Depends on how much you ingest. Might not affect the body much, but eat too much and it can wack you out.
"I've seen those guys walking around my neighborhood that took too much acid, man. The one guy, his head's swelled up like a pumpkin." - Richard "Cheech" Marin.
Ya it's hard for sure. Hard to get that fucked up on "most" anything else. Sure it's not the same as it used to be for the most part but you can still go places that not much else can touch. Go for a multi day coke bender then pop a ten strip or whatnot that will wake you right the fuck up:).YMMV of course but I have always been amazed at the power of it. I am old to the point I wont even go out in public anymore unless at a safe festival or something. Kick the kids n wife out have some decent accoutrements at the ready fire up the vintage gear with dead vids on autoplay so you don't get stuck trying to figure out how to get the next show to play:) haha
It’s not exactly a hard drug but it is definitely a serious drug and should be taken seriously. I honestly would never eat it again after my last experience. I guess that means it’s not a hard drug. Again it’s to be taken serious. Can absolutely damage yourself by taking too much or too frequently.
Our government seems to think so. Their notes indicate it isn't highly addictive, and that their main concerns are disorientation in the short term and prolonged psychosis in the long term.
From the National Institute Of Health's National Institute Of Drug Abuse website:
>>>>>>
Drugs that cause profound distortions in a person’s perceptions of reality, such as ketamine, LSD, mescaline (peyote), PCP, psilocybin, salvia, DMT, and ayahuasca.
Hallucinogens and dissociative drugs—which have street names like acid, angel dust, and vitamin K—distort the way a user perceives time, motion, colors, sounds, and self. These drugs can disrupt a person’s ability to think and communicate rationally, or even to recognize reality, sometimes resulting in bizarre or dangerous behavior. Hallucinogens such as LSD, psilocybin, peyote, DMT, and ayahuasca cause emotions to swing wildly and real-world sensations to appear unreal, sometimes frightening. Dissociative drugs like PCP, ketamine, dextromethorphan, and Salvia divinorum may make a user feel out of control and disconnected from their body and environment.
In addition to their short-term effects on perception and mood, hallucinogenic drugs are associated with psychotic-like episodes that can occur long after a person has taken the drug, and dissociative drugs can cause respiratory depression, heart rate abnormalities, and a withdrawal syndrome. The good news is that use of hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs among U.S. high school students, in general, has remained relatively low in recent years. However, the introduction of new hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs is of particular concern.
NIDA research is developing a clearer picture of the dangers of hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs. We have compiled the scientific information in this report to inform readers and hopefully prevent the use of these drugs.
How Do Hallucinogens Work?
Classic hallucinogens are thought to produce their perception-altering effects by acting on neural circuits in the brain that use the neurotransmitter serotonin (Passie, 2008; Nichols, 2004; Schindler, 2012; Lee, 2012). Specifically, some of their most prominent effects occur in the prefrontal cortex—an area involved in mood, cognition, and perception—as well as other regions important in regulating arousal and physiological responses to stress and panic.
What Are the Short-Term Effects of Hallucinogens?
Ingesting hallucinogenic drugs can cause users to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Their effects typically begin within 20 to 90 minutes of ingestion and can last as long as 12 hours. Experiences are often unpredictable and may vary with the amount ingested and the user’s personality, mood, expectations, and surroundings. The effects of hallucinogens like LSD can be described as drug-induced psychosis—distortion or disorganization of a person’s capacity to recognize reality, think rationally, or communicate with others. Users refer to LSD and other hallucinogenic experiences as “trips” and to acute adverse or unpleasant experiences as “bad trips.” On some trips, users experience sensations that are enjoyable and mentally stimulating and that produce a sense of heightened understanding. Bad trips, however, include terrifying thoughts and nightmarish feelings of anxiety and despair that include fears of losing control, insanity, or death.
Like LSD and psilocybin, DMT produces its effects through action at serotonin (5-HT) receptors in the brain (Strassman, 1996). Some research has suggested that DMT occurs naturally in the human brain in small quantities, leading to the hypothesis that release of endogenous DMT may be involved in reports of alien abductions, spontaneous mystical experiences, and near-death experiences, but this remains controversial (Barker, 2012).
Specific short-term effects of LSD, psilocybin, peyote, DMT, and ayahuasca include:
LSD
Increased blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature
Dizziness and sleeplessness
Loss of appetite, dry mouth,and sweating
Numbness, weakness, and tremors
Impulsiveness and rapid emotional shifts that can range from fear to euphoria, with transitions so rapid that the user may seem to experience several emotions simultaneously
Psilocybin
Feelings of relaxation (similar to effects of low doses of marijuana)
Nervousness, paranoia, and panic reactions
Introspective/spiritual experiences
Misidentification of poisonous mushrooms resembling psilocybin could lead to unintentional, potentially fatal poisoning
Peyote
Increased body temperature and heart rate
Uncoordinated movements (ataxia)
Profound sweating
Flushing
DMT
Increased heart rate
Agitation
Hallucinations frequently involving radically altered environments as well as body and spatial distortions
Ayahuasca
Increased blood pressure
Severe vomiting (induced by the tea)
Profoundly altered state of awareness and perceptions of otherworldly imagery
Short-Term General Effects of Hallucinogens
Sensory Effects
Hallucinations, including seeing, hearing, touching, or smelling things in a distorted way or perceiving things that do not exist
Intensified feelings and sensory experiences (brighter colors, sharper sounds)
Mixed senses (“seeing” sounds or “hearing” colors)
Changes in sense or perception of time (time goes by slowly)
Physical Effects
Increased energy and heart rate
Nausea
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Hallucinogens?
LSD users quickly develop a high degree of tolerance to the drug’s effects, such that repeated use requires increasingly larger doses to produce similar effects. Use of hallucinogenic drugs also produces tolerance to other drugs in this class, including psilocybin and peyote. Use of classic hallucinogens does not, however, produce tolerance to drugs that do not act directly on the same brain cell receptors. In other words, there is no cross-tolerance to drugs that act on other neurotransmitter systems, such as marijuana, amphetamines, or PCP, among others. Furthermore, tolerance for hallucinogenic drugs is short-lived—it is lost if the user stops taking the drugs for several days—and physical withdrawal symptoms are not typically experienced when chronic use is stopped.
The long-term residual psychological and cognitive effects of peyote remain poorly understood. Although one study found no evidence of psychological or cognitive deficits among Native Americans who use peyote regularly in a religious setting, those findings may not generalize to those who repeatedly abuse the drug for recreational purposes (Halpern, 2005). Peyote users may also experience hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD)—also often referred to as flashbacks. The active ingredient mescaline has also been associated, in at least one report, to fetal abnormalities (Gilmore, 2001).
Long-term effects of DMT use and abuse and addiction liability are currently unknown. Unlike most other hallucinogens, DMT does not appear to induce tolerance (Winstock, 2013).
As with some other hallucinogens, there is little information to suggest that ayahuasca use creates lasting physiological or neurological deficits, especially among those using the brew for religious activities.
Overall, two long-term effects—persistent psychosis and HPPD—have been associated with use of classic hallucinogens (see text box below). Although occurrence of either is rare, it is also unpredictable and may happen more often than previously thought, and sometimes both conditions occur together. While the exact causes are not known, both conditions are more often seen in individuals with a history of psychological problems but can happen to anyone, even after a single exposure. There is no established treatment for HPPD, in which flashbacks may occur spontaneously and repeatedly although less intensely than their initial occurrence. Some antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs can be prescribed to help improve mood and treat psychoses, however. Psychotherapy may also help patients cope with fear or confusion associated with visual disturbances or other consequences of long-term LSD use. More research on the causes, incidence, and long-term effects of both disorders is being conducted.
Hallucinations
Other visual disturbances (such as seeing halos or trails attached to moving objects)
Symptoms sometimes mistaken for neurological disorders (such as stroke or brain tumor)
This seems to give an unbiased answer to your question, Turtle:
The Differences Between Hard and Soft Drugs
By Elizabeth Hartney, PhD | Reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
Updated February 14, 2018
The terms "soft drugs" and "hard drugs" are arbitrary terms with little to no clear criteria or scientific basis.
Typically, the term "hard drug" has been used to categorize drugs that are addictive and injectable, notably, heroin, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine. Marijuana is usually the only drug included within the category of "soft" drugs, although some people include nicotine and alcohol in the soft drug category because of their legal status for use by adults, and their relative social acceptability compared to illegal drugs. The term "soft drug" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term gateway drug, a term that is equally inaccurate.
Questions Raised by These Terms
Use of the terms "hard" and "soft" drugs raises more questions than it answers. Is a drug only "hard" when it is injected? Surely heroin, crack, and meth is not "soft" drugs when they are smoked. With these drugs, it is the purity, amount, frequency of use, social context, and route of administration that typically determines how harmful it is.
And the implication that marijuana is a soft or relatively harmless drug is being increasingly questioned. There are several different types of marijuana, with hashish and hash oil traditionally being thought of as harder forms of cannabis. However, stronger strains of weed are being genetically engineered and longer-term harms are becoming more apparent.
Criminological research shows that few drug offenders limit themselves to only one drug, bringing into question the idea that drug users are able to limit themselves to a single "soft" drug, although there is a clear pattern among this population of progression from marijuana to heroin.
Difficulties With Categorization
If we were to categorize drugs according to how hard or soft they are, several drugs would be particularly difficult to categorize. Hallucinogens, such as magic mushrooms and LSD, and the rave drug ecstasy, are generally not considered by users to be addictive -- although some research tells a different story. But given the lower incidence of addiction to these drugs and the fact that they are taken orally rather than injected, would they be considered soft drugs? As the risks associated with bad trips and flashbacks are well-documented, and with their status as controlled drugs, it is unlikely that experts would support the view that they are soft drugs.
And which category would prescription medications, such as tranquilizers and painkillers, go into? We don't usually hear the term "hard drugs" applied to these medications, even when they are abused, yet some are chemically similar to heroin, while others are among the most addictive drugs around and the most dangerous to withdraw from. So the soft drug category doesn't fit for them, either.
Closing Thoughts
So the terms "hard drugs" and "soft drugs" don't tell you much about the drugs being referred to. They are used mostly for dramatic effect, to get across the speaker's perceptions about the relative harmfulness of one drug compared to another.
>>>>>>From the National Institute Of Health's National Institute Of Drug Abuse website
NIDA has inside the US a government granted monopoly on the production of medical marijuana for research purposes. In the past, the institute has refused to supply marijuana to researchers who had obtained all other necessary federal permits. Medical marijuana researchers and activists claim that NIDA, which is not supposed to be a regulatory organization, does not have the authority to effectively regulate who does and doesn't get to do research with medical marijuana. Jag Davies of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) writes in MAPS Bulletin
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a membership-based 501(c)(3)organization working to raise awareness and understanding of psychedelic substances. MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin, and is now based in Santa Cruz, California.
MAPS helps scientists design, fund, and obtain regulatory approval for studies of the safety and effectiveness of a number of controlled substances. MAPS works closely with government regulatory authorities worldwide such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to ensure that all of its sponsored research protocols conform to ethical and procedural guidelines for clinical drug research. Included in MAPS' research efforts are MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); LSD and psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety, cluster headaches, and depression associated with end-of-life issues; ibogaine for the treatment of opiateaddiction, ayahuasca for the treatment of drug addiction and PTSD; medical marijuana for PTSD; and alternative delivery systems for medical marijuana such as vaporizers and water pipes. MAPS officials say the organization's ultimate goal is to establish a network of clinics where these and other treatments can be provided together with other therapies under the guidance of trained, licensed physicians and therapists.[1]
In addition to sponsoring scientific research, MAPS organizes continuing medical education (CME) conferences, sponsors and presents lectures and seminars on the state of psychedelic and medical marijuana research, provides psychedelic harm reduction services through the Zendo Project at events such as music festivals and Burning Man, and publishes a triannual magazine-style publication, the MAPS Bulletin, with updates about its ongoing research efforts, legal struggles, and educational initiatives. MAPS also publishes books dealing with the science, history, and culture of psychedelic research and psychedelic therapy.
