D10 Mind-Altering Drugs

• Structural similarietes and differences• The effects of LSD, mescaline, psilocybin and

THC• Arguments for and against legalisation of

cannabis

Mind-altering drugs (except THC)

• Amines• Contain the indole ring

LSD

PsilocybinMescaline

Indole ring

LSD Psilocybin Mescaline

Indole ring Yes Yes No

Benzene ring Yes Yes Yes

Ether group No No Yes

Phosphoric acid group

No Yes No

Amide group Yes No No

Amine Yes No Yes

Secondary and tertiary amine

Secondary and tertiary amine

Primary

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, LSD

• Derived from ergot (mjöldryga), a grain fungus that typically grows on rye or wheat

• A semisynthetic psychedelic drug• Works by blocking the action of the transmitter substance serotonin• Taken orally• AKA: Acid

Short-term effects of LSD

- Restlessness- Dizziness- Desire to laugh- Distortions in sound and visual perception- Unpleasant hallucinations: lead to despair and

suicide- Takers might believe that they can “fly”

Long-term effects of LSD

- Severe depression- Psychosis: radical changes in personality,

impaired functioning, and a distorted or non-existent sense of objective reality

- Dramatic mood swings- Loss of communication skills- Loss of appetite

Psilocybin- magic mushrooms

• Found in “Psilocybe Semilanceata”• Mushrooms typically contain 0. 2 to 0.4

percent psilocybin• Can be produced synthetically• Mildly hallucinogenic• Ingested orally

Effects of Psilocybin

- Hallucinations- Inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy- Panic reactions - Alteration of perception- Dilated pupils- Muscle weakness- Feeling of insight- Not addictive

May be confused with ”Deadly webcaps” or Earthly Inocybe”

Feeling of insight, example

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YYHOdQG9Fw

Mescaline

• Dark-brown powder ground from "buttons" of the Mexican cactus ,“peyote”.

• Taken orally• Bitter taste

Effects of Mescaline

• Headaches• Anxiety • Feeling of dying or annihilation• Euphoria• Hallucinations• Alters visual and auditory perception• Liver damage?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) • Active ingredient in Marijuana; weed or

cannabis• Affects the release of acetylcholine,

noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain, and also has analgesic (pain-killing) effects

• Intake: smoked, inhaled or eaten• Made from the flowering tops, stems, leaves,

and seeds of the Hemp plant

Short-term effects of THC

- Feeling of relaxation- Enhanced auditory and visual perception- Loss of sense of time- Confusion- Emotional distress - Anxiety

Functional groups?

Long-term effects of THC

- Apathy: feeling of indifference and suppression of emotions

- Lethargy: Fatigue- Lowering of fertility- Risk of cancer

Legalization of Marijuana- pro1. Marijuana is available

medically to many terminally ill patients as well as for some other conditions: cancer, epilepsy

2. Legalization would allow police to focus their efforts on more important matters

3. Taxes on marijuana would possibly generate large amounts of revenue

Legalization of Marijuana-contra-Increased costs to society: especially from

cancer and heart disease from smoking-Increased danger from people driving under the influence-Marijuana abuse would increase-Marijuana’s status as a gateway drug would lead to increased addiction to more dangerous drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin