LSD in the Bay Area

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), or acid, is a non-addictive hallucogenic drug. Though chemically it is not addictive, there is a chance of getting addicted to the hallucogenic feeling of a high.

LSD is still being investigated by the FBI. It is proposed to be synthesized in Northern California.

Forms

LSD is commonly taken as blotting paper: pieces of paper that are composed of several copies of the same art over and over. Each square is a full dose of LSD, and squares are chewed, swallowed, mixed with water and drunk, or simply licked.

Fig. 1: An example of blotter paper (Source: dea.gov)

LSD is also commonly taken as pills ("micro dots") and saturated sugar cubes.

Fig. 2: LSD sugar cubes (Source: dea.gov)

Supply Chain

LSD follows a complicated supply chain akin to most hard drugs, mainly due to their illegal status. Although the locations of the producers are unknown, a huge production operation is rumored to be located in Northern California.

It is distributed in several ways, ranging from smuggling to simple mailing.

Though it is normally not a commonly abused substance among high schoolers, an enterprising student can easily find a friend or contact who can get their hands on it, especially in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, since the Bay Area hosts a swarm of dealers.

Fig. 3: The supply chain for LSD. (Source chooses to remain anonymous)

What Can Parents and Educators Do?

The answer is simple, really; ensure your child does not take any other drugs. Other Schedule I Narcotics are more common, and a student with prior drug use will be magnitudes more likely to take LSD than anyone else.

Ensure your child knows the risks of taking LSD - namely, Hallucinogenic Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD).

Chemical Information

Lysergic acid diethylamide is an organic compound.

Fig. 4: Lewis Structure for LSD

Fig. 5: Lewis Structure for Lysergic Acid

Chemically, the compound is basic, despite having the word "acid" in its name - in reality, Lysergic acid is a precursor for the production of LSD.

The amide (the N-C=O at the top left of Fig. 4) blocks the acid's proton, taking out its acidic property. Notice how the hydroxide group at the top left of Figure 5 is the only thing that gets replaced - that too with a nitrogen, introducing more lone pairs. So, although hydroxide is normally considered basic, Lewis's definition of acids and bases makes LSD basic.

How it works in the Brain

LSD binds to a serotonin in the receptor - more specifically, to the 5-HT2A receptor - in the brain. The LSD also causes an increased transport of glutamine, which is speculated to play a part in the "high" one experiences on LSD.

LSD is known to cause Hallucinogenic Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) down the road, although how it is caused is still a topic of research.

Although one builds tolerance to LSD quickly (mainly due to the reduced production of the 5-HT2A receptor after several administrations), the eyes and central nervous system may become more unbridled, causing flashbacks or (hypothesized) symptoms of HPPD.