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Urban legends about LSD

Various urban legends exist about LSD. The aura of mystique popularly associated with the drug, and a great deal of misinformation issued and propagated by anti-drug groups, particularly in United States anti-drug education programs in schools, provide fertile ground for misconceptions to take hold. Such misinformation may be propagated due to simple ignorance, or through deliberate attempts to frighten students away from LSD usage through scare tactics. An urban legend or urban myth is similar to a modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ... Misinformation is information that is incorrect, but not because of a deliberate attempt to mislead. ... Massive mark-ups for drugs, areas/drugs/index. ... Tactical politics deals with politics from a strategic perspective. ...

Bad LSD

The most famous example of this legend spreading was at Woodstock, where there was an announcement from the stage not to use "the brown acid". Expecting an LSD trip to be bad (due to concerns about contamination, or any other reason) is likely to cause the trip to be bad, perhaps reinforcing the legend. Contamination is a concern in any illegal drug market, however LSD in "blotter" form is extremely hard to tamper with, as the amount of material involved is so small. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a historic event held at Max Yasgurs 600 acre (2. ...

Blue star tattoos

One popular legend is the blue star tattoo legend. This legend frequently surfaces in American elementary and middle schools in the form of a flyer that has been photocopied through many generations, which is distributed to parents by concerned school officials. It has also become popular on Internet mailing lists and websites. This legend states that a temporary lick-and-stick tattoo soaked in LSD and made in the form of a blue star, or of popular children's cartoon characters, is being distributed to children in the area in order to get them addicted to LSD. The flyer lists an inaccurate description of the effects of LSD, some attribution (typically to a well-regarded hospital or a vaguely specified "adviser to the president"), and instructs parents to contact police if they come across the blue star tattoos. No actual cases of LSD distribution to children in this manner have ever been documented (also, LSD is not addictive^[1] and unlikely to be enjoyed by an unwitting user so there is no motivation for a dealer to do this^{[citation needed]}). The legend is debunked at Snopes. As a final note, even if this or a similar legend were true, propagating a warning about a specific tattoo design would be unlikely to help matters, since those responsible could simply switch designs. The blue star tattoo legend frequently surfaces in American elementary and middle schools in the form of a flyer that has been photocopied through many generations, which is distributed to parents by concerned school officials. ...

Retention of LSD in spinal fluid

A legend with particular appeal to anti-drug educators who wish to instill a fear of the potential long-term effects of LSD in their pupils, and also among casual high school age LSD users, is that the body stores crystallized LSD in spinal fluid or in fat cells, which at some point dislodges and causes horrific flashbacks, perhaps years later. Although the body does store some toxins in fat tissue, and residues of some drugs and toxins can be found in spinal fluid, LSD is not among these. LSD is metabolized by the liver, and has an elimination half-life of around 2.5 hours [1] Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear bodily fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space in the brain (the space between the skull and the cerebral cortex—more specifically, between the arachnoid and pia layers of the meninges). ... Adipocytes are the cells that primarily compose adipose tissue, specialized in storing energy as fat. ...

Different types of LSD

^{[dubious – discuss]}

A popular legend with high school and college age users is that there are different "types" of LSD, which produce different types of trips. The types are usually associated with a particular blotter paper design or other dosage form (e.g. sugarcube or geltab), and the resultant trips associated with each dosage form are typically described in terms such as that "blue pyramids [a blotter paper design] give body trips" (a trip of mainly physical sensations with not much mental effect) or a "head trip" (the reverse, mainly mental effects with little physical sensations) or "great visuals" (hallucinations).

While there is no actual physical variation in the LSD molecules carried on different substrates, this legend is self-reinforcing insofar as a user taking LSD who strongly expects to have a particular type of experience due to ingesting a particular substrate is thus much more likely to actually have that particular kind of experience. The only substantial differences could be the amount of micrograms per "dose".^{[citation needed]}

An analogue of LSD could be present in material sold as LSD, such as ALD-52, which produces a less stimulating and more mental trip.^{[citation needed]} As with any other chemical compound, D-lysergic acid diethylamide will have differing effects on each person, therefore person A may experience a more physical "trip" from person B.

