LSD Fact Sheet
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Hallucinogens - LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin, and PCP
Information for Behavioral Health Providers in Primary Care Hallucinogens - LSD, Peyote, Psilocybin, and PCP What are Hallucinogens? Hallucinogenic compounds found in some plants and mushrooms (or their extracts) have been used— mostly during religious rituals—for centuries. Almost all hallucinogens contain nitrogen and are classified as alkaloids. Many hallucinogens have chemical structures similar to those of natural neurotransmitters (e.g., acetylcholine-, serotonin-, or catecholamine-like). While the exact mechanisms by which hallucinogens exert their effects remain unclear, research suggests that these drugs work, at least partially, by temporarily interfering with neurotransmitter action or by binding to their receptor sites. This InfoFacts will discuss four common types of hallucinogens: LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals. It was discovered in 1938 and is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Peyote is a small, spineless cactus in which the principal active ingredient is mescaline. This plant has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of religious ceremonies. Mescaline can also be produced through chemical synthesis. Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine) is obtained from certain types of mushrooms that are indigenous to tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Mexico, and the United States. These mushrooms typically contain less than 0.5 percent psilocybin plus trace amounts of psilocin, another hallucinogenic substance. PCP (phencyclidine) was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic. Its use has since been discontinued due to serious adverse effects. How Are Hallucinogens Abused? The very same characteristics that led to the incorporation of hallucinogens into ritualistic or spiritual traditions have also led to their propagation as drugs of abuse. -
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Handbook FOREWARD
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Handbook FOREWARD Grayson College recognizes that the illicit use of drugs and/or the abuse of alcohol are a persistent health problem of major proportion affecting our society physically, mentally, and socially. Illicit drug use and /or alcohol abuse can adversely affect an individual’s personal life, safety, health, and mental and physical performance. It is the intent of GC to provide employees and students pertinent information related to illicit drug use and/or alcohol abuse in an effort to prevent such harm. GC is committed to promoting and maintaining a work and academic environment that is free from illegal alcohol and drug use and abuse, in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Students, employees, and visitors are prohibited from possessing, consuming, manufacturing, dispensing, or being under the influence of alcohol/illegal drugs or engaging in improper self- medication while on college property or college business. Any member of the college community who violates this policy is subject to both prosecution and punishment under federal, state, and local laws to disciplinary proceedings by the college. This alcohol/drug policy is not designed to punish people for seeking rehabilitation. All information about those individuals who voluntarily avail themselves of drug or alcohol counseling or rehabilitation will not be used as a basis for disciplinary action or be used against an individual in any way. College employees and students who violate the alcohol/drug policy shall be informed about and referred to services to assist them in determining whether they are abusing drugs and alcohol or are chemically dependent. -
Neurobiology of Addiction and Implications for Treatment
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY (2003), 182, 97^100 EDITORIAL partial agonist, this drug stimulates the D Neurobiology of addiction and implications 33 receptor enough to keep withdrawal at for treatment bay, but not enough to cause a ‘high’ or to be rewarding. It is currently in phase 1 trials. One drug that affects the dopaminergic ANNE LINGFORD-HUGHES and DAVID NUTT system and has proven efficacy in the treat- ment of nicotine addiction is bupropion (Jorenby(Jorenby et aletal, 1999). The exact mechanism underlying this effect still has to be fully characterised; however, it has been shown that bupropion increases dopamine and noradrenaline levels by acting as an uptake Drug and alcohol misuse result in immense withdrawal as well. In an elegant series of inhibitor (Ascher et aletal, 1995).,1995). harm at both individual and societal level. experiments, Schultz (2001) found that in Our understanding of the neuropharma- primates trained to associate a cue with a cology of these disorders is increasing pleasurable experience (food), increased Related systems involved in reward through the use of approaches such as dopaminergic activity was seen in response Our understanding of other neurotrans- neuroimaging and gene targeting and the to the cue and not to the food. If the food mitter systems that are involved in reward availability of specific receptor agonists was not then presented, dopaminergic and that may modulate dopaminergic and antagonists. Our aim here is to describe function dropped. Reduced dopaminergic activity provides further targets for some interesting new findings that are function is thought to be associated with pharmacotherapy. likely to inform advances in treatment. -
