LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE
LSD // Acid
Drug Type: Hallucinogen
Chemical Makeup: C20H25N3O
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LSD is a man-made drug that has been widely used illegally for its hallucinogenic effects since the 1960s. LSD can produce visual hallucinations that can distort and skew a person's sense of reality and time.
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While the drug leaves the user's brain usually within 20 minutes, the hallucinogenic effects last much longer than that.
LSD is a part of a group of drugs known as psychedelics, or hallucinogenics.
LEGALITY STATUS
LSD is not legal anywhere in the United States as it is classified as a Schedule 1 drug.
EFFECTS IN HUMANS, BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM
LSD creates many short term and long term effects in humans, including hallucinations, amplification of sensations like sounds and smells, distorted sense of time, blending of senses ("seeing" sounds or "hearing" colors), sensation of the mind leaving the body, impulsive behavior, quickly shifting emotions, and mystical or religious sensations.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF LSD
While researching lysergic acid derivatives, Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD on November 16, 1938. The main intention of the synthesis was to obtain a respiratory and circulatory stimulant (an analeptic).
It was set aside for five years, until April 16, 1943, when Hofmann decided to take a second look at it. He accidentally absorbed a small dose of the substance, then known as LSD-25, and wrote down that he had a "remarkable experience," leading to the accidental discovery of the now widespread hallucinogenic drug.
EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN
LSD is a mind-altering drug. It acts on your brain (the central nervous system) and changes your mood, behavior, and the way you relate to the world around you.
NEUROTRANSMITTERS AFFECTED
This potent drug binds to specific brain cell receptors and alters how the brain responds to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates emotions, moods, and perceptions.