MAPS has completed the first double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the therapeutic use of LSD in human beings since the early 1970s.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a semi-synthetic compound first developed in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hofmann at the Sandoz pharmaceutical company in Basel, Switzerland. After Dr. Hofmann first discovered its effects in 1943, LSD quickly became recognized for its possible therapeutic effects. LSD also played a significant role in the discovery of the serotonin neurotransmitter system.
Our completed Phase 2 pilot study in 12 subjects found positive trends in the reduction of anxiety following two LSD-assisted psychotherapy sessions. The study results also indicate that LSD-assisted psychotherapy can be safely administered in these subjects, and justify further research.
LSD is known for its ability to catalyze spiritual or mystical experiences and to facilitate feelings of interconnection. MAPS is interested in this substance for its potential to help people with a variety of conditions, focusing primarily on the treatment of anxiety associated with life-threatening illness, as well as for spiritual uses, creativity, and personal growth.
There is considerable previous human experience using LSD in the context of psychotherapy. From the 1950s through the early 1970s, psychiatrists, therapists, and researchers administered LSD to thousands of people as a treatment for alcoholism, as well as for anxiety and depression in people with advanced stage cancer. MAPS' completed and future research conforms to modern drug development standards, and will help guide the development of additional research into the risks and benefits of LSD-assisted psychotherapy.
Search our comprehensive Psychedelic Bibliography for scientific literature on the risks and benefits of LSD and other psychedelics.
My first post doesn't reflect my opinion, Nugs, I was just posting the official government position. The comments in my second post are more aligned with my thinking, and better answer the OP.
Fair enough. I think the doctor's closing comments in my second response answer your question.
Words like hard and soft are subjective. It's all what you make of it. How hard or soft do you want to make it? Are you going to just blindly ingest a substance, or are you going to learn what a sufficient dose is, what effects may occur, and the expected duration? Are you paying attention to where you are, and what is going on around you, the Set and Setting? It's really as hard as you make it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Oaksterdam Dan
Hardly
Hardly
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Ken D.
Depends on how much you
Depends on how much you ingest. Might not affect the body much, but eat too much and it can wack you out.
"I've seen those guys walking around my neighborhood that took too much acid, man. The one guy, his head's swelled up like a pumpkin." - Richard "Cheech" Marin.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: 2 Room Shack
local lore is the HS football
local lore is the HS football coach's son ran from the cops with a sheet in his sock...
he didn't have a pro career....
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ogkb
hard to find the pure.
hard to find the pure.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Where Does The Time Go?
i think it falls more in the
i think it falls more in the 'Heavy' category.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: 2 Room Shack
heavy could be accurate.
heavy could be accurate.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
Provocative thread u got goin
Provocative thread u got goin here, tortuga.
afternoon, pyramid and L. monkey
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: 2 Room Shack
i know it's right up your
i know it's right up your alley, sally...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ogkb
what up, E, errybody.
what up, E, errybody.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
Dontchu ever Sally me in your
Dontchu ever Sally me in your phish covering Robert Palmer alley, turtle.
DONT CHU EVAH!!!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lucky Day
Furious E secretly loves the
Furious E secretly loves the Phish
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
I'll admit to watching parts
I'll admit to watching parts of the last bgcc stream and supplying "hard" drugs to some zoner(s) who attended but that's about as far as it goes
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Hitchhiker awaiting "true call"
It's harder to enjoy most
It's harder to enjoy most settings these days.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
It’s not soft
It’s not soft
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: smokestack
alcohol is a hard drug
alcohol is a hard drug
lsd is not
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Hitchhiker awaiting "true call"
Can you have a beer with
Can you have a beer with tacos, Lightning?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Chavo
Ya it's hard for sure. Hard
Ya it's hard for sure. Hard to get that fucked up on "most" anything else. Sure it's not the same as it used to be for the most part but you can still go places that not much else can touch. Go for a multi day coke bender then pop a ten strip or whatnot that will wake you right the fuck up:).YMMV of course but I have always been amazed at the power of it. I am old to the point I wont even go out in public anymore unless at a safe festival or something. Kick the kids n wife out have some decent accoutrements at the ready fire up the vintage gear with dead vids on autoplay so you don't get stuck trying to figure out how to get the next show to play:) haha
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
Viagra is a hard drug
Viagra is a hard drug
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Furious E
Beat me to it, fabes
Beat me to it, fabes
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Is DMT a hard drug? Still
Is DMT a hard drug? Still haven’t had the chance to give it a whirl
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: ogkb
now we are just naming all
now we are just naming all the most fun drugs.
n,n ftw (imo).
