Download Katherine Douglas Hallucinogens Reaction Paper Hallucinogens

Katherine Douglas 1
Hallucinogens Reaction Paper
Hallucinogens are a class of drugs that change a person’s thought processes, mood and
perceptions. A person’s “trip” while on a hallucinogen can vary greatly based on their previous
experiences and expectations as well as the dose of the drug. There are a few common effects of
hallucinogens which include nausea, jitteriness, and an increase in blood pressure, heart rate and
breathing. The user may feel a distortion of sensory perception as well.
There are 3 main classes of hallucinogens. The first class is LSD and other drugs like it such as
psilocybin mushrooms and peyote cactus. Today, LSD doses are between 20-80 micrograms, whereas,
during the 1960’s the doses ranged between 100 and 200 micrograms. Many LSD users today will take
multiple doses to compensate. The effects of LSD can last between 4 and 6 hours. The next drug is
psilocybin mushrooms and a typical dose is between 4-6 milligrams or 2-4 mushrooms. This drug is
usually thought to be more mild and a little shorter than LSD with symptoms of anything from relaxation
and perceptual distortions to nausea, sweating and anxiety. DMT is another hallucinogen that is similar
to LSD but the high is shorter lived and the side effects range from increased heart rate and blood
pressure to temporary paralysis. Peyote cactus (mescaline) is also in the same family as LSD, but it acts
more like an amphetamine with effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure and dilated
pupils. Mescaline has an interesting background because it was used a lot with Native tribes in religious
practices and still continues today in some tribes.
The second class is belladonna alkaloids. These drugs affect the central nervous system and are
produced by the Jimsonweed plant. This plant can be brewed in tea and causes the user to feel like he is
in a dream state. However, the down side is that is also causes amnesia so that the user doesn’t
remember as well as dilated pupils, increased heart rate and body temperature. On an aside, if you’re
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visiting Colombia, be careful because criminals have been drugging tourist with “burundunga” (a drug in
the belladonna alkaloid family) because it causes amnesia.
The third group is dissociative anesthetics such as PCP and ketamine. Both drugs used to be
given as general anesthetics that also caused hallucinations. Ketamine is still used as an veterinary
anesthetic. PCP can be taken many ways including snorted, smoke, injected or in a pill and the effects
last 4-6 hours. PCP can cause a person to feel like they are on an amphetamine, intoxicated by alcohol
and taking a hallucinogen all at the same time. PCP can also make an individual less sensitive to pain and
at very high doses dissociate. These effects generally cause the person to end up in trouble with the law
or in an emergency room.
How do all of these hallucinogens work in the brain? All of the drugs in the LSD category appear
to work by stimulating serotonin-2 receptors which may cause hallucinations. The belladonna alkaloids
work by preventing acetylcholine from acting at one of its receptors. PCP and Ketamine seem to block
the action of glutamate. The differences in how all these drugs work in the brain explains why each class
of drugs can affect an individual so differently.
Finally, using hallucinogens can cause effects ranging from near harmless to death. It’s also
nearly impossible to know exactly what drug you are taking when you buy it and when you have to take
the word of a drug dealer, that’s probably not going to be a good day. There is also the issue of
flashbacks when you take some of these drugs. Flashbacks are when some aspects of the hallucinations
come back long after the drug has left your body. In my opinion, these hallucinogens are just not worth
the risks, but then again, I feel that way about most illegal drugs.
They don’t seem to cause the bottom-out situations that are associated with cocaine, heroin,
alcohol, meth, or cigarettes. I’m guessing they don’t cause the excessive dopamine release? 5.0 points.