Drugs and Other Mind Thrashers

an accumulation of informative data
by Ken Wear commencing Oct. 2000

Education is the key to reducing drug abuse among young and old alike. In the classroom candor and honesty are mandatory; our kids are smart and recognize when they are being manipulated. Only public education can bring to potential users and parents concerned for their young concrete information on consequences, detection, traffic and other aspects of the drug problem. I note that information selected to influence behavior is readily discernible and just as readily dismissed; absolute honesty is necessary. I have undertaken this list for the purpose of bringing to children, parents, educators, potential users and others general and specific information on the things capable of producing highs (or lessening of inhibitions) or chemically inducing ecstasies or euphoria. What you see here is a beginning; completeness and accuracy will require extended time, research, and cooperation of others possessing information.
Some references are included at the end of this list. To skip there, click here.
For a brief essay on the politics of drug abuse, click here.
For comment on drugs and life's game, click here.
For comment on educational aspects of education, click here.

How to use: Search for the name of the substance of interest and then use the link (if any). To return to the point of linking, use the 'back' button on your monitor screen.
I solicit your help. If you have information that you feel should be added to this list, please send it by e-mail; it will pass my spam filter if you use as Subject -- I read your post about drugs -- exactly as you see it here. Click here for e-mail form.
USE OF COLOR: Red for the greatest harm or more dangerous, blue for definitions, green for street names of drugs and violet for proper names of drugs and for headers.

A high may be characterized as a brief euphoric relaxing of inhibitions, as well as reduction of mental awareness and physical control; in moderation said to encourage social intercourse; often reduces libido. For a discussion, click here.

