Addictive substances - LSD

1. LSD
Wojciech Burda, Paulina Pasieczna, Szymon Smyk

2. FIRST 30 YEARS – medical usage
◦ synthesized by Albert Hoffman on November 16,
1938
◦ short form, LSD, comes from LSD-25, abbreviation for
German Lysergsäure-diethylamid
◦ under the name Delysid, introduced by Sandoz
Labolatories as a drug in 1947
◦ reducing alcohol addict, pain, increasing creativity –
used mostly to enhance psychotherapy, believed to
be specially useful at „unblocking” repressed
subconscious material
◦ in October 24, 1968 LSD possesion was made illegal
in US Albert Hofmann in 2006

3. CHEMICAL DATA
◦ formula: C20H25N3O
◦ sensitive to oxygen, ultraviolet light and chlorine
◦ built similar to serotonin
◦ synthesisable from ergotamine
◦ colorless, tasteless, odorless solid
serotonin
LSD
ergotamine

4. PHYSICAL EFFECTS
◦ Strong mettallic taste
◦ Increased blood pressure
◦ Dizziness
◦ Loss of appetite
◦ Dry mouth
◦ Sweating
◦ Nausea
◦ Numbness
◦ Tremors
◦ Weakness

5. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
◦ Mood change
◦ Radiant colors experience
◦ ”Rippling” objects
◦ Altered sense of time
◦ Crawling geometric patterns
◦ Losing the sense of identity
◦ Flashbacks
◦ Altered sensory experience of senses, emotions, memories, time, awareness for 6 to 14
hours

6. INTERSTING?
◦ According to science reserch, LSD is non-addictive.
◦ For most cases LSD is not dangerous at all, but multiple usage can induce brain
damage.
◦ It’s one of a strongest drugs available – amount of approx. 100 to 500 micrograms (an
amount roughly equal to one-tenth the mass of a grain of sand) is enough for aattain
an effect. There are no similar-working drugs with so small active dose, wich makes LSD
completely unimitable.
◦ It’s not possible to overdose LSD.
◦ Flashbacks can sometimes return even after more that 6 months and there is no way to
predict or prevent it.
◦ Many famous people have confecced the usage of LSD, e.g. Bill Gaates, Salvador Dalí,
Steve Jobs, The Beatles, The Fool design colletive, Michael Rios and Aldous Huxley.

7. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION!