Psychedelic Drugs

Hallucinogens Overview
Some of these drugs are synthesized,
others come naturally from plants
The cactus peyote and mushroom amanita
have been used since prehistoric times
Some, such as these, have religious and
spiritual use
Others were popular for just having a good
time
Psychedelics and the Brain
Agonists at Serotonin
Receptors
Strong Structural
Similarities to serotonin
Bind at serotonin
receptors
Also inhibits reuptake of
seretonin



Alters Seretonergic pathways
Serotonin
Neurotransmitter
In Body: regulates intestinal movement
In Brain, it regulates:
Mood
Appetite
Sleep
Muscle contraction
Cognitive functions learning and memory
But How Do Drugs Alter Behavior?
Normal Serotonin Activity Does Not Cause
Hallucinogenic Behavior, So Why Do
DRUGS?
Scientists arent sure
Theory:
Drugs alter the receptors shape, then activate
different effectors (end results) via different
signaling pathways
Over-stimulation of receptorsincrease
EPSCsincrease neuron firing in cerebral
cortex
Also changes gene expression that change
firing properties of neurons








Look at the structures: ALL AT
ONCE
Psilocybin Psilocin
LSD
Muscarine
Ayahuasca
Peyote
L S D: What is it?
Lysergic acid diethylamide; Acid
Odorless, colorless, bitter-tasting synthetic
substance
made from ergot
Most common, non-addictive hallucinogen
LSD: Mode of Action
After ingested by mouth or by eyes
Scientists are unsure, but believe that LSD inhibits the
reuptake of serotonin from the synapse
Serotonin primarily in cerebral cortex and locus
coeruleus
Imbalance in cerebral cortex causes alteration in thought, mood,
and perception
Imbalance in locus coeruleus
leads to bizarre sensory
experiences (auditory,
visual, and tactile
hallucinations)
Effects of LSD
Begins to work 30 min.
after ingested and can
work for over 12 hrs
Physical Effects:
Dizziness, increased
heart rate, nausea
Psychological Effects:
Sense of unreality,
hallucinations,
perception of time
Depending on:
Dose, emotions,
setting, other drugs
Bad Trips
LSD is unpredictable
Calm, spiritual trip
Or frightening, bizarre
images and strong
emotions
This can lead to feeling
dizzy, anxious, disoriented,
or paranoid
Taking LSD can destabilize
people who are already
predisposed to mental
illness, such as
schizophrenia
FL-A--S---H----B-----A------c----
---k--------s
Hallucinogen-Persisting Perception Disorder
(HPPD)
After several trips, or even just one
Constant hallucinations while NOT on LSD
No treatment, but often ends on its own after
months or years
Hallucination flashbacks could be just like other
memories
Or could be result of permanent changes to the
brain
History of Discovery
1938 Swiss doctor Albert
Hoffmann
Pharmaceutical company,
created LSD accidentally
Thought, along with other
scientists, that LSD could
cure schizophrenia, criminal
behavior, and alcoholism
Experiments did not yield
conclusive results
LSD: Social Aspects
Scientists tested LSD
Many self-tested and shared the drug with
friends
Some test subjects began smuggling LSD out
of the lab
Became popular in the 1960s before made illegal
in the 1970 Controlled Substances Act
Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters
Two Harvard professors, Timothy Leary and
Richard Alpert
CIA
Ayahuasca
Other names: Psilohuasca, Shroom-a-
huasca
Name origin: Ayahuasca means spirit
vine or vine of the souls in indigenous
languages of South America. Ayahuasca
is also called Yage or Cipo in Colombia
and Brazil respectively
History of drug: Used for healing
purposes by Amerindians of the Amazon

Preparation
Ayahuasca is made from boiling
the stem of the ayahuasca vine,
Bansteriopis caapi, with other
plants
The plants that most often
accompany the ayahuasca vine
in the mixture are called the three
campanions:
Chacruna (Psychotria viridis)
Sameruca (Pychotria
carthaginensis)
Chalipanga (Diplopterys
cabrerana)

Chemistry
Ayahuasca is often used as an
antidepressant
MAOIs in it reduce the clearing
of serotonin from the synaptic
cleft and allow DMT to travel to
neurons
MAOI causes more serotonin to
bind to serotonin receptors on
the dendrites of neurons
Causes elation and the
opposite effects of depression.

Effects
Ayahuasca can also be smoked,
inhaled, or injected to avoid the
digestive tract
Parenterally administered
ayahuasca acts quickly, but
produces a short, brief effect
Ayahuasca drink is taken orally
and passes through digestive tract
May take up to several hours to
cause an effect, but lasts for
longer periods of time
Can cause dizziness, vomiting,
and nausea
Legality
it is legal to possess ayahuasca vine, but
it is illegal to have DMT or other plants
that contain DMT, such as the chacruna
plant
under Chapter 13 of the Controlled
Substances Act, DMT is classified as a
Schedule I drug
the Drug Enforcement Administration has
found that DMT has a high potential for
abuse and there is no medical use of
DMT in treatments in the U.S
DMT lacks the accepted safety
requirements for use under medical
supervision.
Bufotenine
Bufotenine
Also called 5-HO-DMT
Weak hallucogenic tryptamine
drug
Comes from natural sources but
can be prepared synthetically
poisonous alkaloid similar in
structure to the neurotransmitter
serotonin
does not easily cross the blood-
brain barrier
secreted from glands found on
the skin and backs of toads
constricts blood vessels, which
causes a rise in blood pressure
levels.
History
Austrian chemist Handovsky
first isolated Bufotenine from
toad skin at the University of
Prague during World War I
In 1934, Heinrich Wieland
confirmed the structure of it
in his lab in Munich
In 1936, Toshio Hoshino
reported the synthesis of
bufotenine and was the first
to recreate it in a lab
Legality
Bufotenine is
classified as a
Schedule I
hallucinogen
Illegal to
manufacture, buy,
distribute, or possess
bufotenine without a
DEA license
Bufotenine cannot be
obtained by
prescription, either
Bufotenine In Fairytales
The Frog Prince, The Princess & The Frog
Peyote
Peyote
Cactus in Southwestern US and Mexico
The Sacred Plant The Key to the Door of Illusion The
Cube that Turns You On, Man



Peyote Effects
When Chewed or Drunken as Tea
10-12 hours of deep introspection
Visual and auidtory affects
Swirls of color
Time alteration
Bitter; often causes nausea and vomiting

Peyote Religion
For thousands of years, has been used by
Native American and Atzecan tribes
Integrated into their ceremonies and
religious practices and beliefs
Used as a healing remedy
Sacred Medicine
Combat physical, spiritual and social ills
Peyote Stirs Contoversy in
Supreme Court
When lawmakers tried to outlaw peyote,
they received opposition
Claimed banning the drug was a violation
of the First Amendement
Right to Religion
Peyote is legal in
some states to
certified members of
Peyote Religion

Peyote and Mescaline
Mescaline=the main component of peyote
A psychoactive alkaloid
Can be produced synthetically in labs
Psilocybin: The Drug
Schedule I drugs
contain psilocin and psilocybin
These compounds are
psychedelics and cause an
effect similar to that of LSD
Psilocybin
tryptamine and an alkaloid
posphate ester of psilocyn
and the more chemically
stable of the two
compounds
less potent than psilocin due
to higher molecular weight

Amanita Muscaria
Psychedelic chemical include
Muscarine and Muscaria, an
active alkaloid and Ibotanic
acid
Symptoms:nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, headache and
bronchospasm
With larger doses: acrimation,
hypotension and shock.
brain damage
Legal everywhere