Absinthe: a strong alcoholic liqueur, green in color and very bitter is taste. Diluted with cold water poured over a spoonful of sugar into a shot of absinthe; solution turns opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out. Some ascribe aphrodisiac and narcotic properties. Illegal in the U.S. because most brands contain artemisia absinthium.
Acid: LSD
Addiction: the condition of having given oneself over to some strong habit. For a discussion, click here
Alcohol: Potable alcohol is ethyl alcohol; methyl alcohol is poisonous. ‘Moonshine’ (private distillation, illegal when unregulated, untaxed and sold for profit) often has ingredients added to provide ‘kick’ and that may be medically dangerous.
Ethyl alcohol and beverages containing it are regulated, sold and taxed as recreational drugs; regulations differ in various states and communities.
Some individuals have a genetic predisposition to alcohol abuse -- it runs in families; for them it is wise to avoid alcohol altogether.
For more information, click here.
Alcoholic beverages: For a partial list (no recipes) click here.
Alcoholism: Addiction to alcohol. For a discussion, click here.
Amphetamine: (C10H15N). Colorless, volatile liquid (C9H13N in sulfate or phosphate form). Stimulates central nervous system; used to enhance performance. Induces feeling of high energy and loss of appetite. Became popular in U.S. in 1930s when Cocaine was illegal and amphetamines plentiful, legal and inexpensive. See methamphetamine.
Angel dust: PCP
Barbiturates: Class of drugs (salt or ester of barbituric acid C4H4O3N2), including barbital and phenobarbital, prescribed as depressant or to induce sleep in the absence of pain. Regular use leads to partial tolerance so increasingly larger doses are needed to produce the same result. Overdose easily fatal.
Bennies: street name for amphetamine
Benzedrine: Trademark for amphetamine
Benzodiazepine: Downer. Family of depressants used (under many well-known trade names such as Valium, Xanax, Ativan, Paxipam, Restoril, Rohypnol, Librium) therapeutically to sedate, produce sleep, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and to control severe epileptic seizures. For specifics and discussions of the various benzodiazepines, see the reference a1b2c3.
Boo: street name for methamphetamine
Caffeine: Vegetable base stimulant C8H10 N4O2
Cannabis: the hemp known as marijuana -- see 'hemp' and 'marijuana'
Cat: Methcathinone
Chalk: street name for methamphetamine
Chewing tobacco: Leaf of the tobacco plant compacted for use similar to chewing gum. See tobacco.
Chicken feed: street name for methamphetamine
Cialis: trade name of a drug designed to enhance sexual performance. See Viagra for a precaution.
Cigar(ettes): Dried leaves of the tobacco plant rolled and smoked. Cigarettes are small cylinders of shredded leaf wrapped in paper; cigars, rolled whole leaf, are larger. Inhalation of the smoke has serious side effects if repeated often; a smoking habit is a major contributor to lung cancer; 'second-hand' smoke (smoke that goes directly from cigarette or cigar to room air) is also considered dangerous. (Spent smoke -- smoke exhaled by the smoker -- is apparently not considered in the literature.) Users are usually oblivious to the intense and distasteful odors created on their breath, clothing, hair and in areas where they smoke. See tobacco.
Cocaine: World's most powerful stimulant of natural origin; highly psychologically addictive; brief effect (maybe 30 minutes). An alkaloid, a narcotic and local or topical anesthetic extracted from dried leaves of the coca plant, a bushy shrub native to high altitudes in the Andes Mountains of South America and cultivated in Java and other Asian countries, and in Nigeria; used by the Indians over 5000 years, who chewed leaves for social, medicinal and religious purposes. C17H21NO4. Therapeutically used for local pain relief, generally as a hydrochloride. For more, click here.
Codeine: An alkaloid C18H21O3N(H2O) derived from opium. Used for relief from pain and spasm. Similar to but milder than morphine.
Coke: street name for cocaine
Crack (Cocaine): an extract of cocaine, much more addictive; gives a short term rush of euphoria; said of Crack “... crack addicts who would put down the pipe only long enough to stop puking; some would pimp for their kids or parents to get another hit; plain old Coke never did that.”
In heavy users there may be hallucinations of insects crawling under the skin, followed by severe depression, agitated delirium and toxic paranoia.
While one must take the drug to appreciate the experience, it is at best very imprudent; it is profoundly unwise to allow it into your system. There is one time in life when taking crack is sensible, harmless and both emotionally and intellectually satisfying: at the end of life when there is no hope of recovery, bringing life to a close with a transcendentally orgasmic bang. For more, click here.
Crack Nicotine: More addictive than crack cocaine; lethal in minute dosage.
Crank: street name for methamphetamine
Crystal (Cristy): street name for methamphetamine
Crystal-meth: street name for methamphetamine
Dexedrine: Trade name for dextroamphetamine, an amphetamine derivative; twice as strong as Benzedrine
Dexies: street name for amphetamine
Diviner's Sage: street name for salvia divinorum.
DMT: n,n-DieMethylTryptamine. Hallucinogenic that is smoked or injected. Injected the high is realized within 10-15 minutes and gone within 60; smoked the high is realized within 10 seconds and fully gone within 10 minutes.
DOM: a tryptamine derivative, member of phenethylamine family (mescaline, ecstasy, . . .). A psychedelic slow to take effect and of long duration. Tolerance develops with repetition.
Downer: Benzodiazepine
Drugs: Drugs are chemical compounds that modify the way the body and mind work. Most people think that these biological activities should help or heal sick people or animals. There is, however, no known drug that is not harmful or even poisonous at high doses, and much of the scientific work on drugs has attempted to elucidate the gap between effective and toxic doses.
The term also includes nearly any substance used to produce a 'high.'
It may be a narcotic (used for pain relief and to induce sleep), an intoxicant (affecting the nervous system to cause loss of control), a hallucinogen (causing perception of sights, sounds, etc., not actually present), a stimulant (temporary increase in the activity of some process)
E: alternate designation of Ecstasy
Ecstasy: MDMA; of amphetamine family. Drug of choice at raves; stimulant and hallucinogen; gives a ‘drunk feeling’ without the hangover. There is no evidence it is addictive. When the price of 3-4 pills became too expensive, speed became the cheaper alternative. For more information, click here.
Ephedrine: An alkaloid C10H15NO originally derived from the Ephedra plant and used to relieve congestion and asthma and to constrict blood vessels. Over-the-counter substitute for amphetamine.
Gasoline sniffing: high requires sustained exposure and results from depriving brain of oxygen.
Geep: street name for methamphetamine
GHB: Gamma-HydroxyButyrate. Non-addictive. “Date rape drug.” Found naturally in every cell in the human body. A sedative. Illegal in USA.
Effects can be felt 5-20 minutes after taking and last 1-1/2 to 3 hours. Effects are very dose-dependent. Despite its general safety and lack of toxicity, its safe use requires information, preparation, caution and good judgment.
Since its availability is a gray market activity, concerns about quality and purity should be kept in mind.
For more, click here.

Glass: street name for methamphetamine
Glue sniffing: high caused by oxygen deprivation of brain; red blood cells have high affinity for solvent so effect outlasts exposure time; leads to brain damage (and death) if sniff time exceeds a very few seconds. (A higher high can be deadly.) Potentially more deadly than a severe stroke because the entire brain is affected. [I knew a young man, an only child, eighth grade 'A' student, who practiced glue sniffing. I know he didn't intend to do it, but in a matter of seconds his mind was reduced to that of a four-year-old, with no possible recovery. If only he had known the danger!]
Go-fast: Street name for methamphetamine
Happy Pills: Alternate name for Ecstasy
Hashish: Various preparations of the various hemp plants of the Near East, including India. Smoked, chewed, drunk. Narcotic or intoxicant. Bhang (comparable in potency to marijuana in the U.S.) from uncultivated plants is a pleasant-tasting liquid; Ganja, from tops of cultivated plants, is next most potent; most potent is Charas, scraped as a resin from cultivated plants and compressed for smoking. See also Marijuana
Hemp: a group of plants including cannabis (which has hallucinogenic properties); grown for fiber content. In USA many hemps are prohibited in commercial production because of similarity to cannabis. In Colonial U.S. hemp cultivation was encouraged by Government and in Virginia farmers were required to grow hemp; its cultivation was encouraged during World War II for its fibers. Until recently the long fibers from hemp were the best-known and most widely used textile fibers on Earth; it is still grown as sisal, jute and under other names. See 'marijuana.'
Heroin: Derived from opium. C21H23NO5. A maintenance drug requiring daily dosage; addictive. Illegal in the U.S.
Ice: street name for smokeable form of methamphetamine
Inhalants: Intentional breathing of gas or vapors for the purpose of reaching a high. Airplane glue, aerosolized paints, hair spray, cooking oil spray, nail polish remover, liquid correction fluid, room air freshener, aerosolized computer keyboard cleaning spray, . . . The ingredient difluoroethane can even cause cardiac arrest. See Glue sniffing. Lock away from children products, other than medical, that can be used for continuous inhalation.
Ketamine: Veterinary and human anesthetic; its action is to dissociate mind and body, which results in profound hallucinations and sensations of entering another reality.
Levitra: trade name of a drug designed to enhance sexual performance. See Viagra for a precaution.
Load of laundry: street name for methamphetamine
LSD: Not addictive. LySergic acid diethylamide (an amide of lysergic acid C15H 15N2 CON(C2H5) 2. Hallucinogen of unpredictable psychological effect used in the study of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Colorless, odorless, slightly bitter taste. Takes effect 30-90 minutes; may last several hours. Dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth and tremors. Sensations change much more dramatically than the physical signs.
Street name 'acid.' Added to blotter paper and divided into squares with each square being one dose.
Magic mint: Street name for salvia divinorum
Marijuana: an intoxicant in popularity second to alcohol; dried flowers and leaves of cannabis hemp smoked for euphoric effects. For more information click here
MDA: Of amphetamine family
MDMA: methylenedioxymethamphetamine; known as Ecstasy (above)
Mescaline: the hallucinogenic ingredient in peyote. C11H17O3N
Meth: street name for methamphetamine
Methamphetamine: Highly addictive, a white crystalline derivative from amphetamine used in the form of its hydrochloride as a drug with stronger stimulating action than amphetamine, about twice as strong as Dexedrine. For more information, click here.
Methcathinone:
Methedrine: trademark for methamphetamine hydrochloride
Morphine: The principle alkaloid of opium. C17H19O3N(H2O). Used for pain relief despite serious side effects such as addiction.
Mushrooms, psilocybin: hallucinogenic
Nicotine: The addictive agent in tobacco
Nitrous oxide: An anesthetic; "laughing gas"
Opiates: Opium, heroin, morphine, codeine and several other alkaloids
Opium: addictive narcotic drug extracted from various poppies cultivated in various parts of the world; contains alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, papaverine; smoked as intoxicant and medically to relieve pain and produce sleep. Acute poisoning presents symptoms not easily distinguished from those produced by alcohol or stroke.
PCP: PhenCyclohexyl Piperidine, developed as a surgical anesthetic; a stimulant in moderate doses but a depressant in larger doses. Pure PCP is a white crystalline powder that dissolves in water. Depending on manufacture it may be tan to brown, from powder to a gummy mess. At low to moderate doses breathing rate, blood pressure and pulse increase, respiration becomes shallow, sweating is profuse; general numbness in extremities and poorer muscular coordination; in psychological effect similar to alcohol. In high doses it may cause nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, drooling, loss of balance and dizziness; it may cause illusions and hallucinations.
Pep pills: street name for amphetamine
Peyote: : A small cactus containing mescaline, a hallucinogen; used by the American Indians in ceremonies. Eaten or used to brew a tea.
PMA: paramethoxyamphetamine; makes body temperature dangerously high
Pot: street name for marijuana
Proof: a measure of potency; see Alcohol
Psilocybin mushrooms: Hallucinogenic
Rave: Musical party, typically teenagers, often extended to daylight; many partiers consume the drug Ecstasy.
Reefer: street name for marijuana cigarette
Sally-D: Street name for salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum: (not the garden ornamental) a legal hallucinogen; smoke dried leaves or chew (or eat) fresh leaves; minute doses of the active ingredient (salvinorin A or divinorin A) can be lethal. Traditional opinion has been that the plant has a mild psychotropic activity. Gaining in popularity among teens. Effect lasts about an hour
Scootie: street name for methamphetamine
Shabu: street name for methamphetamine
Shi-shi: street name for methamphetamine
Sildanefil: Generic name for Viagra.
Snuff: Leaf of the tobacco plant in powdered form. See tobacco.
Speed:
street name for methamphetamine
Spoosh: street name for methamphetamine
Steroids: Group of compounds including sterols, bile acids, sex hormones, etc., having the ring structure of the sterols, which are solid cyclic unsaturated alcohols such as cholesterol
STP: "SuperTerrificPsychedelic," or "Too Stupid to Puke." See DOM.
Tobacco: Addictive. Leaf of tobacco plant sold as snuff, cigars, cigarettes, and compacted for chewing. Sold and taxed as a recreational drug. For testimonial, click here.
Viagra: Trade name for sildanefil, a sexual stimulant said to be capable of restoring sexual potency of a man by improving ability to achieve and maintain an erection. It should be avoided by persons whose medications or drugs include nitrates (including nitroglycerin) because of the risk of seriously reduced blood pressure.
White crosses: street name for ephedrine
X: Alternate name for Ecstasy
Zip: street name for methamphetamine


REFERENCES:
1) http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs. (Excellent source with extensive data). History of drug preparation, and history of drug use. Differentiations between drugs in classes. The law and its shortcomings. Varieties of hallucinogenic hemps. Marijuana cultivation and effects on the brain. Little information on detection and avoiding addiction.
2) From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything you need to know about mind-altering drugs
3) National Drug Abuse Center, 656 Quince Orchard Rd., Room 607, Gaithersburg, MD 20760: Pub 79-FADA-04aP, Nov. '78
4) Pathology of Drug Abuse, The
5) Psychedelics Encyclopedia
6) Street Drugs, by Andrew Tyler, lays out facts and dispels myths

To find further information on addictions and treatment programs, click here. (Jan '07: I had fond hopes of developing this site but have not done the necessary research. However, Passages Malibu has developed a program, which you may examine by following their links, below:)

From Passages Malibu:
Addiction is characterized by the repeated use of substances or behaviors despite clear evidence of morbidity secondary to this  use. Drug rehabilitation tends to address a stated two-fold nature of drug dependency: physical and psychological dependency.  Passages Malibu is a quality addiction treatment center where your health and mental state matters.  Alcohol rehabilitation is also available.  Some people look past alcohol as a drug when alcohol is one of the dangerous drugs available to the world.

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Society has two organizations that hold the possibility of educating youngsters and tht mature alike, churches and schools. The presentation of information and the manner of presentation is peculiar to the structure of each.

In our schools there are two methods available to propagate information:
(1) snippets of information inserted in classes dealing with health or in home rooms, and
(2) school-wide meetings in the auditorium or gymnasium.
When my children were in school I wanted to organize presentations for auditorium presentation but time did not permit. There are today many organizations interested in curbing the drug culture; hopefully someone will undertake preparation of lectures.

I discovered long ago that church members will attend educational series of studies or presentations where there is either value to them or intense curiosity. We had in our churdh what we called 'study courses' with a series of meetings, perhaps one weekly for several weeks or perhaps each evening for a week or two, and books containing the information to be presented so participants could prepare their questions and discussions in private study in preparation for a meeting.

There is also need for comprehensive lectures for parents.

Given time enough on this Earth I hope to become involved in preparing information for both schools and churches, although there are others better prepared to do so. Perhaps they will preempt my effort.


Addiction: All addictive drugs have two things in common: they produce an initial pleasurable effect followed by a rebound unpleasant effect. There appears to be a genetic base for at least some addictions; for instance, alcoholism often 'runs in families.'
While it would be immensely helpful in dealing with addictions if various drugs were rated by some index that could be used to measure the propensity to induce addiction, I am unaware of studies leading in that direction. Since there is a genetic base for some addictions it would also be valuable to have an index that rated a person's susceptibility to addiction; I am unaware of studies here also. It seems likely (and my knowledge here is entirely lacking) that there will prove to be a genetic variation in susceptibility to one drug or another; i.e., one person may be more susceptible to one family of drugs but more resistant to others. I would welcome specific information and will include on these pages information on addictions along with drug descriptions.

I have in hand a 1997 discussion by Dr. David Deans, Northridge campus of California State University, suggesting that government and religious perceptions are incorrect, regarding addiction as criminal or sinful, when in fact there are emotional and motivational factors that usually lie below the conscious mind in the subconscious. As 12-step programs for alcohol and drug addicts have learned, addictive behavior follows a downward spiral until the victim experiences a "moment of clarity" strong enough to change his conscious orientation. Effective treatment programs must deal with these subconscious drives, which are often peculiar to the physiology of the addictive drug. He also suggests a strong connection between mother-infant bonding and a propensity for drug addiction. He suggests that mothers who are unresponsive, demanding, over-stimulating and abrupt cause some 22% of our population to be more susceptible to drug dependence than others whose mothers were responsive, accessible and consistent, or whose mothers were unpredictable and inconsistent. (To me, that is inconsistent with the idea addiction 'runs in families' unless mothering styles also run in families -- not at all a far-fetched idea -- but it does stress the impact of post-natal emotional environment.) Dr. Deans also cites research on hormonal balance and discusses families of drugs in terms of the nature of their physiological and psychological effect.

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Alcohol is a depressant; it produces the sought-after effect by partially paralyzing the nerves that produce restraint.
Legally drunk: 0.10% blood alcohol (some states 0.08, some 0.12; federal legislation .08); 0.35 has proved fatal; 0.45 is expected to be fatal.
Recovery: Healthy liver and kidneys can metabolize and excrete less than one ounce per hour of 40% (80 proof) alcohol.
Proof: 100% ethyl alcohol is 200 proof; distillation produces at most some 190 proof; higher proof leaves toxic residue.
Denatured alcohol may be ethyl alcohol which has been deliberately altered to make it undesirable to deadly to drink, or it may be another, perhaps deadly, alcohol.
Hangover results from consumption of excessive (for some, moderate) amount of alcoholic beverage; many 'pet' remedies are suggested by various drinkers, but sustained physical exertion seems most likely to be successful
Taxes: The higher the proof the heavier the tax.
In chemistry, (generic) an alcohol is any of a grouping of chemicals formed with a hydroxyl (OH) radical and reacted with an organic acid to produce an ester.

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Alcoholic Beverages : (190 proof ethyl alcohol on market)
Absinthe: a strong liqueur, mostly illegal in U.S.; see entry.
Beer: Home production for private consumption is widely practiced.
Bourbon: a whiskey
Gin: typically 80 proof
Martini: a cocktail consisting of gin plus flavoring (or using vodka)
Screwdriver: a cocktail consisting of vodka and orange juice
Rum: typically 75-95 proof (150 proof on market)
Scotch: a whiskey
Vermouth: a wine used in mixing cocktails
Vodka: typically 80 proof (90 & 100 proof on market)
Whiskey: typically 80-90 proof, distilled from the fermented mash of grain (rye, wheat, corn, barley)
Wine: produced by fermentation of fruit or plant sugars, typically 8-15% alcohol. Home production for private consumption is widely practiced.
Wine cooler: mixture of wine and juices (usually fruit)

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Alcoholism
Alcoholism is treatable but not curable. A recovering alcoholic remains susceptible to relapse and must continue to avoid alcoholic beverages.
There are treatments available; talk to your doctor. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism makes information available. Alcoholics Anonymous is a worldwide fellowship of men and women who help each other stay sober. Al-Anon is a support group for spouses and others concerned for an alcoholic. Alateen is a support group for children of alcoholics.
I need not reiterate that it causes cirrhosis of the liver, immune system problems and brain damage as well as harm to the fetus during pregnancy. It increases the risk of automobile, recreational and on-the-job accidents and increases the likelihood of homicide or suicide.
As a parent I advocate, at an appropriate age (unless you have a genetic predisposition toward alcohol abuse), allowing your offspring to sample alcoholic beverages in a safe environment so they can recognize for themselves the potential for mischief or harm.

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Cocaine
On the unbroken skin it produces little effect.
If swallowed it acts on the mucous membranes of the stomach, deadening the sensation of hunger, so persons taking the drug can go for extended periods without feeling the want of food; invigorates chewer by blocking reuptake of neurotransmitter dopamine in the midbrain. Wards off fatigue and hunger, enhances endurance and promotes a sense of well-being. Grown commercially in several countries. Until 1980s it was available in the U.S. as a tea. The 'wonder drug' of the 1860s; sold over the counter until 1914 and of little interest until 1960 when amphetamine was outlawed.
Detected in the casual user up to five days and in the urine of a chronic user up to three weeks.
If purification is not done properly it can be hazardous in the blood stream.
The central nervous system is first stimulated and then depressed, the higher senses being affected first. Inhabitants of Peru chew coca leaves to achieve increased bodily and mental power as well as a sense of calmness and happiness; fatigue is abolished, so long and exhausting feats can be carried out. A larger dose causes mental excitement, delirium, ataxy (inability to coordinate voluntary bodily movements) with headache, and depression later.
Not water soluble but crystallizes from alcohol in colorless prisms that melt at 98oC.

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Crack (Cocaine)
Quickly and extremely addictive. Crack cocaine delivers an intensity of pleasure completely outside the normal range of human experience; it offers the most wonderful state of consciousness and the most intense sense of well-being the user will ever enjoy. Users sometimes speak of the rush in terms of whole body orgasms. A drug that induces a secular parody of Heaven commonly leads into a biological counterpart of Hell.
A short-lived euphoria is followed by a crash that involves anxiety, depression, irritability, extreme fatigue, paranoia and an intense craving for more.
Its use cannot be rationally justified.

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Ecstasy
Alternately called 'love drug' because it engenders feelings of warmth and heightened sexuality. Makes user feel elated and packed with pep; user may dance so hard as to need extra water to avoid dehydration. Increases heart rate, blood pressure, and sense of alertness; body temperature can rise to 107 (leading to convulsions); stimulates production of serotonin by the brain. Some users put pacifier in mouth to prevent the typical grinding of teeth (which may leave gums sore); glow sticks may increase stimulation. Typical side effects include depression, memory loss and insomnia for days after a party. Eating oranges may help next day comedown and depression. Heavy use may cause memory problems. Long term medical effects unknown (some evidence of liver damage) altho emergency room admissions have skyrocketed. (Jan '04: Evidence of memory impairment has been noted.)

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GHB
Used in Europe as a general anesthetic, a treatment for insomnia, for narcolepsy, increasing the strength of child-bearing contractions, and a treatment for alcoholism. In the last few years it has gained popularity as a recreational drug offering a pleasant alcohol-like hangover-free high. Most users find HGB induces a pleasant state of relaxation and tranquility. Frequent effects are placidity, sensuality, mild euphoria and tendency to verbalize. Anxiety and inhibitions tend to dissolve into a feeling of emotional warmth, well-being and pleasant drowsiness.
GHB can no longer be detected in urine 4-5 hours after taking.
Aphrodisiac or prosexual properties: reduces inhibitions, heightens the sense of touch, enhances male erective capacity and increases the intensity or orgasm; in women it may make orgasm more difficult or time-consuming to achieve.

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Marijuana
Large doses cause loss of libido; extended use said to cause loss of ambition; usage detected by blood or urine tests or by characteristic sweetish odor in area where it is being smoked (little or no odor on breath or clothing).
Ancient cultures used marijuana to heal wounds, relax muscles, reduce fever, aid child birth, and hundreds of other applications. In many medicinal applications there are today drugs superior to marijuana.
Legal cannabis incense is imported; I have no information on how well it approximates the fragrance of smoking cannabis, so cannot suggest if you can use it to learn how to detect the presence of marijuana smoke.
A single use is detectable in urine up to 48-72 hours (habitual use up to 12 weeks); detectable in hair some 90 days; detectable in blood 2-3 days (habitual use about 2 weeks); detection period in saliva uncertain. I assume that, after ingestion, bodily levels are subject to exponential decay, i.e., the rate of removal by the kidneys is proportional to the prevailing level in the blood.
In my view marijuana should be regulated, sold and taxed as a recreational drug.

The manner in which marijuana became illegal was a shameful display of Congressional sloth, ineptitude and arrogant nonchalance. Reported out of House committee without hearings and voted without discussion with only one question asked from the floor: "Does the American Medical Association approve?": to which Speaker Sam Raburn answered "I think so" when in fact the AMA was prepared to testify it saw no reason for concern. Some people feel this was the result of lobbying by newsprint interests because a competing process for cheap paper from hemp had been developed. We of today face massive and pointless outlays of public funds as a consequence of such scurrilous and blindly political activity.

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Methamphetamine.
Quickly and highly addictive.
Description: powder or small 'rocks' or 'crystals;' can range in color from white to brown depending on how it is cooked, tastes bitter; easily dissolved in liquids; odorless to stink (as stale perspiration) depending on method of production.
Snorted (three minutes to take effect), swallowed (20 min), smoked (8 sec) or injected (8 sec). Effect lasts far longer than an equivalent amount of cocaine, maybe eight or ten hours, compared to 30 minutes.
Small amount can produce euphoria, wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration.
Excessive doses produce mental confusion, severe anxiety, paranoia, hyperthermia and convulsions.
Makes you feel smarter, faster, stronger, sexier, happier; actually makes you dumber, slower, weaker and unable to have an orgasm.
Side effects can include writhing movements, irritability, insomnia, confusion, nausea, sweating, heart palpitations and hypertension.
Can cause memory loss, psychoses, heart damage, brain damage, high blood pressure, insomnia, tooth loss, intense paranoia, plus possible side effects due to impurities from method of production.
Long term effects: brain damage similar to Alzheimers or stroke, anorexia, loss of teeth, skin lesions, drastic changes in appearance
Users become belligerent and aggressive and often complain about itchy skin or scalp.
Detection in your children: Know their friends, note changes in behavior such as greater alertness or staying up for long periods, moodiness, rapid weight loss, changes in appearance and well-being such as hygiene.
Variously known as speed, crank, chalk, shabu, shi-shi, spoosh, zip, boo, chicken feed, geep, scootie, crystal, ice, glass, load of laundry.
Anhydrous ammonia, a fertilizer, is used in meth production, is volatile, and can cause a freezing burn or melt the cornea of the eye; breathing ammonia is hazardous to deadly. Thefts have become so rampant that chemists are seeking an additive to make it useless in meth production.

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Tobacco.
Anyone with ears half open has heard about the deleterious effects of smoking on health, so I need say little about that. There can be no question that it has a damaging effect. All a smoker has to do is listen to his own cough and note the disagreeable taste and blackened phlegm and mucous.

I smoked a pipe and then, in the Air Force, found it inconvenient to carry pouch and pipe and so switched to cigarettes. About one carton per week. After some 17 years I quit "cold turkey," but that was after trying for three or four years to reduce smoking to a few -- at one time one -- a day. I have wondered since how my wife endured the stench in my clothing, in the house and on my breath. Little wonder she did not care for love making. But I had damaged my lungs to the extent that an hour in a smoke-filled room sets my lungs to burning, and it takes hours of clean air for that stinging sensation to disappear -- which, luckily, it does. I have no doubt that, had I not quit when I did, within five years I would have been planted -- not from cancer but from inability to breathe. It was already affecting my eye-sight with "floaters" that blocked out parts of my field of view. Quitting was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. No question I was addicted.


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