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jeff
Last time I took it was last
Last time I took it was last NYE at an 80's dance party. Never knew how much I liked the Pet Shop Boys. Ha ha ha! My GF thought I was crazy.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jeff
Ween and mushrooms fit
Ween and mushrooms fit nicely together like a hand in glove BTW.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Deadly
It was "hard" to focus in
It was "hard" to focus in front of Jerry.
Mostly when hanging on ... Hardly!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Old Fart Message Board
It’s not exactly a hard drug
It’s not exactly a hard drug but it is definitely a serious drug and should be taken seriously. I honestly would never eat it again after my last experience. I guess that means it’s not a hard drug. Again it’s to be taken serious. Can absolutely damage yourself by taking too much or too frequently.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
After reading your post At
After reading your post At the moment I feel the urge to dose after a couple of decades.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Def. High
The question is meaningless.
The question is meaningless. Drugs have many characteristics, but hardness is not one of them,.
Sometime L is hard to find.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Tim
it's a fun drug
it's a fun drug
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Scott Schaffer
that's what she said
that's what she said
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
Our government seems to think
Our government seems to think so. Their notes indicate it isn't highly addictive, and that their main concerns are disorientation in the short term and prolonged psychosis in the long term.
From the National Institute Of Health's National Institute Of Drug Abuse website:
>>>>>>
Drugs that cause profound distortions in a person’s perceptions of reality, such as ketamine, LSD, mescaline (peyote), PCP, psilocybin, salvia, DMT, and ayahuasca.
Hallucinogens and dissociative drugs—which have street names like acid, angel dust, and vitamin K—distort the way a user perceives time, motion, colors, sounds, and self. These drugs can disrupt a person’s ability to think and communicate rationally, or even to recognize reality, sometimes resulting in bizarre or dangerous behavior. Hallucinogens such as LSD, psilocybin, peyote, DMT, and ayahuasca cause emotions to swing wildly and real-world sensations to appear unreal, sometimes frightening. Dissociative drugs like PCP, ketamine, dextromethorphan, and Salvia divinorum may make a user feel out of control and disconnected from their body and environment.
In addition to their short-term effects on perception and mood, hallucinogenic drugs are associated with psychotic-like episodes that can occur long after a person has taken the drug, and dissociative drugs can cause respiratory depression, heart rate abnormalities, and a withdrawal syndrome. The good news is that use of hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs among U.S. high school students, in general, has remained relatively low in recent years. However, the introduction of new hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs is of particular concern.
NIDA research is developing a clearer picture of the dangers of hallucinogenic and dissociative drugs. We have compiled the scientific information in this report to inform readers and hopefully prevent the use of these drugs.
How Do Hallucinogens Work?
Classic hallucinogens are thought to produce their perception-altering effects by acting on neural circuits in the brain that use the neurotransmitter serotonin (Passie, 2008; Nichols, 2004; Schindler, 2012; Lee, 2012). Specifically, some of their most prominent effects occur in the prefrontal cortex—an area involved in mood, cognition, and perception—as well as other regions important in regulating arousal and physiological responses to stress and panic.
What Are the Short-Term Effects of Hallucinogens?
Ingesting hallucinogenic drugs can cause users to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Their effects typically begin within 20 to 90 minutes of ingestion and can last as long as 12 hours. Experiences are often unpredictable and may vary with the amount ingested and the user’s personality, mood, expectations, and surroundings. The effects of hallucinogens like LSD can be described as drug-induced psychosis—distortion or disorganization of a person’s capacity to recognize reality, think rationally, or communicate with others. Users refer to LSD and other hallucinogenic experiences as “trips” and to acute adverse or unpleasant experiences as “bad trips.” On some trips, users experience sensations that are enjoyable and mentally stimulating and that produce a sense of heightened understanding. Bad trips, however, include terrifying thoughts and nightmarish feelings of anxiety and despair that include fears of losing control, insanity, or death.
