Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are a diverse group of drugs that alter perception, thoughts, and feelings. They cause hallucinations, or sensations and images that seem real though they are not. Hallucinogens can be found in some plants and mushrooms (or their extracts) or can be human-made. People have used hallucinogens for centuries, mostly for religious rituals.

Types of Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are classified into two main categories: classic hallucinogens and dissociative drugs.

Classic Hallucinogens

• LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most powerful mood-changing chemicals. It is a clear or white odorless material made from lysergic acid, which is found in a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.
• Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) comes from certain types of mushrooms found in tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Mexico, and the United States.
• Peyote (Mescaline) is a small, spineless cactus with mescaline as its main ingredient. Peyote can also be synthetic.

Dissociative Drugs

• PCP (Phencyclidine) was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Its use has since been discontinued due to serious adverse effects.
• Ketamine is used in powdered or liquid form as an anesthetic, usually on animals. It can be injected, consumed in drinks, snorted, or added to joints or cigarettes.
• Salvia (Salvia divinorum) is a plant common to southern Mexico and Central and South America.

Effects of Hallucinogens

The effects of hallucinogens can begin within 20 to 90 minutes and can last as long as 6 to 12 hours. Hallucinogen users refer to the experiences brought on by these drugs as "trips," calling the unpleasant experiences "bad trips."

Health Effects

While the long-term effects of hallucinogens are largely unknown, the most significant danger is the unpredictable nature of the drugs. They can cause severe, disturbing emotional reactions such as paranoia or psychosis.

Treatment

There are no government-approved medications to treat addiction to hallucinogens. While behavioral therapies can be helpful for patients with a variety of addictions, scientists need more research to find out if behavioral therapies are effective for addiction to hallucinogens.

Hallucinogens Resources
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