Drugs 101 street drugs

Benefits are highly questionable

- A small percentage will benefit ad a small will get an impairment - The benefits if are there are very small and variable. You have as much a chance to impair yourself as you have toimprove yourself

Ritalin improves behaviour in ADHD

- Change behavior of person with ADHD and change their behavior to allow them to function better in different settings

Each person responds differently

- Drugs have things that mimic neurotransmitter. - The drugs have the same effect in terms of their benefits - The persons memory gets better as you increase dose, and then their memory will decrease as drug dose gets too high - You don't know where you lie on the curve. As you continue to take the drug your ability to remember things might impair. You don't know if you are getting better. Some people will get a benefit and some will get an impairement

Ephedra is widely used

- Ephedra is available in health food outlets - Sold as a cold medication and if you take lots of pills it has the same effects as amphetamine

Why are many hallucinogens serotonin agonists?

- Hallucinogens have a chemical structure related to serotonin it is related to headaches - Serotonin is used in the center of the brain, the brain stem - At the top of the spinal cord there is a central part of the brain where primitive function is seen like emotions, sex drive, mood, emotions.

What is the relation between LSD hallucination and flying?

- Involves sensation of flying and they jump off buildings thinking they will fly but end up dying

LSD use by CIA at McGill in 1950's

- LSD was used for different purposed - The CIA was investigating things and as part of it they collaborated with a psychologist to investigate effect of LSD Students who were involved in this study they were not told what they were given and the effect and later on those people committed suicide because of the flash backs they got form what the CIA did

Some drugs improve cognitive function

- There is evidence these will improve cognitive function but not enhancement for things not there •Alzheimer's •Dementia •Aphasia •Schizophrenia

What does high use of bath salts cause?

- They started to cause violent episodes that happened after they became available in the early 200s psychosis

Don't-do-it-yourself chemistry

- Tried to make MPPP - There is a by product HCl and if you allow it to get too much or if it gets too hot, it gets converted to MPTP which is very very toxic

Based on law enforcement screens

- test kits produce change in color when you mix reagent in the kit - Used by law enforcement - Scientists use instruments that are more accurate - Law enforcement lag behind and use these instrument -Chemical compounds with related structure produce similar colors

Effects are small and variable

-As amounts of different drugs change in the brain, the effects of them tends to be small, and their effects are variable -If we are measuring an effect (cognitive ability), when the amount of neurotransmitter change they make an upside downU. meaning when you have low amounts of dopamine in the brain you have low effect and as you continue to increase it it gets to a maximum and starts to decrease. Amount of dopamine when it gets too high the effect will start to decrease

Where does Atropine come from?

-Comes form a plant called deadly nightshade -At one point it was used as a cosmetic -It dilates pupils making them more attractive to other people and women would consume these to look more attractive to others.

How did the creation of oxycontin come about?

-Created as a way to make use of the waste product that came from opium processing -40% of total material is a compound called Thebaine which is waste product -They found a way to convert it to oxycodone which can be used as a pain reliever -only source is from pharmacies and they are usually stolen

Feeling good does not = better performance

-Creates the allusion that you have a better performance -Just because you feel better, doesn't mean your performance is better

Why are many doctors reluctant to using opiates for terminal patients?

-Doctors are reluctant to use opiates in legit uses -Sometimes doctors are afraid that their patients will become addicted to opioid and then become reluctant to prescribing those to patients -in 1990s people started research to maintain quality of life while they're alive and opioids are an important part of this

Cognitive functions have different drug sensitivities

-Effects are small on overall performance -As ability to focus increases, we see persons memory is impaired with the larger amount of drugs -The ability to remember, solve problems, judgment, focus, if one is increased and the other is impaired, the overall change will be zero or very small -Because they affect many types of abilities, most people don't get nay kind of benefit

Why are Counterfeit opioids cheaper to make?

-Fentanyl products are a common ingredient to find in counterfeit opioid this is done in the underground drug industry -Heroin has to be shipped from Asia and you need large quantities of it -You have the risk of being in jail if you are stealing opioids from pharmacies -Fentanyl is a small molecule that is less expensive to make. You do not have to make a lot of it and you can make it in a basement and is easier to get access to fentanyl •"Prescription" opioids difficult/expensive to acquire (have to be stolen) •Fentanyl and related compounds inexpensive to make •Make counterfeit "prescription" oxycontin or heroin that contains fentanyl instead

What is Atropine use in Surgery?

-Has effect on the digestive system and can be used as a surgical system -Atropine is part of the deactivation of digestive system after paralyzing it for surgery

Who is Albert Hoffman?

-He discovered LSD and tried to find drugs for mental illnesses -He licked his fingers and got dosed with LSD and experienced hallucination - The next day he intentionally dosed himself with this that he became super high - He couldn't go home, his friend took him on a bike

What was the Harrison Narcotic Act in 1914?

-Heroin was much more addictive than morphine and therefore it was constricted like cocaine -Heroin and morphine had medicinal uses and made sure doctors could still use it but not available to others

Why and how did morphine become common after civil war?

-Inside the latex is an active ingredient called morphine -It was extracted to be used for medical purposes -During war, it was expensive, you needed to treat the pain. The doctors were using injected version of morphine -They did not have a fine knowledge of appropriate doses to use, therefore it can be common the doctor uses a lot of morphine and the drug would produce a euphoric sensation and caused those being treated to be addicted

MPTP selectively destroys brain tissue

-It destroys a part of the brain called the substantian nigral which gives us the ability to move -When the portion of the brain gets damaged, they lose the ability to move

Recreational Opium consumed in ancient China

-It is a potent pain killer and good at suppressing cough and inducing sleep -Used for many years for medical purposes -They have been used recreationaly for thousands of years

What is the religious significance of LSD hallucinations?

-LSD can be different from other hallucinogens -Those who have LSD they think they are talking to god and gives them a religious connection. They think they have a connection to god through using this

What are the additives to Ecstasy tabs?

-Many ecstasy tabs have additives -Methamphetamine is added because of marketing. Ecstasy is not addictive by itself, it is possible but not frequent. This makes sure addiction and returning customers •Methylenedioxyamphetamine,Paramethoxyamphetamine -Neurotoxic •Ketamine -Veterinary anesthetic (effects similar toPCP) •GHB -"Date-Rape" drug •Methamphetamine

People see patterns that are not there

-Omega 3 fatty acids are found in the brain -There is evidence showing if you do not get enough of these in your diet you will have brain health issues -People think If you take more than is necessary, it will make you smarter, not true.

"SKF-5" tested in the 1950's for psychotic depression

-People were more aware of using drugs and treating mental illness -This was experimented to treat depression -Failed as a treatment to treat depression in the 1950s and never reached the market place

What is Demerol?

-Related to opioids -Artificial substance to act the same as opioids - systemic painkiller

An amazing success story

-Salt sold in this country contains an ingredient that is a smart drug -It contains iodide -Has been added to salt to protect health of thyroid gland -Safe ingredient -Iodine is important in early development of human brain. Important in establishing intelligence of the person -20% of the world live in a place where they don't get iodine -Contributes 10-15 IQ points

Do ALL Ecstasy tabs actually contain Ecstasy?

-Sold as ecstasy but there is no guarantee they have ecstasy in them -People mixing up the batch of ecstasy didn't have access to raw material to make it and substituted into a material with a similar chemical structure - Many tablets these days do not have ecstasy, but only added ingredients

When was the hypodermic syringe and when was it invented?

-The consumption of opioids changed with hypodermic syringe which changed the way to get opioids into body - When smoked, you burn a lot of it - When you use a syringe it is quick and more efficient and you get more of it - invented in 1856

Effects are emotional - not cognitive

-They are not making you smarter, they make you feel better -You feel more positive and happier

Synthetic cathinones legal until recently

-They were never marketed as drugs and so they were legal -Until recently it was legal to make sell and possess these substances

Partial reprieve with L-DOPA

-This part of the brain has L DOPA which is use din movement -Restored their ability to move

Amphetamine prescribed to the rich and famous

-This was a drug of choice for a lot of people -A lot of rich people would buy this -The doctor would write prescription for them

Ecstasy is a predatory Drug

-Used by others to take advantage of someone -Person will administer into another peson and it will intoxicate them to take advantage of them -Used to facilitate sexual assault -Some have the ability to impair memory

What is fentanyl?

-Was discovered a long time ago and used as heavy duty pain killer -Became one of the first foundation of designer drug movement -methfentanyl and carfentanil were initially legal

What happens when heroin's injected?

-When injected heroin can cause dark spots. The blood vessels in the body have a safety system. If blood vessel becomes damaged they collapse in themselves to prevent us from serious injury -If someone injects themselves not carefully, the blood vessel collapses and prevents blood flow leading to tissue death which cause black track marks on the skin. These areas are dead flesh

What happened to fentanyl addicts?

-When they first came out, the addicts using them would die from overdose -The amounts you need are very small and it is difficult to accurately measure small amounts of stuff and if you make a mistake, the person can die -Has a small therapeutic window and if you make a mistake, you die

Small improvements for sleep deprived

-When you try to observe a small effect, you artificially impair the animal to bring the edge of healthy non healthy stateand this tends to amplify effects -If you measure it on a healthy animal you would not be able to observe it -The only way to measure the effects is by testing on impaired people by depriving them from sleep -They find the improvements on people very small. They are large enough to measure in laboratory but not large enough to help on exam

When did Ecstasy become illegal?

1988. -Illegal because of the side effects the drug produces -Makes you more open to others -Messes with ability of body to regulate body temperature. Can be extreme and result in death. -Euphoria -Empathy -Reduced inhibitions -Auditory hallucinations Sexuality -Hyperthermia -Liver, kidney, heart failure -Death -Loss of appetite -Dehydration -Depression -Lack of Judgment

When did recreational use begin?

2002. -They became known as bath salts and they began in the early 200s. -You are buying hallucinogenic substances base on cathinone material

What is incense Acetate from frankincense?

A hallucinogen that makes you more accepting to ideas

What was heroin sold as?

A non addictive cough suppressant. Heroin is a derivative of morphine. It was created by the Bayer company as a cough suppressant. morphine inhibits cough and is good but is addictive.

What is Sta-Hard?

A topical anesthetic a man applies to their genital. It lasts longer.

Drugs for narcolepsy keep you awake

Allows you to stay awake

What led to a decline in use of Amphetamine int he 1960s?

Amphetamine psychosis led to a decline in use in the 1960s. It made people dangerous to be around. The use of it acquired bad reputation and drug users stayed away from amphetamine. Caused extreme aggression, auditory and visual hallucinations similar to schizophrenia and paranoid psychosis where users accumulate weapons.

What do high doses of amphetamine do?

At high doses, you get euphoria effect and this leads to dopamine release. This stimulated the body reward system and so you feel good. At high doses, it causes psychosis which are hallucinations that have symptoms like schizophrenia. they become paranoid and aggressive. They use cold medication as a source of amphetamine. Stimulate dopamine release. Hyper stimulated the sympathetic nervous system fight or flight and causes aggression.

What do low doses of amphetamine do?

At low doses you stimulate the fight or flight response, increasing heart rate, breathing and gives adrenaline like response.

Why are drugs dangerous because they are illegal?

Because fines can be up to $200 and up. jail time up to life in prison. criminal record limits opportunities and ability to travel. Secondary crime: up to 75% of property crime is drug related, violent crime. Buyer beware: street drugs are not pure they can contain anything and it is impossible to know what is actually in them.

Why are drugs illegal because they're dangerous?

Because they impact your health due to adverse effects in a way you can get addicted to the substance. they impact personal life due to employability and destruction of relationships. they impact society due to health costs, economic impacts to families and society.

What do cane toads provide?

Bufotenine. Bufotenine is a latex protecting the toad. It is taken from the latex on the toad -You raise a toad as a pet and when you want to experience hallucination, you annoy the toad and it secretes the latex and you lick and become high and hallucinate

What was the Harrison Tax Act in 1914?

Cocaine can be bought anywhere until 1914. They made cocaine illegal to use unless you paid taxes or had a tax stamp to prove you have bought the cocaine legally. Cocaine had medical use as it was an anesthetic so they wanted doctors to be able to use it for medical benefits. Taxation method was most effective.

Why is cocaine considered the satisfying drug in the world?

Cocaine effects can be short lasting. This creates a strong addiction because of the unsatisfied feeling after cocaine wears off.

What is dental anesthetics inspired by?

Cocaine. Novocaine has a design element it has been designed to fall apart. the anesthetic effect wear off in 4 hours where the molecules get cup apart. this happens slowly as the molecules break down in the blood stream.

What is the most common medicinal opiate?

Codeine. -Other substance in the latex can be converted to many drugs -Codeine is artificially made and they use the substances in the opium and chemical reactions convert them to codeine -A lot of meds contain codeine and many other prescription drugs. Used as pain killer

What was the Benzedrine inhaler and how much did it contain?

Contained 250 mg. -They put the tube up the nose and inhale the amphetamine -Each time you inhale you get a dose and then rotate the tube to get another dose -On the inside there was wax paper folded to make the zig zag pattern and it was set up in a way that inside each gap you get a blob of amphetamine. On top of the tube there is a hole and by rotating you get the amphetamine and then when done you rotate it to the other side to get all the doses -You get 10-20 doses from one tube -They took out the wax paper and it would vaporize but will not dissolve in water -The acid in coca cola would convert the amphetamine to something soluble so you drink up amphetamine and so they drank big doses at the time and you would get the euphoric effect -First people to use this were military prisoners

What is Khat?

Contains Cathinone which is a hallucinogen related to amphetamine. Leaves are chewed as stimulants and cause dopamine release. Makes you feel good and addictive.

Why does crack require lower doses?

Crack is more dangerous than actual cocaine due to the dose. Cocaine hydrocholoride while it gets quickly in the body, it does not do that efficiently. It takes a large amount of cocaine hydrochloride to get it in the body. This is why cocaine is associated with rich people because they are the only people that can afford the drug because you need large dose. By removing hydrochloride, the molecule is better able to pass form outside to inside body. Crack was a cheaper way to consume cocaine. Once crack was available, anyone can get it and it became more dangerous because anyone can afford it

What are herbal incense?

Created as artificial cannabis. they were random leaves packaged in cans and were soaked in chemical related to chemical structure of active material found in cannabis. They were being sold legally because they weren't the chemical found in cannabis.

What provided a way around the law?

Designer drugs provided a way around the law. - people would look at a chemical structure of something illegal and make small changes to chemical structure of this material - They would make a different compound not on the list of illegal compounds and so you can make it and sell it without getting in trouble. -they used existing drugs as the starting point

How does use of fillers make the measurement easier?

Dilute the drug in a filler to get equal distribution. Larger quantities can be accurately measured.

Why is fentanyl so dangerous?

Doses are extremely small. Micrograms, extremely difficult to measure amounts this small. Amounts are so small that it is sometimes hard to see the material.

What was Auralgan used for?

Ear drops that deaden the pain from ear infection that kids get

What other drugs are considered predatory?

Ecstasy, GHB, Ketamine and Rohypnol

Frozen addicts in 1991

Effects of LDOPA are not permanent and over time the person can become partly disabled Once you damage that part of the brain you cannot repair it

What is crack cocaine?

Exact same ingredient but in a different way. Hydrochloride is used as a stabilizer for the molecule, it is susceptible to oxygen in the air. If you teat with baking soda you get rid of hydrochloride, removing the stabilizer from cocaine. At the end of the process, you get solid cocaine. It dries and shrinks developing cracks on it.

What were side effects of cathinone like?

Failed as weight loss drugs because side effects were so dangerous •Extreme dehydration •Massive weight loss •Highly addictive •Hallucinations •Psychosis -Paranoia -Extreme violence

Who took the first ecstasy trip?

Gordon Alles. Like the other substances he created, he used himself as a subject to take one of the things he made in the lab and experienced effects with taking ecstacy. You become more friendly when you take it

Cocaine in coke?

Has been used for medicinal purposes. coco leaves were part of the first recipe for Coca Cola, which was first used as a patent medication.

Who is Max Jacobson ?

He was JFK's doctor. He was willing to write prescriptions for amphetamines that he was called Dr. Feelgood.

The ethics of smart drugs

If benefits outweigh the risks of using these products, why not? Screw ethics basically.

When was oxycontin first marketed?

In 1939.

What was the Stepan chemical?

In New Jersey they were legally allowed to sell cocaine. they import coca leaves and chemically extract cocaine from coca leaves. The company maintains small amounts of material which is purified and sold as cocaine and is useful in procedure. they use them in plastic surgeries. -It imports coca leaves, removes cocaine from leaves, and leaves are resold as flavoring ingredient, they are sold to companies like coca cola, this is how coca cola continue to use their recipe

When did methamphetamine make a comeback?

In the 1990s

What do high doses of cathinone do?

Increase aggression similar to methamphetamine. People become paranoid when they take it and experience psychosis. Synthetic version were tested as appetite suppressants

What were other uses of cocaine?

It was found in beverages and medicine. It was also used for hair because it acts as an anesthetic so if you have lice or dandruff or other conditions where the head is itchy.

What did ecstasy finally become?

It was never legal until the 1980s and was initially used as a party drug.

What can Ergotamine be converted to?

Lysergic acid, which can be converted to other substances

What was the designer version of the real drug (Demerol)?

MPPP. created in the late 1970s. Toxic chemical. was legal at the time

Is methamphetamine a vasoconstrictor or vasodilator?

Methamphetamine is a vasoconstrictor. its initial use was as a nasal decongestant because it contracts blood vessel tissues on the face. If you take high doses of it, the vasoconstriction effect becomes strong. Cuts out blood supply to teeth and you can develop a condition called meth teeth where your teeth are dying. You can also develop Meth face because it shuts off blood supplied to tissues in the face causing them to die.

What is nitrous oxide also known as and where is it found?

Nitrous oxide is found in whipped cream and is known as laughing gas.

What do opiates do to the central nervous system?

Opiates depress the central nervous system causing death from overdose and shuts down breathing. Analgesia, drowsiness, apathy, lethargy and unconsciousness

What areas is overdose on fentanyl common?

Ottawa fentanyl and Alberta carfentanil

Why is cocaine addiction strong?

People don't build up tolerance. When people become addicted to it, they do not become physically sick, the effect is strong psychological effect. This comes from a very short time delay between snorting cocaine and release of dopamine in the brain.

Where are opiates derived from?

Poppy latex. Poppy plant produces juice excreted to protect itself from being eaten. inside the juice there is opioids. You grow the plant and they make vertical cuts in bulb of plant and through the cuts the latex grows and this is how opioid is removed form latex then you have something to be used as a recreational drug

What does cocaine do?

Prevents dopamin reuptake. Cocaine increases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is used to learn things. all addictive behaviours involve dopamine as part of the process. reuptake inhibitors interfere with the system theat resets the first neutron and prevents dopamine from being sucked back in. you end up with too much extra dopamine signalling in the synapse and you to much dopamine and increase the amount of dopamine in the brain.

Who is Timothy Leary?

Prof at Harvard. -He encouraged people to drop out of school and society and use LSD -He was fired from Harvard

What are the side effects of cocaine?

Seizures, psychiatric disturbances like coke bugs, stroke, cardiac arrythmia and death

What makes dangerous drugs?

Sloppy mixing

Leaves spikes with synthetic analgesics

THC is the active ingredient found in cannabis. They were compounds related to a failed analgesics drug tested by Pfizer. this was investigated as a pain reliever and failed in clinical trials due to toxicity found in the material. the chemical structure had a bit of a similarity. When Pfizer's compound is made in the lab, they use a special ingredient in one of the reaction which is difficult to get in laboratory. The stuff in herbal incense had stuff similar to but not exactly the same as the Pfizer product. it was not tested to be safe or anything they just sold it on the internet.

Are kits reliable?

Test kits to test if there is actually ecstasy in the drug. Some test kits are not good.

What is the starting material of methamphetamine?

The starting material of methamphetamine is pseudoephedrine and it was easy to make. you do a chemical reaction to get rid of the OH on the pseudoephedrine to make it into methamphetamine

Why are solvents often abused in elementary schools?

They are abused by those who do not have a lot of money. they are easy to get access to. inhaling them gives a mild effect due to the lots of solvents in them.

Why are ecstasy tabs usually not pure?

They have mercury in them.

What did DEA do when they found out about pseudoephedrine purchases?

They made it illegal unless you had a reason.

What were profit margins on designer drugs like?

They were enormous. They were cheap to make and were potent compounds. they were 100s of times more potent than heroin and can be much more valuable than heroin. 200 g of heroin was worth 1 million and 200 g of methyfentanyl was worth 1 billion

Cocaine used as a stimulant

This is a drug that has been used as a chemical stimulant and topical anesthetic and as an affective pain killer. The people who use the material as a stimulant live at high altitudes where oxygen is lower than at sea level. they use coco leaves and chew them to use as a stimulant. it is part of their lives, just like how coffee is part of life.

Snorting Cocaine hydrochloride

Use straw to inhale in the nose. the blood supply inside the nose is exposed in mucus membrane there and cocanie goes into the blood system. Blood supply is close to brain so it gives a strong reaction.

What is hyoscine (Scopolamine)?

Used for surgical procedure. Scopolamine was used as a truth serum, but it doesn't get you to tell the truth, it reduces the person's inhibitions and tells you stuff they wouldn't tell you. They don't tell the truth.

How is crack usually taken?

Usually smoked. you apply heat to crack cocaine and it vaporizes. you get the vaporizer inside the crack tube and you get a vaporizer. it goes to the lungs and quickly makes it to blood stream.

What was W-18?

W 18 was a research chemical This was created as an investigational substance to see how it reacts with certain receptors in the brain. discovered in Edmonton. First appeared in November 2015 and right away it became a problem because it was so potent that it killed people quickly. Banned in march 2016

What is MDMA?

Was tested by military to see if it was effective and it was not successful for that use.

Cocaine in patent medicines

When Coca Cola was first invented, it was a non alcoholic patent medication. Vin Mariani was the alcoholic. verse and it had cocaine. Coca leaves were the important flavour agent in Coca Cola.

Amphetamines for repetitive tasks

When drug gets bad, they change the name Adderall is amphetamine

What was smerfing?

You pay a lot of people to get Sudafed which contained a lot of pseudoephedrine and take it from the pill to make methamphetamine.

How do you get high from cow's waste?

You put plastic bag over it and the bag gets full fo methane gas that you can breathe and get a mild high

What do magic mushrooms contain?

psilocybin

Was amphetamine used to treat depression?

yep