Alternatively, the dopant may not be related to LSD-25 or even tryptamine in nature. A well spanned series of phenylamines exist, given the name 2C and 3C to denote the number of carbons in a side chain connecting an amine to a central benzine ring; with 3C compounds being the amphetamine group to which the more infamous MDMA belongs. The members of these groups often differ only in a halide present on the central ring, with the surface charge of this halide contributing to the biochemical bonding properties of the compound at the synapses. Despite producing a wide range of mind-altering effects and at varying intensities, prior to analogue drugs laws, these compounds could be legally distributed through headshops and online stores. Rather than selling them as compounds that mimic illegal substances, or produce similar effects, they were sold to the public as research chemicals; earning them the street name RCs. As they also contain a pair of oxygen molecules branched from the central ring, they may be referred to as DOx, a shorthand of dioxy with the x being replaced by I, B, C and so on to represent a halide. Some of these compounds possess extremely long lived hallucinogenic properties, with personal trip reports mentioning durations from 24 hours to days.

Due to the universally illegal nature of LSD-25, the ease with which undoped blotter may be made or purchased, and the difficulty involved in obtaining and culturing ergot to produce LSD-25s precursor, lysegic acid, it became common to dope blotter with the more readily available hallucinogenic RCs.

Many users do not enjoy the bodily sensations of RC blotters, that may remind them ampethamine like substances, and prefer the more clear, pure psychological effect of genuine LSD; considering RC blotter to be a lesser. Others see the compounds as unique in their own right and have set about exploring the lexicon of analogues available, often having select favourites for their particular balance of effects.

The safety of RCs is questionable. Their sale was made illegal in many countries under analogue drugs laws and a small number of deaths have involved their use; although at least some of these have also involved the simultaneous use of MDMA.

Tryptamine based substance users are often well aware that experiences can be intensified and/or extended through the simultaneously use of monoamine inhibitors (MAOIs) that block the reuptake of serotonin in the synapses, causing it to accumulate, creating the feeling of happiness that gives them their pharmacological role as antidepressants; as tryptamines like LSD-25 mimic serotonin, they too are allowed to accumulate when MAOIs are simultaneously present at the synapses. However, phenylamine compounds are thought to cause monoamine neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, to be actively pumped into the synapses, contributing to the effect felt by the individual. In the presence of MAOIs, the normal effects of the phenylamine can then be overexpressed in symptoms such as hypertension.

It is possible that complications may arise from individuals believing themselves to have taken a tryptamine simultaneously taking some form of MAOI when they have actually consumed a phenylamine. As a result, MAOIs should never be consumed unless one can be sure of the nature of the compound and this provides another reason for those being treated for mental illness to not consume any such substance in addition to their treatment program.

Because of the large number of compounds present in the group, little clinical work has been done into the precise risks RCs pose. However, unlike LSD-25 which may be consumed in quantities many times that required to experience it's effects without significant physical risk to the individual, the dose multiple before problems may occur for phenylamine dopants is thought to be a lot lower; with individuals reporting signicantly more intense body load and negative sensations even at low doses.

A number of chemical tests can be performed on blotters for the presence of LSD-25, but these are often far beyond what the typical buyer is willing to invest.

LSD-25 will fluoresce blue under UV light, but again this is not a fault free assay, as many paper companies specifically treat their products with UV dyes to make them appear a purer white in sunlight and, although no evidence is available, it would be a trivial task for dealers to add UV reactive dyes to the dopant to recreate the blue glow if it is otherwise missing.

A large amount of phenylamine material must be consumed relative to LSD-25. As LSD-25 is often distributed on small paper tabs, this makes dosing it with sufficient phenylamine potentially difficult, and so larger tabs of paper may be more suspect; although by no means does this offer a faultless assay. Milligram quantities of RC are often required, as opposed to the microgram quantities for LSD-25.

Recreational users of LSD-25 have suggested that it may be possible to detect RC blotters by taste and blotter consistency. Phenylamines, like MDMA, often have a bitter (not tangy), synthetic taste, whereas LSD is effectively tasteless at common dose masses of tens to a few hundred micrograms. This relies on the compound being water soluble so that it may dissolve in the saliva, and at such small masses the bitter taste may only be on the threshold of being detectable. Finally, it has also been suggested that holding a blotter under one's tongue may give an indication of it's dopant, with LSD-25 blotter turning to mush and RC doped blotter remaining more rigid for longer. This latter method is also not well established. Both these assays will result in the individual being exposed to some quantity of the active compound whilst they wait for a result.

In the numerous related onlined fora, LSD-25 users often discuss blotter art and the resulting experiences they produce not only to gauge the purity and quantity of active chemical present, but also to expose the art that is thought to contain RC in place of LSD-25. RC dealers may purposefully use blotter art that is held to a high standard in an attempt to use it's popularity to distribute the RC and are unlikely to continue using a particular piece if they become aware of it having a bad reputation for carrying RC.

Due to a number of online stores selling the DOx substances for research also openly advertising the psychedelic effects of their products in related newsgroups, the potential risks they pose when passed off as safer or other more well known substances and their swamping effect around already established drug laws, the analogue drug law was established to make not one specific chemical but the entire group as a whole illegal. This should theoretically reduce the number of RC blotters, but online fora relating to psychedelic substances contain numerous members claiming to be in possession of blotters sold as LSD-25 that they believe to be otherwise.

Banana peel synthesis

Main article: bananadine

"Tripping" on banana peels is another popular myth, though it has been refuted by researchers at New York University^{[citation needed]}. The false claim states that it is possible to synthesize LSD or some similar hallucinogenic drug from banana peels or other common household foods and chemicals. The actual synthesis of LSD requires university training in organic chemistry and requires both expensive laboratory equipment and expensive, carefully controlled precursor chemicals. Bananadine is a fictional psychoactive substance which is allegedly extracted from banana peels. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Organic chemistry is a specific discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation (by synthesis or by other means) of chemical compounds consisting primarily of carbon and hydrogen, which may contain any number of other elements, including nitrogen, oxygen, the halogens as...

Originating from a recipe originally published as a hoax in the Berkeley Barb in March 1967^[2], variants of this legend often circulate on the Internet and were popular on BBSs well before the widespread availability of Internet access through William Powell's "The Anarchist's Cookbook". This book claimed "Musa Sapientum Bananadine" was a mild psycoactive drug found in banana peels. The slang terms "mellow yellow" and "saffron" (for the color of the peels) were borrowed from the 1966 Donovan song, "Mellow Yellow", perhaps because of the phrase "electrical banana" is mentioned in one of the lines. A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. ... The Berkeley Barb was an underground newspaper which was published in Berkeley, California, in the 1960s and 1970s. ... BBS redirects here. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Donovan (disambiguation). ... Mellow Yellow is the fourth album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. ...

Another possible explanation for this particular urban legend is that it originated from a pun; to 'trip' on a banana peel could easily become a joke at the expense of the ignorant. One version of the myth was that if you chewed a piece of gum, inserted it in an unpeeled banana, wrapped it in electrical tape for about a week, the aged gum, when chewed again would get you "high".

This myth is sometimes related in a way so as to bolster social standing within a drug-using social group through association with the purported chemist, e.g. "My boyfriend/cousin/friend/roommate makes LSD in the bathtub from banana peels".

Strychnine

Anti-drug educators frequently tell their students some variant on the theme of inevitable strychnine poisoning through LSD use, for example, that strychnine is commonly sold as a cheaper substitute for LSD by unscrupulous drug dealers; that strychnine is a byproduct of LSD synthesis; that the body produces strychnine as a result of LSD metabolism; or that strychnine is somehow necessary to bond LSD to blotter paper. None of these are true^[3]. These memes may even be believed and propagated by drug users themselves. Occasionally, LSD users themselves assume that the minor aches and fatigue associated with "coming down" off the drug are the result of strychnine. In reality, most hallucinogens cause some degree of mental or physical discomfort after the "trip" is over. This is a direct effect of the drug^[3], not strychnine or any other adulterant. Additionally, strychnine itself is one of the most bitter substances known. The bitter taste can be detected at 1 part per million, which is well below the toxic level^[3]. Finally, the dangerous dose of strychnine is too high to be contained in a blotter square, even if the entire square were composed of the poison^[3]. Strychnine (pronounced (British, U.S.), or (U.S.)) is a very toxic (LD50 = 10 mg approx. ... Adulterants are chemical substances which should not be contained within other substances (eg. ...

Strychnine has indeed rarely been discovered mixed with LSD and other drugs in a few samples recovered by law enforcement agencies, but these were all found in murder or attempted murder investigations where someone was being specifically targeted for poisoning, and not associated with recreational LSD use.^[3].

A related myth is that a new type of gang initiation requires the initiate to put a mixture of LSD and strychnine on the buttons of as many payphones as possible. This too, is debunked on Snopes.^[4] Mara Salvatrucha suspect bearing gang tattoos is handcuffed. ...

Fruit juice synergy

Several legends claim that drinking some specific type of fruit juice (varying from legend to legend) will intensify or shorten an LSD trip. While there is no specific physical evidence supporting this claim, if a person under the influence of LSD does something that they believe will intensify their trip, then it is likely to do so^{[citation needed]}. Note that grapefruit juice does interfere with the metabolism of some drugs; it has not been tested in conjunction with LSD. Grapefruit juice is the fruit juice coming from grapefruits. ... This page has a list of drugs that are known to be affected by grapefruit. ...

It is, however, true that mixing an acidic juice such as lemon juice or orange juice may help extract alkaloids from natural sources as their more water soluble salts. This myth may be a mutated form of this technique.

Legally psychotic

There is an urban legend that a person who has used LSD more than seven times (or ten times, depending on the version of this legend) is automatically declared legally psychotic. The same is often suggested with large doses, the difference being that the person is considered psychotic for the duration of the trip. This is nonsensical because there is no exact definition of "legally psychotic" and no reliable link between LSD use and lasting clinical psychosis has been demonstrated.

Various atypical psychotic reactions

Anecdotal legends retell the stories of LSD users who:

• believed they could fly and jumped out of a high window (the comedian Bill Hicks noted that more intelligent users would probably try to take off from the ground first);
• jumped off of the balcony at a Phil and Friends Warfield show in San Francisco, endangering themselves and those below them
• believed themselves immortal and walked onto a highway, only to be hit by a car
• stared at the sun (or "had a religious conversation with the sun", depending on the version of this legend) and thus went blind;
• thought that they were oranges and locked themselves in a closet for hours for fear of being peeled (or, more gruesomely, tried to peel themselves with a knife)
• had a sheet of acid in their back pocket, sat on a wet bench, and now they are in a mental hospital (possibly originating from the motion picture SLC Punk!.)
• someone "never came down" and now they think they are a glass of orange juice, constantly fearful of being "tipped" over and spilled, etc.
• fracture their skulls and die from banging their head against a door, trying to fit through the keyhole.
• meeting a gruesome end by believing they were a two by four and hurling themselves into a wood-chipper.
• believed that their world was really that of an animated feature and attempted stunts that are not physically possible, resulting in their demise.

There is documentation of one case of sun-gazing (the prevalance of which is disputed [2]), they are generally held to be rare and atypical^{[citation needed]}. There are insufficient statistical data to warrant any precise claim, however anti-drug educators sometimes present these reactions as common. Delusions such as these are more common among LSD users with existing pre-psychotic mental illness. Some other drugs with hallucinogenic effects, such as PCP and DXM, have stronger tendencies to lead to such delusions (but DXM in high doses tends to interfere with physical coordination, in the same way alcohol does, which would make carrying out some of the above misadventures difficult). William Melvin Bill Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian. ... SLC Punk! (1998) is an independent film directed by James Merendino; SLC is an acronym for Salt Lake City. ... PCP may refer to: In politics: Partido Comunista del Peru, also known as Shining Path Partido Comunista Paraguayo, Paraguayan Communist Party Partido Comunista Peruano, Peruvian Communist Party Partido Comunista Português, Portuguese Communist Party Partido Comunista Puertorriqueño, Puerto Rican Communist Party Partit Català Proletari, Proletarian Catalan Party In science... This article needs cleanup. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Marijuana laced with LSD

There is a myth that sometimes shoddy blackmarket marijuana, dipped in LSD to give it more of a kick, makes the user hallucinate or have an acid trip when smoking marijuana. However, as soon as LSD comes into contact with moisture, air or heat it begins to disintegrate. At a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius, LSD will be completely destroyed, and the THC in marijuana is only released at a minimum temperature of 240 degrees Celsius, therefore making it impossible to smoke LSD. It is possible to lace marijuana with other chemicals like PCP (sometimes referred to incorrectly as embalming fluid, see Phencyclidine). “Angel Dust” redirects here. ...

Urban legends about cannabis

Many misleading urban legends about cannabis exist. Like LSD rumors, many were spread by anti-drug groups during the 1960s and are believed to continuously circulate today. These widespread legends claim that it is easy to overdose on the smokable variant of cannabis and that it is extremely dangerous and addictive when compared to alcohol and nicotine, when in fact alcohol and nicotine, the drugs that are claimed to be safer, are actually considered as hard drugs and both can be very addictive. An overdose of cannabis has never been demonstrated on laboratory animals and is believed to be impossible^{[citation needed]}. This is because the ratio of cannabis needed to cause a toxic reaction to the weight of the user is so large that an overdose appears to be physically impossible in a human being^{[citation needed]}. Cannabis is not physically addictive, but can be psychologically addictive, though this form of addiction tends to occur only after someone has been using the drug habitually^{[citation needed]}. Also, there is no actual increased risk of cancer from smoking marijuana, even when duration of use is expanded over several years^{[citation needed]}. In fact, some studies indicate THC to have anticancer properties, with studies showing tumor reduction in mice. ^[5] This article is about the plant genus Cannabis. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ... The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the chemical compound. ... Hard drugs are drugs that lead to physical addiction, opposed to soft drugs, such as marijuana and hashish, that are only psychologically addictive. ... Physical dependence refers to a state resulting from habitual use of a drug, where negative physical withdrawal symptoms result from abrupt discontinuation. ... This article is about the concept of addiction. ... The acronym THC has several possible meanings: Teens Hate Chains, a Japanese singing group Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active ingredient in Cannabis Tetrahydrocurcuminoids, extracted from Turmeric as an active ingredient in cosmetics Texas Historical Commission Therapeutic Humane Cannabis Act Thermohaline circulation The History Channel Terminal Handling Charges This page concerning a...

Urban legends about MDMA

Altered or variant ecstasy

A sort of "reverse urban legend" is that the impurity of street MDMA is an urban legend - with the incorrect legend suggesting users can easily identify impurties in MDMA crystal or can rely on them to be of high MDMA purity when considering additions other than the inactive caking agents used to form the substance into ecstasy pills. While opinions vary on the allegation that ecstasy (MDMA) is often found on the street in an impure form, it is based on the fact that the majority of ecstasy pills tested in laboratories contain a mixture of several compounds: amphetamines, caffeine, dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), or other stimulants, anesthetics, and deliriants. Given such independent, publicly available data, the "misconception" can be said to be usually true. This article is about the psychostimulant, d-methamphetamine. ... For other uses, see Caffeine (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Often, evidence against the "misconception" is offered in the form of arguments to the low cost of MDMA, the consistency of street MDMA, and the fact that adulteration is common with most street drugs, as below:

MDMA is often thought to be cut with other drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamines, or a variety of designer drugs. This then gave way to the classification of "molly", a pure form of MDMA, which is supposedly the pure form of ecstasy. This is, of course, based on the assumption that all ecstasy found in tablet form is lacking in purity. The idea that most pills of ecstasy are less than pure in their content is not true, mostly because MDMA is one of the least expensive drugs by weight to manufacture. Any drug that it was mixed with would have a higher monetary value than ecstasy. Though it can be found in powder or gelcap, its consistency is usually the same. Undoubtedly, shady people have tried to pass off other substances (such as aspirin or other over-the-counter medicines) as ecstasy (just like people looking to make cash have sold oregano as marijuana - but this happens with all controlled substances, blame the shadiness of people or the drug laws, but not the drugs) but it is much rarer than has been accused. Though in many areas MDMA is hard to come by (it's never been produced in large amounts by any legitimate source and can be much harder than methamphetamine to synthesize) and thus to supply the demand other substances may be used such prescription amphetamines.

See recent MDMA testing data at EcstasyData.org.

Urban legends about mescaline

The primary urban legend about mescaline, claims that people have taken, found, or bought pure extracted mescaline, as opposed to buying it synthesised from "scratch". All evidence seems to show that mescaline has never been extracted in any large quantities and distributed^{[citation needed]}. Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class. ...

Urban legends about PCP

PCP is almost always described in pop culture in ways that are incompatible with its status as a dissociative anesthetic very similar to DXM and Ketamine. PCP is said to cause extremely powerful hallucinations, of the kind found in deliriants like Dramamine, but non-mundane. “Angel Dust” redirects here. ... A dissociative is a drug which reduces (or blocks) signals to the conscious mind from other parts of the brain, typically (but not necessarily, or limited to) the physical senses. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic for use in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis (1962). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Dramamine is a medication used for motion sickness manufactured by Pfizer. ...

Several drugs, such as PCP, crack, methamphetamine, etc. are said to cause superhuman strength, such that 10 strong and well trained policemen are needed to control an unarmed and untrained user of those drugs. This myth was promoted by the movie "The Terminator", where Arnold Schwarzenegger's robotic character is mistakenly believed by police to be a man on PCP, because of his superior strength and violence (specifically, his ability to punch through a pane of reinforced glass apparently without feeling pain). This article is about the first film in the series. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German IPA: ; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, Golden Globe-winning actor, businessman and politician currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ...

Another popular source of this myth may be the Rodney King trial. Defense attorneys for the five white LAPD officers who were videotaped beating King claimed that the motorist was high on PCP at the time, and that they were using necessary force to combat the six-foot King's drug-induced "super-strength." Medical experts rightly dismissed the theory as urban legend.^{[citation needed]} Rodney Glen King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) is an African-American taxicab driver who, in 1991 was stopped by Los Angeles Police Department officers (Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Sergeant Stacey Koon) after being chased for speeding. ... The Los Angeles Police Department (usually known as the LAPD) is the police department of the City of Los Angeles, California. ...

CSI actually claimed (Episode 3x03: "Let the Seller Beware") that PCP use could cause not only "super-human strength" but also cannibalism.

This myth sometime results in unnecessary violence to restrain users of drugs^{[citation needed]}. However, there is a modicum of truth in this, since it is hard to fight off an attacker who is under the influence of an anesthetic due to their diminished capacity to feel pain; or who is experiencing a possibly PCP-induced and adrenaline-enhanced rage. In either case, it may take a lot more force to bring someone down, contributing to the myth of super-human strength.

Another commonly held misconception is that PCP is synthesized from embalming fluid. The PCP molecule has no relation to embalming fluid.