Hallucinogens and Dissociative Drugs
Long-Term Effects of Hallucinogens See page 5. from the director: Research Report Series 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 HALLUCINOGENS AND emotions to swing wildly and real-world sensations to appear unreal, sometimes frightening. Dissociative drugs like PCP, DISSOCIATIVE DRUGS ketamine, dextromethorphan, and Salvia divinorum may make a user feel out of Including LSD, Psilocybin, Peyote, DMT, Ayahuasca, control and disconnected from their body PCP, Ketamine, Dextromethorphan, and Salvia and environment. In addition to their short-term effects What Are on perception and mood, hallucinogenic Hallucinogens and drugs are associated with psychotic- like episodes that can occur long after Dissociative Drugs? a person has taken the drug, and dissociative drugs can cause respiratory allucinogens are a class of drugs that cause hallucinations—profound distortions depression, heart rate abnormalities, and in a person’s perceptions of reality. Hallucinogens can be found in some plants and a withdrawal syndrome. The good news is mushrooms (or their extracts) or can be man-made, and they are commonly divided that use of hallucinogenic and dissociative Hinto two broad categories: classic hallucinogens (such as LSD) and dissociative drugs (such drugs among U.S. high school students, as PCP). When under the influence of either type of drug, people often report rapid, intense in general, has remained relatively low in emotional swings and seeing images, hearing sounds, and feeling sensations that seem real recent years. -
Annual Report 2018 -2019
ANNUAL REPORT 2018 -2019 the beckley foundation annual report CONTENTS ABOUT THE FOUNDATION UPCOMING RESEARCH 1 1 3 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS 2 14 UN SUSTAINABILITY GOALS DRUG POLICY REFORM 3-4 15-18 ADVISORY BOARD ACCESS 5-6 19 SCIENCE EVENTS & MEDIA BECKLEY/BRAZIL 7-8 20-22 BECKLEY/IMPERIAL FUNDING 9-10 22 BECKLEY/MAASTRICHT COLLABORATIONS 11-12 23 BECKLEY/ICEERS THANK YOU 12 24 11 ABOUT THE BECKLEY FOUNDATION Mission Our aim is to harness the power of science in order to integrate psychoactive substances into society as safe & effective tools to treat a broad range of health conditions and to enhance wellbeing. Amanda Feilding Amanda Feilding has been studying the mechanisms underlying the effects of psychedelics since 1966. In 1998, she set up the Beckley Foundation in order to open up the doors of scientific research into the potential benefits of psychedelics, and to develop a scientific evidence base to help reform global drug policies, so that these compounds can be made available to patients in need. The Three Pillars of the Beckley Foundation Science Policy Access The Beckley Foundation’s The Policy Programme Access provides Scientific Programme, provides a rigorous, Amanda Feilding with led by Amanda Feilding, independent review a platform to deliver develops and conducts of current global drug on her goal to develop psychedelic research policies, and for over innovative solutions through an international 20 years has been that ensure psychedelic network of collaborative developing a scientific treatments are made partnerships with leading evidence-base on available for those in scientists and institutions which to build balanced need, in the years ahead. -
Professor David J Nutt
2016 BAP LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Professor David J Nutt David Nutt received the BAP Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2016 summer meeting in Brighton. It gives me much pleasure to write about his long and very productive career in both preclinical and clinical psychopharmacology. I am primarily emphasizing his scientific achievements, both internationally and domestic, and his role in making the public aware of the need for evidence-based clinical science. It is scarcely necessary to detail his commitment to the BAP both as a former President and also editor of the Journal of Psychopharmacology for over 25 years. I have known David for nearly 35 years ever since he joined the MRC Clinical Pharmacology Unit in Oxford and undertook preclinical research for his MD. His enormous enthusiasm for both basic and clinical pharmacology and his impressive abilities were apparent from the outset, and in just 3 years we published together 11 papers and a book chapter, all in major journals (he also published work with other colleagues). A particular interest of David was the translation of basic research to clinical studies in psychiatry, something both David Grahame-Smith, the Unit Director, and I were already enthusiastic about. He then undertook clinical research in psychiatry in Oxford before appointments at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, the University of Bristol and now Imperial College, London. David’s commitment to communicating clinical pharmacology research to the public is, of course, known to many people, and he has been tireless in demonstrating the need for evidence-based decision making when discussing the risks and benefits of drugs, particularly recreational drugs. -
From Sacred Plants to Psychotherapy