Like LSD and psilocybin, DMT produces its effects through action at serotonin (5-HT) receptors in the brain (Strassman, 1996). Some research has suggested that DMT occurs naturally in the human brain in small quantities, leading to the hypothesis that release of endogenous DMT may be involved in reports of alien abductions, spontaneous mystical experiences, and near-death experiences, but this remains controversial (Barker, 2012).
Specific short-term effects of LSD, psilocybin, peyote, DMT, and ayahuasca include:
LSD
Increased blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature
Dizziness and sleeplessness
Loss of appetite, dry mouth,and sweating
Numbness, weakness, and tremors
Impulsiveness and rapid emotional shifts that can range from fear to euphoria, with transitions so rapid that the user may seem to experience several emotions simultaneously
Psilocybin
Feelings of relaxation (similar to effects of low doses of marijuana)
Nervousness, paranoia, and panic reactions
Introspective/spiritual experiences
Misidentification of poisonous mushrooms resembling psilocybin could lead to unintentional, potentially fatal poisoning
Peyote
Increased body temperature and heart rate
Uncoordinated movements (ataxia)
Profound sweating
Flushing
DMT
Increased heart rate
Agitation
Hallucinations frequently involving radically altered environments as well as body and spatial distortions
Ayahuasca
Increased blood pressure
Severe vomiting (induced by the tea)
Profoundly altered state of awareness and perceptions of otherworldly imagery
Short-Term General Effects of Hallucinogens
Sensory Effects
Hallucinations, including seeing, hearing, touching, or smelling things in a distorted way or perceiving things that do not exist
Intensified feelings and sensory experiences (brighter colors, sharper sounds)
Mixed senses (“seeing” sounds or “hearing” colors)
Changes in sense or perception of time (time goes by slowly)
Physical Effects
Increased energy and heart rate
Nausea
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Hallucinogens?
LSD users quickly develop a high degree of tolerance to the drug’s effects, such that repeated use requires increasingly larger doses to produce similar effects. Use of hallucinogenic drugs also produces tolerance to other drugs in this class, including psilocybin and peyote. Use of classic hallucinogens does not, however, produce tolerance to drugs that do not act directly on the same brain cell receptors. In other words, there is no cross-tolerance to drugs that act on other neurotransmitter systems, such as marijuana, amphetamines, or PCP, among others. Furthermore, tolerance for hallucinogenic drugs is short-lived—it is lost if the user stops taking the drugs for several days—and physical withdrawal symptoms are not typically experienced when chronic use is stopped.
The long-term residual psychological and cognitive effects of peyote remain poorly understood. Although one study found no evidence of psychological or cognitive deficits among Native Americans who use peyote regularly in a religious setting, those findings may not generalize to those who repeatedly abuse the drug for recreational purposes (Halpern, 2005). Peyote users may also experience hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD)—also often referred to as flashbacks. The active ingredient mescaline has also been associated, in at least one report, to fetal abnormalities (Gilmore, 2001).
Long-term effects of DMT use and abuse and addiction liability are currently unknown. Unlike most other hallucinogens, DMT does not appear to induce tolerance (Winstock, 2013).
As with some other hallucinogens, there is little information to suggest that ayahuasca use creates lasting physiological or neurological deficits, especially among those using the brew for religious activities.
Overall, two long-term effects—persistent psychosis and HPPD—have been associated with use of classic hallucinogens (see text box below). Although occurrence of either is rare, it is also unpredictable and may happen more often than previously thought, and sometimes both conditions occur together. While the exact causes are not known, both conditions are more often seen in individuals with a history of psychological problems but can happen to anyone, even after a single exposure. There is no established treatment for HPPD, in which flashbacks may occur spontaneously and repeatedly although less intensely than their initial occurrence. Some antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs can be prescribed to help improve mood and treat psychoses, however. Psychotherapy may also help patients cope with fear or confusion associated with visual disturbances or other consequences of long-term LSD use. More research on the causes, incidence, and long-term effects of both disorders is being conducted.
