LSD

drug-info-lsd
Friday, August 28, 2009

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most commonly used hallucinogens in New Zealand. LSD usually comes in the form of liquid, tablets or capsules, squares of gelatine or small squares of paper (blotting paper) that have been soaked in Liquid LSD.

  1. What it is

    LSD in its pure form is colourless, odourless, mildly bitter and usually in the form of white powder.

    LSD is produced in crystalline form and then diluted as a liquid for production in digestible and injectable forms.

    A relatively small amount of erogotamine tartrate is required to produce LSD. Twenty-five kilograms of erogotamine tartrate can produce five or six kilograms of pure LSD crystal, that could be produced into 100 million single dosage units

  2. Health effects

    Short-term effects
    LSD produces many physical and psychological negative short and long-term consequences; effects usually begin within 30-90 minutes after administration. The effects of LSD are unpredictable and vary between people and from occasion to occasion.

  3. Dependence, addiction and overdose risk

    LSD is not considered a physically addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug seeking behaviour. LSD for some people can cause psychological dependency for various events or occasions.

  4. Law and penalities

    LSD is illegal in New Zealand and is classified as a Class A drug scheduled under the Misuse of Drug Act 1975. This means it attracts the highest penalties possible for manufacture, sale, and use.

  5. Drug trends

    Information provided by participants in the 2005 Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS) Research Briefing suggests that LSD use has been declining in recent years. This may be due to the recent emergence of ecstasy and methamphetamine. More than 50% of methamphetamine users said that less of the people they know were using LSD compared to six months ago.

  6. Reducing the harm

    The Drug Foundation’s message is clear: no drug use is the safest drug use. But we realise there will be occasions when people ignore warnings and use drugs. In order to limit the harm from their drug use, we provide information about effective methods of drug harm minimisation. Such information directly benefits the person using drugs, and also protects the wider community.

  7. How to get help

    There are a number of treatment organisations that can help. If you felt hat you or anyone you know needs help, then you can call these services in strict confidence.

  8. Links

    http://www.shore.ac.nz/projects/Meth%20Bulletin.pdf A report from SHORE into methamphetamine and other illicit drug trends in New Zealand, published 2005, which contains some information about LSD in New Zealand.

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