From Sacred Plants to Psychotherapy: The History and Re-Emergence of Psychedelics in Medicine By Dr. Ben Sessa ‘The rejection of any source of evidence is always treason to that ultimate rationalism which urges forward science and philosophy alike’ - Alfred North Whitehead Introduction: What exactly is it that fascinates people about the psychedelic drugs? And how can we best define them? 1. Most psychiatrists will define psychedelics as those drugs that cause an acute confusional state. They bring about profound alterations in consciousness and may induce perceptual distortions as part of an organic psychosis. 2. Another definition for these substances may come from the cross-cultural dimension. In this context psychedelic drugs may be recognised as ceremonial religious tools, used by some non-Western cultures in order to communicate with the spiritual world. 3. For many lay people the psychedelic drugs are little more than illegal and dangerous drugs of abuse – addictive compounds, not to be distinguished from cocaine and heroin, which are only understood to be destructive - the cause of an individual, if not society’s, destruction. 4. But two final definitions for psychedelic drugs – and those that I would like the reader to have considered by the end of this article – is that the class of drugs defined as psychedelic, can be: a) Useful and safe medical treatments. Tools that as adjuncts to psychotherapy can be used to alleviate the symptoms and course of many mental illnesses, and 1 b) Vital research tools with which to better our understanding of the brain and the nature of consciousness. Classifying psychedelic drugs: 1,2 The drugs that are often described as the ‘classical’ psychedelics include LSD-25 (Lysergic Diethylamide), Mescaline (3,4,5- trimethoxyphenylathylamine), Psilocybin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) and DMT (dimethyltryptamine). -
UIT CAMBRIDGE Rights Catalogue the Physics of Everyday Life Extraordinary Insights Into Everyday Physics Professor Jo Hermans
UIT CAMBRIDGE rights catalogue The Physics of Everyday Life Extraordinary insights into everyday physics Professor Jo Hermans Description: This book brings the magic of physics to everyday life. With a glass of water, a few drops of milk and a torch, readers will be able to demonstrate why the sky looks blue during the day, but seems to turn red at sunset – and astound their friends by telling them how fast one can cycle on the moon. It will appeal to teenagers and their parents alike. 198 mm x 129 mm, 1 September 2018, Paperback The Author Prof. Jo Hermans is Emeritus Professor of Physics at Leiden University in the Key Selling Points: Netherlands. In addition to his academic research and teaching career he is active in • A best-seller in the Netherlands promoting and explaining science for the general public. He writes a books on everyday where it was originally published science which have been translated worldwide. He was appointed Knight in the Order of • A popular science book focusing Oranje-Nassau by Queen Beatrix in 2010. on the physics ruling everyday phenomena Contents: • Full of theoretical explanations OUTDOOR LIFE 8. Why is the sky blue (and the setting sun red)? and practical experiments 1. GPS navigation, how does it work? (With a tip SOUND AND HEARING of the hat to Einstein) 9. What do our ears hear? BICYCLE AND CAR 10. Why is there not more noise pollution? 2. The human engine when idling IN AND AROUND THE HOUSE 3. Me? A vacuum cleaner? 11. The lid on the pan 4. -
Psychoactive Substances and Transpersonal States
TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH REVIEW: PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND TRANSPERSONAL STATES David Lukoff San Francisco, California Robert Zanger Los Angeles, California Francis Lu San Francisco, California This "Research Review" covers recent trends in researching psychoactive substances and trans personal states of conscious ness during the past ten years. In keeping with the stated goals of this section of the Journal to promote research in transpersonal psychology, the focus is on the methods and trends designs which are being employed in investigations rather than during the findings on this topic. However, some recently published the books and monographs provide good summaries of the recent last findings relevant to understanding psychoactive substances ten (Cohen & Krippner, 1985b; Dobkin de Rios, 1984;Dobkin de years Rios & Winkelman, 1989b; Ratsch, 1990; Reidlinger, 1990). Because researching psychoactive substances is most broadly a cross-disciplinary venture, only a small portion of the research reviewed below was conducted by persons who consider The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Bruce Flath, head librarian at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco in conducting the computer bibliographic searches used in preparation of this article. The authors also wish to thank Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Stanley Krippner, Christel Lukoff, Dennis McKenna, Terence McKenna, Ralph Metzner, Donald Rothberg and Ilene Serlin for their valuable comments on earlier drafts of this article. Copyright © 1990 Transpersonal Institute The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. 1990, Vol. 22, No.2 107 themselves transpersonal psychologists. As Vaughan (1984) has noted, "The transpersonal perspective is a meta-perspec tive, an attempt to learn from all different disciplines . emerging from the needed integration of ancient wisdom and modern science. -
Psilocybin Mushrooms Fact Sheet
Psilocybin Mushrooms Fact Sheet January 2017 What are psilocybin, or “magic,” mushrooms? For the next two decades thousands of doses of psilocybin were administered in clinical experiments. Psilocybin is the main ingredient found in several types Psychiatrists, scientists and mental health of psychoactive mushrooms, making it perhaps the professionals considered psychedelics like psilocybin i best-known naturally-occurring psychedelic drug. to be promising treatments as an aid to therapy for a Although psilocybin is considered active at doses broad range of psychiatric diagnoses, including around 3-4 mg, a common dose used in clinical alcoholism, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, ii,iii,iv research settings ranges from 14-30 mg. Its obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression.xiii effects on the brain are attributed to its active Many more people were also introduced to psilocybin metabolite, psilocin. Psilocybin is most commonly mushrooms and other psychedelics as part of various found in wild or homegrown mushrooms and sold religious or spiritual practices, for mental and either fresh or dried. The most popular species of emotional exploration, or to enhance wellness and psilocybin mushrooms is Psilocybe cubensis, which is creativity.xiv usually taken orally either by eating dried caps and stems or steeped in hot water and drunk as a tea, with Despite this long history and ongoing research into its v a common dose around 1-2.5 grams. therapeutic and medical benefits,xv since 1970 psilocybin and psilocin have been listed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the most heavily Scientists and mental health professionals criminalized category for drugs considered to have a consider psychedelics like psilocybin to be “high potential for abuse” and no currently accepted promising treatments as an aid to therapy for a medical use – though when it comes to psilocybin broad range of psychiatric diagnoses. -
Cannabis and Psychedelics 2016(PDF)
THE BECKLEY FOUNDATION Cannabis and Psychedelics Exploring Consciousness Pioneering Research Changing Minds The Psychedelic Renaissance Since the mid-60s, the Beckley Foundation’s founder and Executive Director Amanda Feilding has had a profound interest in what changes in cerebral circulation and brain function underlie different states of consciousness. To this end, she developed collaborations with leading scientists around the world, and began initiating and directing ground-breaking academic research on psychedelics and their mechanisms of action. Results have paved the way to a better understanding of consciousness and towards therapeutic applications for mental health conditions, especially those that rest on ‘inflexible and excessively organised’ patterns of brain activity, such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD. The Beckley/Imperial Research Programme Collaboration between Amanda Feilding and Prof David Nutt (Co-Directors of the Programme) at Imperial College London Our comprehensive collaborative Programme uses the latest developments in brain imaging technology and analysis methods to measure brain blood flow, functional connectivity, and neural oscillations (rhythmical activity or ‘brain waves’) during the psychedelic experience. For the first time the brain on LSD has been revealed. Our previous studies were pioneering in capturing the patterns of brain network connectivity on psilocybin and MDMA. The data affirmed the importance of the Default Mode Network (DMN) as the mechanism underpinning the ‘ego’ and illustrated the consistent principles of the psychedelic state: disintegration (loss of integrity within networks) and de-segregation (increased connectivity between networks), creating a looser state of consciousness. Our brain imaging studies with psilocybin revealed that the stream of conscious experience that characterises the psychedelic state appears more fluid and dynamic, as well as showing a global decrease in cortical activation. -
Neural and Subjective Effects of Inhaled DMT in Natural Settings
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.19.258145; this version posted August 20, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Neural and subjective effects of inhaled DMT in natural settings Carla Pallavicini1,2 *, Federico Cavanna1,2, Federico Zamberlan1, Laura Alethia de la Fuente1, Mauricio Arias3, Celeste Romero4, Robin Carhart-Harris5, Christopher Timmermann5, Enzo Tagliazucchi1 * 1Departamento de Física, Universidad de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA – CONICET), Pabellón I, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), CABA, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2Fundación para la lucha contra las enfermedades neurológicas de la infancia (FLENI), Montañeses 2325, C1428 CABA, Buenos Aires, Argentina 3Hospital General de Agudos Donación Francisco Santojanni, Pilar 950, C1408INH CABA, Buenos Aires, Argentina 4Centro de Estudios de la Cultura Cannábica (CECCa), Humahuaca 3947, C1192ACA CABA, Buenos Aires, Argentina 5Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Kensington, London SW7 2DD, United Kingdom *Corresponding authors: [email protected] , [email protected] 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.19.258145; this version posted August 20, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. Abstract N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a short acting psychedelic tryptamine found naturally in many plants and animals.