect. The neurotransmitters in serotonin can get depleted. LSD damages the brain cortex (users literally can't think or talk). A regular user's teeth enamel will be damaged. Yen sleep = restless, drowsy state after LSD use. LSD causes abnormal foetal development if taken during pregnancy. (LSD monsters are born as a result of the drug and not as a result of mutant chromosomes in the parents).
Bad trip
Acid can cause a severe anxiety reaction, a bad trip.
l was at a festival. I was anxious anyway, especially as I'd already had one bad experience with acid. It started to rain and I was really scared of being drowned. I got dead paranoid. I suspected everyone around me of being out to get me. Luckily my brother found me and calmed me down but it was horrible. - A user.
It can happen if you are worried, scared or upset about something before taking it, or if something frightening suddenly happens while you're tripping (like violence, a car crash or getting arrested). Emotions can become overwhelming. The effects wear off but can take several hours (effects typically last for about 12 hours). Symptoms include frightening illusions/hallucinations (usually visual and/or auditory); overwhelming anxiety; aggression with possible violent acting out behaviour; depression with suicidal ideas, gestures or attempts; confusion and fearfulness to the point of paranoid delusions. Death due to an overdose has not been specifically reported. However, unnatural deaths and fatal accidents have been known to occur while victims or others around them were under the influence of LSD.
Flashbacks
Flashbacks entail a vivid return of a previous trip, often a bad trip. It includes some fragmentary recurrences of psychedelic effects, i.e. apparent motion of a fixed object, intensification of a perceived colour or the mistaking of one object for another. Flashbacks can occur spontaneously or they can be triggered by the use of other drugs (particularly cannabis), emotional stress, fatigue, drunkenness, meditative states or movement from a light to a dark environment. Vivid flashbacks may occur unexpectedly weeks, months or even years after the drug was last used. Ado Krige last used LSD in 1984 and still gets flashbacks.
Flashbacks may include physical symptoms, a sense of time distortion, a loss of ego boundaries or relived intense emotion. Flashbacks can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, but may seem much longer to the sufferer. Some consider it to be a free trip.
The high dream = a spontaneous recurrence of psychedelic experiences during sleep. It may take on the vividness, intensity and perceptual peculiarities of drug trips.
Apparently there is no single factor that guarantees immunity from an adverse LSD reaction.
Poly-drug use
LSD is very potent, but it is frequently used with other drugs. According to a report by A Pluddeman of the Medical Research Council in Oct 1999, LSD as a primary substance of abuse is very uncommon in treatment centres included in the SACENDU projects across the four sites included (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Gauteng).
LSD used with MDMA (Ecstasy) is known as a candyflip. LSD is also used with Nexus/ 2CB/ N (4_Bromo-2.5 Diethoxyphenethylamine), also a hallucinogen: DXM (Dextromethorphan) can be mixed with LSD. The few that tried it said they would never repeat this combination, simply because it is far too powerful and terrifying. The possibility of a bad trip is much higher than the possibility of a good one. Businessman's LSD = LSD used with dimethyltryptamine. A heroin/LSD combination is known as frisco special/frisco speedball. 0uter limits/sheet rocking is the combination of crack (a crystallised form of cocaine) and LSD. The street slang for LSD and strychnine is Backbreakers. Black acid is the term used for LSD or a combination of LSD and phencyclidine (PCP).
Conclusion
LSD is a potent psychochemical, therefore only a small amount is needed to trip. The duration of a trip is longer in comparison to most of the other illicit drugs.
Because it takes a while for effects to start, some persons are tempted to ingest additional dosages. LSD tolerance develops rapidly, but cannot be overcome by ingestion of increased dosages.
It is a concern that LSD remains popular among high school and college students and other young adults as a casual recreational drug and in poly-drug use. Acid is readily available and intriguing paper designs make LSD especially attractive to juveniles. It is relatively inexpensive. LSD is deemed to have high potential for abuse and has no legitimate medicinal use. There are no quality control measures. The most obvious danger of LSD is impaired judgement that often leads to impulsive and irrational behaviour, rash decisions and unnecessary accidents.
The information in this article has been transcribed verbatim from the following publication:
Servamus – Community edition – Drugs and Occult Related Crime – The Facts – The Answer.
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