Upper, Downers, All Arounders

Anabolic Steroids - Mental/Emotional Effects

Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and strength. Prolonged use can cause masculinization in women, acne, high blood pressure, and shrunken testes.

Anabolic Steroids - Physical Effects

Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass and strength. Prolonged use can cause masculinization in women, acne, high blood pressure, and shrunken testes.

Methadone

Methadone maintenance is an example of one of the earliest harm reduction programs that was targeted to benefit soci- ety as well as the addict. Because methadone is administered orally, the hazards associated with needle injection—such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and bacterial infections of the heart, veins, and other body tissues—are greatly diminished.

Osychoactive drug

The authors define a psychoactive drug as any substance that directly alters the normal functioning of the central nervous system. As the understanding of addictive brain processes increases, this definition might be expanded to in- clude compulsive behaviors (e.g., gambling) that do the same. Today there are more psychoactive drugs to choose from than at any other time in history.

Uppers

Uppers include cocaine, amphetamine, methamphet- amine, diet pills, and the plant stimulants (e.g., khat, betel nuts, caffeine, and tobacco). Major effects are in- creased energy, feelings of confidence, raised heart rate and blood pressure, and euphoria with stronger stimu- lants. Overuse can cause jitteriness, anger, depletion of energy, anhedonia (lack of ability to feel pleasure), and paranoia, along with damage to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

Uppers (stimulants)

Uppers, or CNS stimulants, include cocaine (freebase, crack), amphetamines (Adderall,® "crystal" meth, speed), amphet- amine congeners (Ritalin,® diet pills), plant stimulants (khat, betel nuts, ephedra, yohimbe), lookalike stimulants, caffeine (coffee, colas, energy drinks), and nicotine.

Inhalants - Physical effects

Use results in CNS depression, causing dizziness, slurred speech, unsteady gait, and drowsiness. Some inhalants lower blood pressure, causing the user to faint or lose balance. Because they are depressants, they can cause stupor, coma, and asphyxiation. The organic solvents can be toxic to cells in the lungs, brain, liver, kidney tissues, and blood.

Cocaine

Virtually all cocaine is grown in South America. Currently, Colombia produces abount half the world's supply. Peru abount one-thrid, and Bolivia the rest.

The five most common ways drugs enter the body

Inhalation Injection Mucos mebrane Absorption oral ingestion contact absorption

LSD & the New Psychedelics

LSD-25, a semisyn- thetic drug derived from the alkaloid ergotamine, found in ergot fungus on rye grain, was discovered in 1938 by Albert Hoffman of Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. Its hallucinogenic properties weren't reveled until he accidentally took about two and a half times a normal dose (250 micrograms) in 1943.

All arounders

Psychedelics (e.g., marijuana, LSD, and MDMA) alter sensory input and can cause illusions, delu- sions, and hallucinations, and can cause some stimulation

Inhalants - Mental/Emotional Effects

Small amounts can produce impulsive behavior, excite- ment, mental confusion, and irritability. Some inhalants cause a rush through a variety of mechanisms. Larger amounts can cause delirium and hallucinations.

Anabolic steroids

and other sports drugs are used to en- hance athletic performance by increasing endurance, muscle size, and aggression.

Inhalants (deliriants)

(deliriants) include organic solvents, volatile ni- trites, and nitrous oxide and can induce the full range of upper, downer, or psychedelic effects depending on the specific substance and the amount used.

Datura - hexing herb

(thornapple) was often made into a salve and ab- sorbed through the skin (McKenna, 1992).

Heroin

Currently Mexican black tar and brown or white heroin from Afghanistan are the most comon in the Untited States. Most arrives via Mexican drug-trafficking organizations.

Downers

Downers include opiates and opioids (e.g., heroin and codeine), sedative-hypnotics (e.g., benzodiazepines and barbiturates), and alcohol (beer, wine, and distilled li- quor). These drugs depress circulatory, respiratory, and muscular systems. The stronger opiates and sedative- hypnotics can initially cause euphoria. Prolonged use can cause health problems and dependence. Other downers include antihistamines, skeletal muscle relax- ants, look-alike sedatives, and bromides.

Belladonna - hexing herb

—also known as witch's berry, devil's herb, and deadly nightshade—dilates pupils, causes inebria- tion, and can cause hallucinations and delirium. It has also been used to treat a number of physical illnesses and dysfunctional mental states (Rätsch, 2005).

Heroin

Afghanistan has been the largest grower of opium for many years, providing 6,000 tons, or about 90% of the world's illicit supply, in 2008.

All Arounders (psychedelics)

All arounders—hallucinogens or psychedelics—are sub- stances that can distort perceptions and induce illusions, de- lusions, or hallucinations. There are five classifications of psychedelics: -indoles: LSD, psilocybin mushrooms ␣␣phenylalkylamines: peyote (mescaline), MDMA (ecstasy) -anticholinergics: belladonna, mandrake, etc -Cannabinoids: marijuana, hashish, sinsemilla, and synthetic marijuana (Marinol,® K2®) -others: ketamine, PCP, Salvia divinorum, nutmeg, dextromethorphan, bromo-dragonFLY, lion's tail, and Amanita mushrooms.

Anabolic Steroids & Other Drugs

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are the most common perfor- mance-enhancing drugs. Others include stimulants (e.g., amphetamines, ephedrine, and caffeine), human growth hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), herbal/ nutritional supplements (e.g., creatine and androstenedi- one), and some therapeutic drugs (e.g., painkillers, beta blockers, and diuretics).

Psychedelic Mold—Ergot (Saint Anthony's Fire)

Another psychedelic that has persisted through the ages is found in ergot, the brownish purple fungus Claviceps purpurea, which grows on infected rye and wheat plants. The active ingredient in the fungus is ergotamine, which contains lysergic acid diethylamide, the natural form of the modern synthetic hallucinogen LSD. Ergot and its effects are referred to in ancient Greek (Elysian Mysteries) and medi- eval European literature. It was recognized as a poison and a psychedelic as early as 600 B.C.

Psychiatric Medications - Mental/Emotional Effects

Antidepressants counteract depression by manipulating the brain chemicals (e.g., serotonin) that elevate mood. Antipsychotics manipulate dopamine to control schizo- phrenic mood swings and hallucinations. Antianxiety drugs also manipulate brain chemicals, such as GABA, to inhibit anxiety-producing thoughts.

Inhalants

Inhalants are gaseous or liquid substances that are inhaled and absorbed through the lungs. They include organic solvents, such as glue, gasoline, metallic paints, gasoline additives (STP®), and household sprays; volatile nitrites, such as amyl, butyl, or cyclohexyl nitrite (also called "poppers"); and anes- thetics, especially nitrous oxide ("laughing gas").

Downers - Mental/Emotional Effects

Initially, small doses (particularly of alcohol) act like stimu- lants because they lower inhibitions thus inducing freer behavior, but as more of the drug is taken, the overall de- pressant effect dominates, relaxing and dulling the mind, diminishing anxiety, and controlling some neuroses. Certain downers can also induce euphoria or a sense of well-being. Long-term use of any depressant can cause psychological and physical dependence.

All Arounders -Physical Effects

Most hallucinogenic plants cause nausea and dizziness. Marijuana increases appetite and makes the eyes bloodshot. LSD raises the blood pressure and causes sweating. Ecstasy and LSD act like stimulants. Generally the physical effects are not as dominant as the mental effects in this class of substanc- es except for PCP and ketamine, which act as anesthetics.

Alcohol

Throughout history alcohol has been the most popular psy- choactive substance.

Psychiatric medications

include antidepressants, antipsy- chotics, and antianxiety drugs. They are prescribed to rebalance the brain chemistry

Coffee, Tea & Chocolate (Caffeine)

For centuries the coffee plant Coffea Arabica grew wild in Ethiopia; by the fourteenth century, it was imported to Arabia and intensely cultivated. Coffee was initially consumed by chewing the beans or by drinking bean-infused water. During the later Middle Ages, people learned how to roast and grind the beans, making a tastier and more po- tent beverage. It was also used medicinally (e.g., as a diuret- ic, an asthma treatment, and for headache relief). It wasn't until 1819 that caffeine, the active alkaloid in coffee and tea, was finally identified by the young German physician Friedlieb Runge.

Cannabis (Marijuana)

Historically, Cannabis was known in many countries and languages: kannabis (Greek), qunubu (Assyrian), qanneb (Hebrew), and qannob (Arabic) (Booth, 2004). Cannabis was prized as a source of oil and fiber, for its edible seeds, as a medicine, and as a psychedelic. Archaeologists found traces of hemp fibers in clothes, shoes, paper, and rope dating to 4000 B.C. in Taiwan, although it had probably been cultivated since the Neolithic era several millennia before (Booth, 2004; Stafford, 1982). According to legend, in 2737 B.C. the Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung used Cannabis (ma-fen) as a medicine and recorded the findings of his personal experi- ment. A medical herbal encyclopedia called the Pen-tsao, written in A.D. 100, refers to Shen-Nung's study of 364 drugs (including ephedra and ginseng) and lists Cannabis as a medication as well as a substance with stu- pefying and hallucinogenic properties (Schultes & Hofmann, 1992).

Heroin

Historically, four regions grow and export almost all of the world's illicit opium and heroin: the Golden Crescent (southwest Asia—Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan), the Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia—Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos), Mexico, and Colombia. India cultivates most of the legitimate opium poppy crop. Each of the four growing re- gions, at one time or another, has been the main supplier of heroin to the United States.

Preventing & Treating Drug Abuse

In 1951 the World Health Organization called alcohol- ism a serious medical problem. In 1956 the American Medical Association (AMA) called alcoholism a treatable illness. In 1965 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) began describing alcoholism as a treatable disease; a year later the AMA agreed with the APA. Concerted efforts to treat and prevent alcoholism and drug addiction began in the 1970s, the same decade the U. S. gov- ernment first launched the "War on Drugs." Despite the in- creased resources dedicated to combating drug abuse, the allocation of money was based more on political expediency than on the efficacy of the various approaches. Attempts to address the problems of abuse, addiction, and crime focused on three strategies: -demand reduction—prevention coupled with treatment - supply reduction—interdiction plus stricter laws con- cerning use -harm reduction—medical or social techniques to reduce the physical and social damage caused by abuse and de- pendence (e.g., methadone maintenance, free needle dis- tribution, and temperance).

Methadone

It wasn't until the 1960s in New York that this method was tried again, using a long-acting opioid called methadone, a drug developed in Germany in the early 1940s. "Methadone maintenance" substitutes a legal opiate (methadone) for an illegal one (heroin). Methadone is less intense than heroin but is addictive and difficult to abandon. According to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, in 2011 there were 1,235 facilities in 47 states that supply methadone to about 284,608 heroin/opioid addicts, 39,000 in New York city alone (N-SSATS, 2010).

Compulsive behaviors

such as binge-eating, anorexia, bulimia, compulsive gambling, sexual compulsion, Internet addiction, compulsive shopping, and codependency, affect many of the same areas of the brain that are influenced by psychoactive drugs

Uppers - Mental/Emotional Effects

A small-to-moderate dose of the stronger stimulants can make someone feel more confident, excited, outgoing, and eager to perform. It can also cause a certain rush or high, depending on the specific drug and the physiology of the user. Larger doses can cause the jitters, anxiety, anger, rapid speech, and aggressiveness. Prolonged use of the stronger stimulants can cause extreme anxiety, paranoia, anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure), and mental confusion. Overuse of strong stimulants can mimic psychosis.

Psychedelic Mushrooms in India, Siberia & Mesoamerica

Archaeology traces the sacramental use of psychedelic mushrooms back about 7,000 years. Cave drawings from the Neolithic era discovered in Algeria show shamanic figures enmeshed in mushrooms (possibly Psilocybe mairei), suggesting early sacramental use (Stamets, 1996). In 1500 B.C. the Vedas of ancient India sang of a holy inebriant that proved to be an extract of the Amanita muscaria mushroom, also called the flyagaric mushroom. The active ingredients are ibotenic acid and the alkaloid muscimole. The hallucinogen was called Soma, the name of one of their most important gods. More than 100 holy hymns from the Rig-Veda are de- voted to Soma.

Marijuana (Cannabis) & Health

As of 2000 marijuana remained the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, and dozens of other countries. High-potency mari- juana is widely available (up to 14 times as strong as variet- ies available in the 1970s). H

Compulsive Behaviors

Behaviors like eating disorders (compulsive overeating, an- orexia, and bulimia), compulsive gambling, sexual compul- sion, Internet addiction, compulsive buying/shopping, and codependency affect many of the same areas of the brain that are affected by the compulsive use of psychoactive drugs.

Downers

Depressantsincludeopioids,sedative-hypnotics, and alcohol. They depress circulatory, respiratory, and muscular systems; control pain, reduce anxiety, promote sleep, and lower inhibitions; and can also induce euphoria.

Downers (depresants)

Downers, or CNS depressants, are divided into four categories: -Opiates and opioids: e.g., opium, heroin, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and methadone. -Sedative-hypnotics: benzodiazepines such as alpra- zolam (Xanax®) and clonazepam (Klonopin®); barbitu- rates such as butalbital; Z-hypnotics such as zolpidem (Ambien®); and others, including ramelteon (Rozerem®). -Alcohol: beer, wine, and hard liquors. -Others: antihistamines, skeletal muscle relaxants, look- alike sedatives, and bromides.

All Arounders- Mental and Emotional Effects

Most often psychedelics distort sensory messages to and from the brain stem—the mind's sensory switchboard—so many external stimuli, particularly visual, tactile, and audi- tory, are intensified or altered (illusions). This process re- sembles synesthesia, where the brain causes sounds to be- come visual and sight to be perceived as sound. The brain can also trigger imaginary sensory messages (hallucina- tions) along with distorted thinking (delusions).

Buprenorphine

One of the more significant changes in drug treatment is the trend to get general practitioners and other physicians more involved in the treatment process. The administration of buprenorphine in a doctor's office rather than exclu- sively in a drug clinic is one such change. Buprenorphine (Suboxone® and Subutex®) is a drug that can block craving for heroin, OxyContin,® Vicodin,® and other opioids (Stine & Kosten, 2009). Buprenorphine is safer to use than methadone, although it is costly: $500 to $700 per month, depending on the dose (BupPractice.com, 2011). Methadone maintenance treat- ment is cheaper, about $350 to $370 per month.

Psychedelic "Hexing Herbs"

Other psychedelics used over the centuries include mem- bers of the nightshade family Solanaceae that contain the psychoactive chemicals atropine and scopolamine. These substances date back to ancient civilizations and were feared due to their poisonous nature and their ability to cause hal- lucinations and delirium. In the Middle Ages, the nightshade varietals were sometimes used by medicine men and women who were later accused of witchcraft (Rätsch, 2005)

Psychiatric Medications

Psychiatric medications are used to rebalance irregular brain chemistry that has caused mental problems, drug ad- diction, and other compulsive disorders. The most common are antidepressants (e.g., Celexa,® Prozac,® Luvox,® Zoloft,® Paxil,® Cymbalta,® Pristiq®), antipsychotics (e.g., Seroquel,® Risperdal,® Abilify,® Haldol,® and Zyprexa®), and antianxi- ety drugs (e.g., Xanax,® BuSpar,® Lyrica [off-label]) as well as panic disorder drugs (e.g., Inderal®). The number of new drugs developed for the modification of behavior and the alleviation of symptoms is an indication of how fast the field of psychopharmacology has grown and il- lustrates the emphasis on medication as a treatment strategy rather than psychotherapy. These drugs are prescribed more and more frequently despite the fact that the national inci- dence of psychiatric disorders has remained fairly constant over the past 30 years.

Psychiatric Medications- Physical Effects

Psychiatric medications produce a wide variety of physical side effects, particularly involving the heart, blood, and skeletal-muscle systems. Side effects and other adverse or toxic reactions are especially severe with antipsychotic drugs (also called neuroleptic drugs).

Chemical, Trade & Street Names

Psychoactive drugs have chemical names, trade names, and street names. -Street names like "blunts" and "chronic" for marijuana; "boulya" and "24/7" for crack cocaine; ecstasy and "E" for MDMA; and "chiva" or "smack" for heroin evolve almost daily among drug users. Each commonly used and abused substance may have 20 or more informal names. -Chemical names are used to describe the molecular structure of any psychoactive drug, particularly the newer synthetic substances such as methylenedioxymeth- amphetamine (MDMA) and 4-bromo 2,5 dimethoxy- phenethylamine (2CB). -Trade names, such as Zoloft® instead of its chemical name sertraline, or OxyContin® instead of oxycodone, add further confusion to referencing psychoactive drugs.

Downers - Physical Effects

Small doses of downers depress the central nervous system, which slows heart rate and respiration, relaxes muscles, de- creases coordination, induces sleep, dulls the senses, and di- minishes pain. Opiates and opioids can cause nausea and pinpoint pupils and also cause constipation, so they are used to control diarrhea. Excessive drinking or sedative-hypnotic use can slur speech and cause digestive problems. Sedative- hypnotics and alcohol in large doses or in combination with other depressants can cause dangerous respiratory depres- sion and coma. High-dose or prolonged use of any depres- sant can cause sexual dysfunction and tissue dependence.

Uppers

Stimulants, such as cocaine, methamphetamines, caffeine, and nicotine, force the release of energy chemi- cals. The strongest stimulants—cocaine and methamphetamines—can produce an intense rush and, in the case of methamphetamines, more-prolonged highs.

Synthetic cocaine/methamphetamine

Street chemists have developed a form of synthetic co- caine/methamphetamine that is sold as bath salts or plant food. According to the DEA, it gives users euphoria and ex- treme energy, its side effects include hallucinations and car- diovascular complications. The drugs (mephedrone, MDPV, and related cathinone derivatives) were available for a num- ber of years in the United Kingdom until they were banned in 2010 after several deaths were attributed to their use. (McElrath & O'Neill, 2011). The effects of these stimulants are similar to those of methamphetamine. Mephedrone was banned in Europe in 2010 and will probably be banned in most other countries, including the United States.

Synthtic marijuana

Synthetic marijuana and synthetic cocaine were developed to be sold legally. When synthetic cannabis came on the market in the early 2000s, the effects mimicked the effects of organic Cannabis. It was sold as herbal incense in "head shops" and gas stations under the trade names K2 and Spice. These drugs do not test positive for Cannabis, and were tout- ed as a way to get high without detection. Many states and the federal government are taking a closer look at synthetic marijuana and have placed bans on many of the products and the chemicals used to manufacture them.

Controlled Substances Act of 1970

The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (the Controlled Substances Act) was a response to the proliferation of drug use that occurred in the 1960s. The act consolidated and updated most drug laws that had been passed in the twentieth century.

Mescal Bean, San Pedro & Peyote Cacti (Mescaline) in Mesoamerica

The availability of dozens of hallucinatory plants in North and South America provided cultures with natural materials for complex ceremonies overseen by shamans, who held the same positions of spiritual influence as did those in Neolithic times in Asia. The psychoactive mescal beans were roasted and eaten during sacred rites, causing a sleepy de- lirium that lasted for days. Half a bean, ground, chewed, and swallowed, is sufficient to cause the delirium (Rätsch, 2005). Later, cacti containing mescaline became another ceremonial hallucinogen of choice.

Compulsive Behaviors - Mental/Emotional Effects

The development of tolerance, psychological dependence, and withdrawal symptoms exists with compulsive behav- iors. The compulsion to gamble or to overeat is every bit as strong as drug-seeking behavior.

Tobacco & Coca Leaf in Mesoamerica

The genesis of the plants containing stimulant alkaloids (e.g., tobacco [nicotine] and coca leaves [cocaine]) dates back 65 million to 250 million years. The bitter alkaloids were the plants' defense against dinosaurs, other herbivores, and insects.

Compulsive Behaviors - Physical Effects

The major physical effects of compulsive behaviors are gen- erally confined to neurological and chemical changes in the brain's reward/control pathway. Eating disorders are the exception because excessive or very limited food intake can lead to cardiovascular problems, diabetes, nutritional dis- eases, or obesity.

Prescription Drug Abuse

The most rapid increase in diversion of prescription drugs for abuse has occurred with prescription opioid pain medi- cations like OxyContin® and Vicodin.® By 2009, 4.3 million teens (18%) had used a prescription pain reliever illicitly at some time in their lives (SAMHSA, 2010). Hydrocodone (Vicodin,® Lortab,® Norco,® Anexsia,® Hycodan,® and Tylox®) is the most widely used and abused prescription opiate. Since 1990 there has been a 500% in- crease in the number of emergency room visits due to hydro- codone.

Opium

The other psychoactive drug that appears early in history (10,000 to 12,000 B.C.) is opium. The milky white fluid from the fresh opium poppy bulb turns amber to dark brown when dried. It is then boiled to a sticky gum and chewed. It was also burned and inhaled or mixed with fermented liquids and swallowed. It was used both for its medicinal properties of pain relief, cough suppression, and diarrhea control as well as for its mental properties of sedation and euphoria (Hoffman, 1990). Because it was ingested rather than smoked its bitter taste and the moderate concentration of active ingredients limited the abuse potential (Scarborough, 1995).

Pharmacokinetics

The process by which a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, eliminated, and excreted by the body. The more rapidly a psychoactive drug reaches its target in the central nervous system, the greater its reforcing effect.

From Club Drugs to Synthetic Drugs

The toys of the electronic revolution—MP3 players, tablets, smart phones, electronic games, the Internet—coupled with a flood of prescription opiates, medical marijuana, alcohol- laced energy drinks, and the party scene has made the abuse, addiction and compulsion continuum more eclectic. The pendulum moved away from using drugs to explore one's consciousness toward simply getting loaded. Even the mu- sic is more chaotic. So many drugs are readily available that trends shift quickly. The most common club drug is MDMA (ecstasy, "X," "E," "Adam," and "rave"), a psychedelic also referred to as a psycho-stimulant. MDMA users claim that it promotes closeness and empathy along with a loss of inhibitions that can trigger a strong urge to dance, socialize, and stay active.Another club drug is GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), a sedative. It was banned in the United States because youths were using it as a sedative, to induce euphoria, and for its anabolic or muscle-building effects. It has also been used by sexual predators to induce amnesia in their victims.

Uppers - physical effects

The usual effect of a small-to-moderate dose is excessive stimulation of the CNS—energized muscles, increased alert- ness, insomnia, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and decreased appetite. Frequent use of the stronger stimulants (cocaine and methamphetamine) over a period of a few days will deplete the body's energy chemicals and exhaust the user. If large amounts are used or if the user is extra-sensi- tive, heart, blood vessel, and seizure problems can occur. Although tobacco is a comparatively weak stimulant, its long-term health effects can be dangerous (e.g., cancer, em- physema, and heart disease).

Other Stimulants

With names like Red Bull,® Spike Shooter,® Rockstar,® Full Throttle,® and Cocaine,® the growth of the energy drink segment of the beverage industry is as dramatic as the growth of coffee purveyors. Dozens of new drinks enter the marketplace each year. Laced with caffeine, sugar, vitamins, minerals, amino acids (e.g., taurine), herbs, and dietary sup- plements (e.g., ginseng and glucosamine), the drinks are ex- pected to generate $9 billion in sales in 2011, up from $3.7 billion in 2008. (Joelving, 2011). They contain about twice the caffeine as an average cup of coffee and produce a stronger buzz.

Dextromethorphan (DXM)

found in many nonprescription cough and cold medications, can induce psychedelic effects when used in large quantities (10 to 30 times the normal dose). Because of abuse, many states require drugs containing dextromethorphan to be stored behind the counter to prevent shoplifting and/or purchasing large amounts.

All Arounders

include marijuana, LSD, MDMA (ecstasy), PCP, psilocybin mushrooms, and peyote. Major mental effects are illusions, hallucinations, delusions, and con- fused sensations. Physically, many psychedelics cause stimulation, but marijuana usually causes relaxation

Mandrake, or mandragora

is a root that often grows in the shape of a human body and was used in ancient Greece as well as in medieval times. Its properties are similar to those of henbane and belladonna, causing disorientation and delirium. Mandrake was considered an aphrodisiac in the 1400s in Italy, and a century lat- er Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a risqué comedy called Mandragola about seduction and infidelity

Henbane- hexing herb

was referred to as early as 1500 B.C. in Egyptian medical texts. It was used as a painkiller and a poison. It was also used to mimic insanity, produce hallucinations, and generate prophecies.