Cocaine - "Blow", Coke, "Toot", "C", "Candy", "Charlie", "Snow"

Intro

Though cocaine has been eclipsed by met amphetamine use in many gay and lesbian urban centres, it remains a serious problem and chronic health concern for members of the community.

Cocaine can be injected into the body or smoked in its "crack" form, though among most gay men and women it is purchased in small quantities and snorted as a powder. The drug is common in gay clubs, especially dance parties that last well into the morning.

The effects of the cocaine can be felt within seconds, the user feels euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert, especially to the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. It can also temporarily decrease the need for food and sleep. The effect quickly wears off.

What is it really?

The rush users feel comes from its ability to block the reabsorption of dopamine by nerve cells in the brain. The resulting build-up produces an abnormally high and continuous stimulation of dopamine receptors resulting in the brief cocaine high.

Cocaine is extremely addictive and it is important to note here that there are many different levels of addiction. Even infrequent users can be drawn into more regular usage because of cocaine's pleasurable associations. It doesn't take much before the drug begins exerting its pull.

How is it used?

The high from cocaine can last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes when cocaine is snorted or injected, or three to five minutes with crack cocaine. Cocaine is highly addictive. As the effect of the drug wears off, the user feels an intense craving for another dose. Dependency develops rapidly. Some research indicates that a psychological dependency may develop after a single dose of high-potency cocaine.

Cocaine use in large gay urban centres is frequently associated with binge usage centred around night clubs, bars, baths and sex clubs that are open all night. The problem, say many users, is that what was once a "special" purchase becomes more and more frequent.

Over a period of time, the amount of cocaine needed and the frequency of use to achieve a "high" have to be increased. This down feeling leads the addict to use more cocaine, sometimes just to feel "normal." Feelings of depression can become chronic.

What are the side effects?

The short term consequences of cocaine use includes depression (sometimes severe), anxiety, irritability, isolation, tremors, lethargy, fatigue, nightmares, headache, sweating, muscle and stomach cramps.

The medical complications associated with cocaine use are enormous. Some of the most frequent complications are cardiovascular effects, including disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks; such respiratory effects as chest pain and respiratory failure; neurological effects, including strokes, seizure, and headaches; and gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal pain and nausea and vomiting.

Cocaine use has been linked to many types of heart disease. Cocaine has been found to trigger chaotic heart rhythms, called ventricular fibrillation; accelerate heartbeat and breathing; and increase blood pressure and body temperature. Physical symptoms may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever, muscle spasms, convulsions and coma.

Physiological Impact

A marked tolerance to the high produced by cocaine is common. Many addicts report they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first experience. Users typically increase their doses to intensify and prolong the effects of the drug.

And while user tolerance to the high develops, users can also become more sensitized to cocaine's anaesthetic and convulsant properties, without increasing their dosage. The increased sensitivity has been attributed to some deaths occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.

Cocaine in high doses will kill you.

Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.

Dangerous complication/interactions

Research has revealed a potentially dangerous interaction between cocaine and alcohol. Taken in combination, the two drugs are converted by the body to coca ethylene. Coca ethylene has a longer duration of action in the brain and is more toxic than either drug alone. While more research needs to be done, it is noteworthy that the mixture of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug combination that results in drug-related death.

by Christopher Barillas

Crystal - Crystal Meth, Met amphetamine, Tina

Intro

Crystal met amphetamine has been around since the 1970s, but its use among gay men did not become widespread until the early 1990s. It has since made alarming headway. According to a recent report published by the National Institutes of Health, crystal met amphetamine is now the dominant gay drug problem in Honolulu, San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Tucson and Los Angeles.

Crystal in powder form is most commonly snorted in small doses (or bumps). Some say the drug heightens arousal and increases sexual stamina by delaying orgasm, but impotence is just as common a side-effect. Crystal produces what people describe as a giddy and euphoric wakefulness that can last several hours. Maintaining that high requires frequent re-dosing, more bumps, lines or tokes and makes crystal's potential for abuse -- even among new users -- very high.

What is it really?

Met amphetamines are closely related chemically to amphetamines, but their impact on your central nervous system is more acute. Met amphetamines bear a close resemblance to two powerful chemicals in your body, dopamine and nor epinephrine. These drugs affect several areas of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, which regulates mood; the prefrontal cortex, which plays a critical role in functional memory; and the striatum, an area of your brain involved in movement.

How is it used?

Met amphetamine can be swallowed in pill form, snorted as a powder, injected into your bloodstream, or smoked. Met amphetamine is neurotoxic. If you ingest it, the rush you experience comes from the forced release of serotonin and dopamine in your brain. Use of met amphetamine damages these cells by shrivelling their nerve endings.