Urban legends about methamphetamine

Perhaps the best-known of the meth legends refers to people who heat/melt and then inhale crystal methamphetamine smoke. The legend states that the drug, once inhaled, will re-crystallize in large amounts inside the lungs, damaging them in the process. While inhaling meth fumes is likely to damage the lungs in some way, it isn't by crystallization^{[citation needed]}. Street meth is usually in the form of methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is highly soluble in water. Human lungs are coated with a watery mucus, so any smoke inhaled will immediately dissolve in it, without any crystallization occurring^{[citation needed]}.

Urban legends about drug adulteration in general

There are many myths about the substances that may be added to illegal drugs to bulk them out or to change the effects. One myth claims that a 'hard drug' (such as heroin or cocaine) is added to a non-addictive 'soft drug' (such as cannabis or ecstasy), possibly in order to get the users addicted to a drug that in itself is non-addictive. Often the claim will not offer a motivation for this adulteration. However, the 'hard drugs' usually cost more gram-for-gram than 'soft drugs' so the dealer would lose money in the short term on such an operation, and hard drugs often carry more severe penalties for the dealer. Neither the 'hard drugs in soft' or the 'poisoned drugs' myths have ever been supported by analysis of seized drugs.^{[citation needed]}

Drug adulteration is a widespread occurrence but in almost all cases the adulterant is an inert 'filler' such as flour or plaster, a complimentary (but cheaper) drug such as caffeine or fake designed to resemble the taste, smell or other qualities of the drug such as bicarbonate of soda or novocaine added to cocaine^{[citation needed]}. This is done to increase the quantity of the substance in order to make more money. The greatest risk of dangerous adulterants is when a dealer deliberately sells pills or substances that do not contain the drug the buyer expects but another cocktail of chemicals, telling the buyer that they are a particular drug. In this case the dealer has no stake at all in the well-being of their customer (repeat customers not being a consideration) and may sell them anything he/she can find that vaguely resembles the drug required.

'First Hit for Free' myth

This prevalent myth states that dealers of hard drugs will attempt to lure non-drug-users into drug use by offering the first dose of the drug for free, in the hope that they will become immediately hooked and provide the 'pusher' with a secure income stream. However, unlike a willing drug user, the unwilling one has not committed any crime and could readily inform the police of such an occurrence without being charged with anything themselves. Dealers would also have no practical method of ensuring that the "hooked" individual would come back to them to buy additional drugs.

However, this myth does contain some truth. Though approaching a stranger with an unsolicited drug offer would invariably involve a great amount of risk, there is no reason to believe that a drug dealer would not use the approach on a friend or acquaintance who ostensibly had not used a drug^{[citation needed]}.

Also, although uncommon, some heroin markets may occasionally involve dealers giving away free bags (such as in Chicago^{[citation needed]}). These are not meant to be given to non-users, but still occur in open-air drug markets where strangers are solicited by dealers. These free samples are often particularly dangerous and abnormally potent mixes of heroin and fentanyl that have been connected with numerous overdoses^{[citation needed]}. Motives for free samples are not specifically known but may include advertising a new spot or a new product, ditching stock before a raid that the dealer has been informed about,using customers as test subjects (to gauge potency or safety), or even intentionally trying to kill the customer^{[citation needed]}. News of a particularly deadly product drastically increases the demand for it, as addicts assume it to be particularly potent^{[citation needed]}. For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic, first synthesized by Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belgium) in the late 1950s, with a potency many times that of morphine. ...

References

1. ^ LSD Basics, April 24, 2007
2. ^ Cecil Adams, Straight Dope, April 26, 2002
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} Braden, William. The Private Sea: LSD and the Search for God. New York: Quadrangle Books, 1967. ASIN B0006BQD7C
4. ^ Urban Legends Reference Pages: Payphone Poison
5. ^ Pot Smoking Not Linked to Lung Cancer