Long-Term Effects of Hallucinogens
Persistent psychosis
Visual disturbances
Disorganized thinking
Paranoia
Mood disturbances
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)
Hallucinations
Other visual disturbances (such as seeing halos or trails attached to moving objects)
Symptoms sometimes mistaken for neurological disorders (such as stroke or brain tumor)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Def. High
Wow, sounds like scary stuff.
Wow, sounds like scary stuff. I'd never take any of those things.
Oh, wait, I've taken them over a hundred times with no lasting negative effects - really, no negative effects at all.
Never really had a "bad trip" - just a few where I got a little scared for a time. It passed.
Still waiting for my flashbacks.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
This seems to give an
This seems to give an unbiased answer to your question, Turtle:
The Differences Between Hard and Soft Drugs
By Elizabeth Hartney, PhD | Reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
Updated February 14, 2018
The terms "soft drugs" and "hard drugs" are arbitrary terms with little to no clear criteria or scientific basis.
Typically, the term "hard drug" has been used to categorize drugs that are addictive and injectable, notably, heroin, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine. Marijuana is usually the only drug included within the category of "soft" drugs, although some people include nicotine and alcohol in the soft drug category because of their legal status for use by adults, and their relative social acceptability compared to illegal drugs. The term "soft drug" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term gateway drug, a term that is equally inaccurate.
Questions Raised by These Terms
Use of the terms "hard" and "soft" drugs raises more questions than it answers. Is a drug only "hard" when it is injected? Surely heroin, crack, and meth is not "soft" drugs when they are smoked. With these drugs, it is the purity, amount, frequency of use, social context, and route of administration that typically determines how harmful it is.
And the implication that marijuana is a soft or relatively harmless drug is being increasingly questioned. There are several different types of marijuana, with hashish and hash oil traditionally being thought of as harder forms of cannabis. However, stronger strains of weed are being genetically engineered and longer-term harms are becoming more apparent.
Criminological research shows that few drug offenders limit themselves to only one drug, bringing into question the idea that drug users are able to limit themselves to a single "soft" drug, although there is a clear pattern among this population of progression from marijuana to heroin.
Difficulties With Categorization
If we were to categorize drugs according to how hard or soft they are, several drugs would be particularly difficult to categorize. Hallucinogens, such as magic mushrooms and LSD, and the rave drug ecstasy, are generally not considered by users to be addictive -- although some research tells a different story. But given the lower incidence of addiction to these drugs and the fact that they are taken orally rather than injected, would they be considered soft drugs? As the risks associated with bad trips and flashbacks are well-documented, and with their status as controlled drugs, it is unlikely that experts would support the view that they are soft drugs.
And which category would prescription medications, such as tranquilizers and painkillers, go into? We don't usually hear the term "hard drugs" applied to these medications, even when they are abused, yet some are chemically similar to heroin, while others are among the most addictive drugs around and the most dangerous to withdraw from. So the soft drug category doesn't fit for them, either.
Closing Thoughts
So the terms "hard drugs" and "soft drugs" don't tell you much about the drugs being referred to. They are used mostly for dramatic effect, to get across the speaker's perceptions about the relative harmfulness of one drug compared to another.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Oaksterdam Dan
>>>>>>From the National
>>>>>>From the National Institute Of Health's National Institute Of Drug Abuse website
NIDA has inside the US a government granted monopoly on the production of medical marijuana for research purposes. In the past, the institute has refused to supply marijuana to researchers who had obtained all other necessary federal permits. Medical marijuana researchers and activists claim that NIDA, which is not supposed to be a regulatory organization, does not have the authority to effectively regulate who does and doesn't get to do research with medical marijuana. Jag Davies of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) writes in MAPS Bulletin
http://www.maps.org/
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a membership-based 501(c)(3)organization working to raise awareness and understanding of psychedelic substances. MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin, and is now based in Santa Cruz, California.