Some report that they feel "normal" even "superhuman" after losing a night or two of sleep because of the drug; people also report a feeling of being sharp or in control, feeling confident you can pass at work, for example, or fool family members. But this confidence is misplaced, certainly artificial and, of course, temporary. Wanting to prolong the high and delay the inevitable crash another hour, another evening or another day -- is emblematic of the drug's addictive character.

Depriving your body of sleep exacerbates the chemical impact of the drug on your brain. You become irritable, anxious, afraid, confused, aggressive and you may even experience bouts of delusional paranoia. In other words, you become a pleasure to be with.

Physiological Impact

Met amphetamine carries a high potential for abuse and dependence and the health consequences associated with prolonged use are serious. Regular use of met amphetamine has been shown to cause permanent damage to the brain by destroying nerve cells that produce dopamine. A similar destruction of dopamine producing cells is associated with the progressive and debilitating neurological condition known as Parkinson's disease.

More immediate met amphetamine dangers include a sharp spike in blood pressure, dangerously irregular heartbeats, chest pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The drug can increase body temperature to critical levels provoking cascading failures in vital systems. Brain hemorrhage is perhaps the biggest risk associated with use and abuse of the drug, which if not fatal, can cause permanent paralysis and speech loss.

Met amphetamine can cause brain damage that results in slower motor and cognitive functioning -- even in users who take the drug for less than a year, according to two studies by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. The studies, published in the March 2001 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that meth use depletes the brain of dopamine transporters, which allow dopamine -- a brain chemical that affects feelings of satisfaction and pleasure -- to be absorbed back into the nerve cells that produce it. The depletion of these transporters may make meth users more susceptible to Parkinson's Disease, a brain disorder associated with dopamine deficiency and characterized by shaking and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.

You may think that recreational or occasional use can be handled and, perhaps in your case it can, but realize that no one who is physically addicted to or dependent on met amphetamine set out to get hooked.

Given the drug's powerful (some would say frenzied) impact on the sex drives of male users, Crystal meth is one of the most dangerous drugs in terms of protecting yourself and your partner from the transmission of STDs, including HIV.

by Christopher Barillas

Ecstasy - MDMA, "E", XTC, "Adam"

Intro

Ecstasy (also known as E, XTC & Adam) is now one of the most widely used synthetic drugs. Over the last decade the drug has become hugely popular with club-going segments of the gay and lesbian community.

Ecstasy gives users a feeling of euphoria caused by the drug's forced release of serotonin in the brain. The drug lowers inhibitions, increases mood sensitivity and gives club-goers energy to dance well into the morning hours. People say they are friendlier, happier and "more connected" to music and to other people when on the drug.

What is it really?

MDMA stands for 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetimine. The drug is closely related to the hallucinogen mescaline and the stimulant amphetamine, and is synthetically manufactured. "Pure" Ecstasy is uncommon. Batches frequently contain heroin, LSD, amphetamines and other assorted toxic impurities which are used as fillers.

How is it used?

Ecstasy or MDMA comes in pill or capsule form and induces a high that lasts anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. All users flirt with serious dehydration and a marked increase in body temperature (malignant hypothermia) because of their inability to accurately gauge their body's need for water or rest.

Ecstasy is not considered addictive and many people consider it "safe" for recreational use. But all drugs present unknown dangers to the health of their users. While MDMA overdoses and other complications are rare, Ecstasy has been tied to dozens of deaths in the United States and Europe resulting from seizures, strokes and heart attacks. The victims were apparently healthy and had not taken unusually large doses.

Physiological Impact

Because Ecstasy has only been used widely as a recreational drug since the mid 1980's, researchers are only beginning to gauge the long-term impact of its use.

However, a conference at the National Institutes of Health in July 2001 found that short-term use of ecstasy can cause significant changes in heart rate and blood pressure, dehydration and a potentially life-threatening increase in body temperature, while longer-term use can cause lasting changes in the brain's chemical systems that control mood and memory.

A study published in June 1999 by Johns Hopkins confirms that MDMA is neurotoxic: the forced release of serotonin damages serotonin receptors in the brain. The Johns Hopkins study reported that a one-time four-day dose given to monkeys caused damage to serotonin-containing nerve cells that was still detectable seven years later. It was the first study to prove that Ecstasy use causes brain damage.

Other reports have shown that even regular short-term use induces tolerances, spurring the need among users for higher dosages for the same high and compounding toxic side effects in the brain. Immediate ill-effects can include nausea, dizziness, disorientation, anxiety and panic attacks.

