by Jerges Cervantes

Created on: May 01, 2010

First, let me explain that I'm not here to talk about how the drugs destroyed lives, but rather to correct a lot of the misconceptions and false claims from another article. The article posted describes that the powerful drug use and psychedelics of the 1960s, specifically LSD and STP, cause a person to be forever changed, harmed, and debilitated by their experience of the drug through only one use. Again, my only reason for this article is to correct the misconceptions provided within the article.

To start off let me describe the drugs in question; LSD, a well known chemical known as Lysergic acid diethylamide, and STP. STP is actually a street name for the substance standing for "Serenity, Tranquility, and Peace" and is believed to be nicknamed after the well-known motor oil company. The real name for STP is2,5-Dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine or DOM. Both of these substances have long durations, between 7-20 hours dependent on dosage, and cause hallucinations, synethesia, vivid visuals, pupil dilation, reduced appetite, and other psychedelic effects.

The first misconception is that the drug stays with them their entire life. While it’s impossible to deny that a person can forget such an experience, the actual substances leave the body relatively quickly. In the article it is said that the drugs are able to be detected after death through either your hair follicles or an autopsy. This is completely false, as the chemistry of LSD and DOM break-down hours after taking it. Within a few days, at max one week, all physiological evidence of taking the drug has completely left the body. LSD is actually extremely non-toxic, and it is almost impossible to overdose on it. There are many myths concerning LSD that claim it stays in the spinal cord and is slowly released which is what causes flashbacks. Flashbacks are not cause through this method, but are instead cause due to psychological issues. Flashbacks are not common, and only about 2-3% of users report ever experiencing one.

The next misconception is the idea that a person would never come down from their trip after taking one of these two substances. This is completely untrue. The effects, as previously stated, can last anywhere from 7 – 20 hours depending on the dose taken and rarely last longer than this. After a good night’s sleep, the only remnants of the trip that remain are the memory of it. There may be awareness present in an individual that things are different after having taken the drug,

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