LSD Facts
By Aubrey Scott
- LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a synthetic (man-made) drug that has been abused for its hallucinogenic properties since the 1960s. If consumed in a sufficiently large dose, LSD produces delusions and visual hallucinations that distort the user's sense of time and identity.
- LSD generally is taken by mouth. The drug is colorless and odorless but has a slightly bitter taste.
- The effects associated with LSD use are unpredictable and depend upon the amount taken, the surroundings in which the drug is used, and the user's personality, mood, and expectations.
- Some LSD users experience a feeling of despair, while others report terrifying fears--of losing control, going insane, or dying.
- Some users have suffered fatal accidents while under the influence of LSD.
LSD in pill form
LSD blotter paper taken by mouth
LSD in liquid form
LSD causes flashbacks. They can happen anytime, or anywhere.
- LSD users may develop long-lasting psychoses, such as schizophrenia or severe depression.
- LSD is not considered an addictive drug--that is, it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine do.
- LSD users may develop tolerance to the drug, meaning that they must consume progressively larger doses of the drug in order to continue to experience the hallucinogenic effects that they seek.
- Liquid LSD is dripped onto blotter paper and then swallowed to be abused.