All users experience a "hangover" typified by fatigue and depression which typically lasts several days. Herpes sufferers typically experience outbreaks following Ecstasy use implying a general weakening of the body's immune system.

Dangerous complication/interactions Ecstasy can have dangerous interactions with prescribed medications such as anti-depressants because they modify the serotonin uptake in the brain. Taking ecstasy while on anti-depressants can render prescribed medications useless.

by Christopher Barillas

GHB - Gamma-hydroxybutyrate

Intro

GHB -- also known as liquid ecstasy, G, Georgia home boy, and perhaps most tellingly, "grievous bodily harm" -- belongs to a class of drugs typically found at all night raves, dance clubs and "circuit parties" that have become a ubiquitous feature of the gay social landscape.

GHB is a powerful and fast-acting central nervous system depressant. In a club environment, GHB in liquid form is most commonly mixed with water and sipped throughout the evening producing its euphoric high. GHB frequently provokes spontaneous erections, only adding to its desirability in gay party-going circles.

Finding the right dose of GHB is very difficult. The line between a "good high" and one that induces sleep or unconsciousness is very thin. Even self-styled advocates for the "clean" high attributed to GHB are adamant that mixing the drug with anything else, especially alcohol, makes GHB every bit as dangerous as government health authorities say it is.

What is it really?

GHB is readily manufactured from its precursor, gamma-butyrolactone (also known as 2(3h)-furanone dihydro or GBL). Another substance, 1, 4-butanediol, can also be converted by the body into GHB through an internal process that is not fully understood. GHB is relatively easy to synthesize in household laboratories, mixing ingredients such as floor cleaning products, nail polish and super glue removers with sodium hydroxide in the form of lye -- sounds healthy, doesn't it? Unintentional poisoning from bad "batches" are unsurprisingly pretty common.

How is it used?

Since about 1990, GHB has been abused by gay men in the U.S. for one of two reasons: either for its euphoric and sedative qualities in a party environment, or for its reputed anabolic or body building effects. GHB takes effect 10 to 20 minutes after you swallow that first swig and lasts up to 4 hours, depending on the dose. GHB is still trafficked in gyms and on the steroid black market for its reputed ability to stimulate release of human growth hormone and the resultant fat reduction and muscle growth.

GHB generally comes either in pure powder form, or mixed into water. In powder form, measuring a dose should be fairly straightforward but in liquid form, GHB concentration varies considerably. When mixed with water, it is colourless and odourless; there is no way to know how much drug you're getting with each drink.

GHB gained public notoriety as the "date rape drug" in the late 1990s which prompted a law enforcement crack down on its distribution. Other products which are similar chemically have already surfaced to take its place. Many of these "GHB alternatives" appear in powder and capsule form though their danger is just as great. They include: Blue Nitro, Renewtrient, Revivarant, Remforce, Firewater, Enliven, Serenity, ZEN, Revitalize Plus, Thunder Nectar, Weight Belt Cleaner, SomatoPro, NRG3, GHRE and, most recently, G3. Be warned: as experienced as people may be in mixing these drugs, there is precious little room for error.

Physiological Impact

There have been few human clinical studies conducted on GHB, though what evidence has been collected suggests that like all depressants, chronic users suffer withdrawal after prolonged use. GHB, like all commonly abused drugs, increases dopamine levels in your brain.

The principal dangers associated with GHB use are more immediate than long term. GHB is extremely dangerous when used improperly or when mixed with other depressants. Combining a normal GHB dose with alcohol can trigger an overdose reaction of temporarily unrouseable sleep. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, GHB has been associated with 60 deaths in the U.S.

A GHB overdose is usually preceded by loss of balance, marked drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, in some cases progressing to a loss of consciousness, impaired breathing, coma, and death.

Recreational drugs like GHB are the biggest obstacle to safe sex. If you're high and feeling the moment, one of the last things you're likely to think about is a condom.

by Christopher Barillas

Ketamine - Special K

Intro

Because of its low cost, general tolerance and wide accessibility, Ketamine or Special K has become a staple of sorts among drug-using gay party goers. Special K is highly prized for the disassociative high (your mind separates from your body) it gives users and is often used in combination with other drugs such as ecstacy, crystal, cocaine and even heroin.

Depending on the dosage, ketamine can induce anything from feelings of pleasant weightlessness to full-fledged hallucinations and out-of-body or near-death experiences.

What is it really?

