Mind+Altering+Drugs

Task

 * A page must include valid, original information that will help your classmates learn, understand, and study for this subtopic. You should include **diagrams**, **videos**, **practical explanations** and **practice IB type quesitons**.
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Deadlines:

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What are Mind Altering Drugs? Mind altering drugs are also recognized and referenced as psychotropic, psychoactive or psychedelic drugs. There notorious existence is due to their radical changes in mood, consciousness and ultimately, all processes of cognition. Such changes have been explained to provide the user with pleasure --a sense of euphoria-- as well as heightening awareness; hence the abuse of these substances. Such chemical substances can also be defined through the complex process they undergo. They can also serve to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. However, they can cause __chemical dependency__.

__What is chemical dependency?__ Chemical dependency is a disease characterized by reliance on mood or mind-altering chemicals, such as alcohol, street drugs, and certain prescription medications. It is a chronic, progressive and potentially fatal condition. Chemical dependency can harm your body, your job, your family relations, and your friendships.

Mind Altering Process: Mind altering drugs is a chemical substance crossing the blood-brain barrier--seperat ion of circulating blood from the extracellular fluid pertaining to the brain-- automatically effecting the central nervous system.

Examples of Mind Altering Drugs:

__Effects of LSD, Mescaline, Psilocybin and THC__
 * Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD):**

When you put them into your body (often by swallowing, inhaling, or injecting them), they find their way into your bloodstream and are transported to parts of your body. In the brain, these substances may intensify or dull your senses, alter your sense of alertness, and sometimes decrease physical pain. The effects of drugs can vary depending upon the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how often it is used, how quickly it gets to the brain, and what other drugs, food, or substances are taken at the same time. Effects can also vary based on the differences in body size, shape, and chemistry. Repeated use of mind-altering substances results in a change in brain function. The mind and body come to rely on the chemicals to cope. That’s when people use them not to feel high for pleasure, but to feel normal. This is chemical dependency.



Amongst these many drugs one of the most notorious mind-altering drugs is that of lysergic acid diethylamide; also known as LSD. Many of the drugs now existing are compared to LSD making it a standard due to its potency. LSD—lysergic acid diethylamide is a derivative of Ergot fungus pertaining to the genus Claviceps. This particular fungus grows on plants such as rye—wheat like cereal plant. The ergot produces a kernel referred to as a sclerotium, which plays a big role in the effects of LSD. This structure contains high concentrations of an ergoline-like alkaloid, which produces varied effects on neurotransmission and even circulation. Below is a great link about LSD provided an in depth explanation of the drug its dangers and even its history. [|LSD] The powerful drug is commonly available in the form of liquid—giving it one of its common/brand names as acid—or in the form of a tablet like pill. Effects occur with just so much as approximately 0.25 micrograms of LSD. Effects begin with in 30 to 90 minutes of ingesting lasting for a time period of up to 12 hours.

LSD can have unpredictable consequences and prompts effects such as:
 * Increased heart rate and blood pressure
 * Numbness
 * Dizziness
 * Restlessness
 * Loss of appetite
 * Loss of inhibitio
 * Skewed perception
 * Distortions of sound

Short-term effects: restlessness, dizziness, desire to laugh, visual and sound distortions, unpleasant hallucinations (may lead to suicide), belief that one can fly

Long-term effects: severe depression (dramatic mood swings), lost of appetite and communication skills, psychosis (a severe mental disorder characterized by loss of contact with reality)





Once the drug has been taken the time period is referred to as a “trip” and people have associated exhilaration as well as flying with this.

However, lysergic acid diethylamide also provokes future dangers. Once one gets over the “high”-like trip it can cause serious repercussions weeks later. People have been noticed to develop self-neglect as far as socializing and hygiene ultimately becoming severely depressed. LSD promotes dependence and it has even been seen that people with mental illnesses have had a history of LSD abuse. Ironically LSD was first introduced as being used medically through psychotherapy in Europe hoping to obtain permanently positive changes in behavior or spiritual manifestation.

Below is a link to a very brief explanation on how the LSD taps into the serotonin receptors, responsible for transmission across brain synapses. There is also a 2D and 3D example of the structure. [|LSD Structures] " Hear Colors, See Sounds " media type="youtube" key="4J-7OZCdQ5M" height="315" width="560" align="center"

"Its Like Describing Colors to a Blind Person" media type="youtube" key="r3CbfMuR2YA" height="315" width="560" align="center"

Psilocybin—“Magic Mushrooms”
Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic substance, which is also a natural compound produced specifically known in psilocybin mushrooms (specifically the liberty cap mushroom)—fungi containing psychoactive properties from alkaloids. The distinct species of mushrooms all belong to the genus Psilocybe. Mushrooms typically contain 0.2 to 0.4 % Psilocybin.The recreational drug that derived from these small mushrooms are “shrooms” or the notoriously known, “magic mushrooms”. They are mostly found in Central and South Americas even though there is much diversity and it is all over the world. Link about Psilocybin and its History deriving from Mexico all the way to the Aztecs: [|Psilocybin]



Below is a link with a detailed explanation of the magic mushrooms: [|Magic Mushroom] Process: 1. Ingestion of mushroom 2. Broken releasing the substance psilocin

__Effects caused by psilocin__ Magic mushrooms have been known for providing a more personal experience revolving around wisdom, relaxation, spirituality and thinking. Such radical effects are described as:
 * Distressing
 * Purifying
 * Magnified details
 * Sense modifying
 * Relaxation
 * Heaviness
 * Varied emotions from anxiety to hilarity






 * One of the greatest disadvantages and dangers that are generally associated with mushrooms is the fact that many can be poisonous but are uneasily recognized.

Video looking at both Shrooms and LSD "It’s like a Holiday for your Head":

media type="youtube" key="9Igi-R5vayc" height="315" width="560" align="center"

Mescaline Known for psychedelic effects just as similar as LSD and Psilocybin, mescaline comes from the peyote cactus as well as from many other members of the cactaceae plant family such as the Peruvian torch or the San Pedro Cactus.

This hallucinogen was first introduced many years ago in the country of Mexico. Its history begins with the huichols and Kiowa Indians, which consumed this for spiritual purposes and medicinal usage. The effects of this drug however is much more radical as it has no in betweens, but rather extremeties being either euphoric or causing death wishes:
 * Feeling of dying or annihilation
 * Hallucinations
 * Altering visual and auditory perception
 * Anxiety
 * Euphoria
 * Headaches
 * Ludicrous or terrible visions
 * Trembling
 * Nausea

The consequences even lead to long-term damage:
 * Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder
 * Liver damage
 * Distortion of Senses



Below is a great link about The San Pedro Cactus and its history in Mexico: [|San Pedro Cactus]

Below is a link to a woman's personal experience with the Peruvian Torch during one of her adventures here in Peru: [|Laura Lee: San Pedro Cactus Ceremony]

Structural Differences and Similarities between LSD, Mescaline and Psilocybin

Consists of: -Indole ring -Amide group -2 Ether groups -Amine Formula: C20H25N3O
 * LSD**

Consists of: -3 Ether groups -Partial indole group -Amine gorup Formula: C11H17NO3
 * Mescaline**

Consists of: -2 Ether groups -Phosphoric acid group -Hydroxyl group -Indole ring Formula: C12H17N2O4P
 * Psilocybin**

__Indole ring__ -Six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered nitrogen-containing pyrrole ring Molecular formula: C8H7N

__Pyrrole ring__ -Five-membered ring Formula: C4H4NH

__Compare and Constrast__ || Primary ||
 * || LSD || Psilocybin || Mescaline ||
 * Indole ring || Yes || Yes || No ||
 * Benzene ring || Yes || Yes || Yes ||
 * Ether group || Yes || Yes || Yes ||
 * Phosporic acid group || No || Yes || No ||
 * Amide group || Yes || No || No ||
 * Amine || Yes || No || Yes ||
 * Structure of Amine || Secondary and Tertiary ||

MARIJUANA, also known as Cannabis, is a mind-altering drug. Marijuana has many slang names such as pot, weed, grass, and reefers. People who use marijuana have:
 * Slow reflexes
 * Poor memory
 * Short attention span
 * Inability to think
 * Changes in sense of time and space



People who use marijuana may have difficulty remembering what they have learned, are slow, are dull, have little ambition, and may become dependent on the drug. Marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant //Cannabis sativa//. In a more concentrated, resinous form, it is called hashish, and as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. The main psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Marijuana is unique in many ways. It is the only drug that can produce cannabinoids: the chemical substance that gets you high. From the cannabinoids, the main ingredient is the THC. The intensity of high depends on the amount of THC and usually, most people will get high with 0.5% of THC. Marijuana containing 3% of THC would be considered excellent quality by anyone. It is also used as a treatment for cancer, anxiety disorders and depression. By treating these problems, it also treats their symptoms (quality of sleep, fatigue, loss of appetite, panic attack, uneasiness, pain, nausea, etc.); thus, it brings relaxation to patients. Studies have shown that THC can kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unscathed. Therefore, THC reduces the size and weight of cancer tumor and reduces the ability of cancer to spread. Aside from these treatments, the greatest advantage of using THC to treat patients is that it causes no major threat to any of the major organs. ([])

__How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?__ When marijuana is smoked, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. It is absorbed more slowly when ingested in food or drink. However it is ingested, THC acts upon specific molecular targets on brain cells, called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are ordinarily activated by chemicals similar to THC called endocannabinoids, such as anandamide. These are naturally occurring in the body and are part of a neural communication network (the endocannabinoid system) that plays an important role in normal brain development and function. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors is found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. Marijuana overactivates the endocannabinoid system, causing the high and other effects that users experience. These include distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and disrupted learning and memory.

__Legalizing Marijuana__ For: -There are medical benefits for certain patients such as cancer, depression and heart disease -Drug dealers (including terrorists) would lost their business -Has industrial and commercial uses since over 25,000 products can be made from the crop -Limiting the use intrudes personal freedom Against: -Can lead to physical damages such as lung damage and secondhand smoke-damage to bystanders -May be used as a stepping-stone drug, leading to harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine -Legalization of marijuana can lead to legalization of other drugs

AYAHUASCA : 'vine of the dead' or 'vine of the soul'

([])

[|(http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/09/14/u-s-teen-dies-after-taking-hallucinogenic-drug-ayahuasca-in-peru/])

This drug is derived from the ayahuasca plant. It is taken as a brew that is comprised of the ayahuasca vine, tree bark and other plants. //Ayahuasca// is made in the form of a drink or potion. The bark of the //Banisteriopsis// vine is either mashed to a pulp and then mixed with cold water or, in other regional methods of making the potion, it is boiled for a number of hours and then the resulting liquid is consumed. //Ayahuasca//gained a reputation for providing telepathic powers and a psychoactive alkaloid found to be present in it was named telepathine (now known to be the same as the alkaloid harmine found in Syrian rue). Ingestion of Ayahuasca usually induces nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and leads to either an euphoric or an aggressive state.

Possible IB Questions 1. State one effect caused by both LSD and mescaline and one effect caused by LSD or mescaline only. 2. To what extent are the structures of LSD and mescaline similar? 3. What are some possible arguments for legalizing marijuana? 4. What are the side effects of consuming Ayahuasca?

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