Sunday, February 23, 2014

LSD and Molly

I was just now trying to figure out the relationship between LSD and Molly, so I thought I'd do a google search on them.  Here's what comes up:

 
 
 
That's kind of sad.  Rather than warnings about the dangers of doing either of these drugs -- much less both in combination -- we get a bunch of unabashed posts from users who appear to want to suck others into the experience, and possibly into the inevitable vortex of addiction and death.  I'm not going to write an anti-drug screed here.  I don't have time, and my views are too complex.  I'll just say that I'm probably in favor of legalization of ALL drugs.  That would wipe out a lot of the crime in this country, not to mention the social burdens caused by criminalizing this activity.  And judging by the way kids will do drugs anyway, it seems to me that it would be a lot better if the source of the drugs were regulated.  True, I can't predict whether drug use will go up if it's legal.  And if one puts an age limit on the age of use, then one encounters a lot of the same problems -- there would be plenty of illegal distribution in the high schools, even though perhaps the drugs were legally obtained.

My goal with this post is, if nothing else, to make the first page of a search for "LSD and Molly".  You can help by linking to this post.

One of the problems with keeping these drugs illegal is that the result is that you never know what you are getting.  As evidenced by the Wikipedia entries below, some people don't think that LSD and MDMA are all that bad.  But that doesn't mean that the substance you buy from a drug dealer is really the pure drug, and it doesn't mean that it won't kill you.  Several young people -- including one academic superstar -- were killed last summer by something purporting to be Molly.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/club-drug-molly-eyed-deaths/story?id=20180492

Here's one write-up from a Boston perspective:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/01/26/what-drug-molly-and-how-turned-lethal/1x7T7p7lGlhxCaSUj3sUwI/story.html

And from Chicago:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-01/news/ct-met-drug-molly-20131101_1_teen-drug-use-mdma-rat-poison

From http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/22/health/9-things-molly-drug/:

"Molly is dangerous because of the toxic mix of unknown chemicals; users have no idea what they're taking or at what dose. Unlike MDMA and other illegal drugs that have known effects on the body, the formulas for these synthetic drugs keep changing, and they're manufactured with no regard to how they affect the user."

And now, for the record, here is some background info about LSD and Molly.

From Wikipedia -- which appears to have been written by an LSD dealer:

"Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide (INN) and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed- and open-eye visuals, synesthesia, an altered sense of time and spiritual experiences, as well as for its key role in 1960s counterculture. It is used mainly as an entheogen, recreational drug, and as an agent in psychedelic therapy. LSD is non-addictive, is not known to cause brain damage, and has extremely low toxicity relative to dose.[3] However, adverse psychiatric reactions such as anxiety, paranoia, and delusions are possible.[4]"

So kids, the LSD itself might not kill you, but you don't want to drive while doing LSD, and if you do it, you should make sure you are in an ultra-safe environment -- not around people who are likely to take advantage of you, or to take pictures of you. 

Here's another take on the dangers:

"Not only do they disassociate from their usual activities in life, but they also feel the urge to keep taking more of the drug in order to re-experience the same sensation. Others experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity and death, and despair while using LSD. Once it starts, there is often no stopping a 'bad trip,' which can go on for up to twelve hours. In fact, some people never recover from an acid-induced psychosis."

(from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/lsd/what-are-the-risks-of-lsd.html)

Reading the two pieces in combination tends to underscore how misleading the Wikipedia entry is.  By "addictive," Wikipedia presumably means it's not chemically addictive, in that if you quit, you don't go through physical symptoms of withdrawal.  But that doesn't mean it's not "addictive" in the realistic sense of always wanting more (think chocolate).  And when you take more and more LSD, you end up building up a tolerance, with the result that you have to continue to increase the dose, with the result that you never know what kind of "trip" you are going to have -- a joyous one or a terror-filled one.

You're much better off spending your time and money trying to develop a happy mental state on your own.  That's a lot more permanent.

And here's the beginning of the Wikipedia entry on Molly (MDMA), which also looks like it was written by a drug dealer:

"MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine) is an empathogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes of drugs. MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" (shortened to "E", "X", or "XTC"), usually referring to its street form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants. The UK term "Mandy" and the US term "Molly" colloquially refer to MDMA that is relatively free of adulterants.[3]

MDMA can induce euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others, diminished anxiety, and mild psychedelia. Many studies, particularly in the fields of psychology and cognitive therapy, have suggested MDMA has therapeutic benefits and facilitates therapy sessions in certain individuals, a practice for which it had been formally used in the past. Clinical trials are now testing the therapeutic potential of MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety associated with terminal cancer[4][5] and addiction.[6]"

Here's some info from the NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse:

"People who use MDMA can become dehydrated through vigorous activity in a hot environment. It may not seem like a big deal, but when MDMA interferes with the body's ability to regulate its temperature, it can cause dangerous overheating, called hyperthermia. This, in turn, can lead to serious heart and kidney problems—or, rarely, death. MDMA can be extremely dangerous in high doses or when multiple small doses are taken within a short time period to maintain the high. High levels of the drug in the blood stream can increase the risk of seizures and affect the heart's ability to maintain its normal rhythms."

 http://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/mdma-ecstasy-or-molly

"MDMA and MDA cause neurons to release a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can overactivate serotonin receptors. Serotonin is important to many types of nerve cells, including cells that receive sensory information and cells that control mood, sleep, and memory. Animal studies have taught us that MDMA and MDA can damage fibers from these nerve cells. And even though some of these fibers grow back, they don’t grow back normally. They can wind up in places where they don’t belong."

http://teens.drugabuse.gov/educators/curricula-and-lesson-plans/mind-over-matter/hallucinogens/how-mdma-and-mda-affect-your

______

There's no question that these drug are fun, and they can often help people compensate for their inadequacies in other areas of their lives.  But it is a temporary fix for those inadequacies, and, as the addiction sets in, the inadequacies become more and more pronounced, and the drug becomes ever more of a crutch.  People need to do the hard work of attacking their inadequacies head-on -- there's nothing that can't be conquered with a bit of PMA (positive mental attitude) and sustained and focused effort.  And the results of those changes are permanent.



 

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