MAPS helps scientists design, fund, and obtain regulatory approval for studies of the safety and effectiveness of a number of controlled substances. MAPS works closely with government regulatory authorities worldwide such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to ensure that all of its sponsored research protocols conform to ethical and procedural guidelines for clinical drug research. Included in MAPS' research efforts are MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); LSD and psilocybin for the treatment of anxiety, cluster headaches, and depression associated with end-of-life issues; ibogaine for the treatment of opiateaddiction, ayahuasca for the treatment of drug addiction and PTSD; medical marijuana for PTSD; and alternative delivery systems for medical marijuana such as vaporizers and water pipes. MAPS officials say the organization's ultimate goal is to establish a network of clinics where these and other treatments can be provided together with other therapies under the guidance of trained, licensed physicians and therapists.[1]
In addition to sponsoring scientific research, MAPS organizes continuing medical education (CME) conferences, sponsors and presents lectures and seminars on the state of psychedelic and medical marijuana research, provides psychedelic harm reduction services through the Zendo Project at events such as music festivals and Burning Man, and publishes a triannual magazine-style publication, the MAPS Bulletin, with updates about its ongoing research efforts, legal struggles, and educational initiatives. MAPS also publishes books dealing with the science, history, and culture of psychedelic research and psychedelic therapy.
http://www.maps.org/
LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy
MAPS has completed the first double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the therapeutic use of LSD in human beings since the early 1970s.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a semi-synthetic compound first developed in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hofmann at the Sandoz pharmaceutical company in Basel, Switzerland. After Dr. Hofmann first discovered its effects in 1943, LSD quickly became recognized for its possible therapeutic effects. LSD also played a significant role in the discovery of the serotonin neurotransmitter system.
Our completed Phase 2 pilot study in 12 subjects found positive trends in the reduction of anxiety following two LSD-assisted psychotherapy sessions. The study results also indicate that LSD-assisted psychotherapy can be safely administered in these subjects, and justify further research.
LSD is known for its ability to catalyze spiritual or mystical experiences and to facilitate feelings of interconnection. MAPS is interested in this substance for its potential to help people with a variety of conditions, focusing primarily on the treatment of anxiety associated with life-threatening illness, as well as for spiritual uses, creativity, and personal growth.
There is considerable previous human experience using LSD in the context of psychotherapy. From the 1950s through the early 1970s, psychiatrists, therapists, and researchers administered LSD to thousands of people as a treatment for alcoholism, as well as for anxiety and depression in people with advanced stage cancer. MAPS' completed and future research conforms to modern drug development standards, and will help guide the development of additional research into the risks and benefits of LSD-assisted psychotherapy.
Search our comprehensive Psychedelic Bibliography for scientific literature on the risks and benefits of LSD and other psychedelics.
LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy: MAPS-Sponsored Clinical Trials
LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness
LSD and Psilocybin Documents & Resources
Documents & Resources
Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
My first post doesn't reflect
My first post doesn't reflect my opinion, Nugs, I was just posting the official government position. The comments in my second post are more aligned with my thinking, and better answer the OP.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Oaksterdam Dan
Dave was typing my post
Dave was typing my post between your two posts that why I removed you after reading your second one after I posted mine.
All Apologies!!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
It's all good, Nugs.
It's all good, Nugs.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Zoner
It can be a difficult drug.
It can be a difficult drug.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
The guy who first synthesized
The guy who first synthesized it, Albert Hoffman, wrote a book called "LSD, My Problem Child" about it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: 2 Room Shack
too much cntl+C cntrl+V
too much cntl+C cntrl+V
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
Fair enough. I think the
Fair enough. I think the doctor's closing comments in my second response answer your question.
Words like hard and soft are subjective. It's all what you make of it. How hard or soft do you want to make it? Are you going to just blindly ingest a substance, or are you going to learn what a sufficient dose is, what effects may occur, and the expected duration? Are you paying attention to where you are, and what is going on around you, the Set and Setting? It's really as hard as you make it.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skifurthur
Oh, wait, I've taken them
I'm starting to think that hanging around a dbmb falls into the negative effect catagory. ;-)
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: 2 Room Shack
what about takng it and the
what about takng it and the phil and jill bar and grille and try to enjoy yourself when surrounded by boorish humans?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Def. High
Lol.
Lol.
Outdoors is mo bettah.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: |-|/-\|_|_
>>>supplying "hard" drugs to
>>>supplying "hard" drugs to some zoner(s) who attended
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhlSvVxLYjw
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: |-|/-\|_|_
>>>too much cntl+C cntrl+V
>>>too much cntl+C cntrl+V
ctrl freak