Ketamine hydrochloride is a "dissociative anesthetic" with the power to separate your mind from your body and numb your ability to feel pain. In controlled doses, the drug blocks nerve paths without depressing breathing and blood circulation, which proved valuable during surgery. Its use in human surgery has declined with the introduction of safer, more effective products but it is still used often by veterinarians. The most common trade names for Ketamine are Ketaset and Ketalar, which are injectable forms of the drug.

How is it used?

In the United States, Ketamine is commonly purchased in liquid form and baked into a powder. The powder is snorted in small doses or "bumps" in clubs or on the dance floor to achieve the desired high. Special K is usually snorted but can also be swallowed as a powder or injected directly -- usually into the buttocks. Sometimes, it is mixed with tobacco or marijuana and smoked.

Ketamine produces effects similar to those produced by picncyclidine ("PCP"), and the visual effects of LSD. Users say Special K poses less of risk, because the immediate effect of the drug wears off within two hours. But professionals caution that Ketamine can effect judgement, mental sharpness and muscle coordination for up 24 hours after it is taken.

Physiological Impact

Multiple dosing and combining it with alcohol and other drugs, makes Ketamine overdose fairly common. Too many bumps in a row or the wrong dose at the wrong time can knock users out cold. This state is commonly known as a "K-hole," an unresponsive unconscious state that can last up to two hours or more, depending on the dose. Your "K-hole" is frequently preceded by nausea or vomiting.

Ketamine increases your heart rate and blood pressure, and it dilates your pupils.

Because Ketamine sometimes provokes vomiting, you're in danger of choking to death while unconscious. Ketamine should never be used with other drugs that decrease breathing; these include alcohol, barbituates or Valium. Overdose stops your breathing and your heart.

The full impact of long-term or chronic Ketamine abuse is not fully understood. Certainly tolerance to the drug builds quickly in regular users, which could prompt some form of psychological or physical dependence on the drug.

Some of Ketamine's dangers are behavioural. Many users say that in low doses Ketamine acts as an aphrodisiac and that it lowers sexual inhibitions. Obviously in such a state you might feel more prone to take greater sexual risks with your partner or partners, increasing your risk for contracting or transmitting HIV.

by Christopher Barillas

Medical marijuana - medicinal marijuana

Intro

Much of the debate in the U.S. about the usefulness of marijuana as a medical treatment revolves around a March 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which studied the potential health benefits of marijuana at the request of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The report, which takes an extensive look at the issue, does not conclusively support those for or against medical marijuana.

For example, the IOM found that marijuana may be useful to relieve pain, control vomiting, nausea and anxiety and stimulate appetite, and that these effects would be "moderately well suited" for people with conditions such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting. However, the report states that the therapeutic effects of existing prescription drugs may be more effective than pot. The IOM also found no evidence that making marijuana available for medical purposes would increase drug abuse, but adds that evaluating the potential for drug abuse is beyond the scope of the study.

Marijuana can be smoked or eaten. The IOM report does address the risk of respiratory disease from smoking pot. Even though ingested pot carries no risk of respiratory diseases, its effects take longer to be felt than smoked pot. Therefore, those who need of the drug's therapeutic effects may be more inclined to smoke, rather than ingest, the drug.

One thing the IOM made very clear was its call for more studies of medical marijuana. The report makes these six recommendations:

More research should be done to determine the physiological effects of cannabinoids (the class of chemicals found in marijuana); Clinical trials of cannabinoid drugs should be conducted for the purpose of making reliable, fast acting and safely delivered medical marijuana to help patients manage their symptoms; Psychological benefits should be evaluated in clinical trials; The effects of smoking pot should be studied; Clinical trials should be conducted under certain conditions (i.e., marijuana use should be short-term, and data about efficacy must be collected); and Short-term use of marijuana must meet certain conditions (i.e. participants must have failed regular prescription drugs).

Voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have approved the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in their respective states. However, U.S. federal law supersedes state law, meaning those who purchase and use medical marijuana legally on the state level are still subject to punishment for violating federal law. In a blow to medical marijuana advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on May 14, 2001 that federal law which classifies pot as illegal has no exceptions for people who are ill.

Marinol, a legal, prescription pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a synthetic version of THC, one of the active ingredients in marijuana. Like Marijuana, Marinol may help control nausea and vomiting while increasing appetite, though some opponents of Marinol claim that patients with nausea find it difficult to take pills, and when they do take Marinol, its effects are so strong it can knock them out or cause psychosis.

What is it really?

Medical marijuana describes the use of marijuana (the most widely used illicit drug in the U.S.) by patients who may benefit from its therapeutic effects, which include pain relief, appetite stimulation, and control of vomiting, nausea and anxiety. Those with AIDS wasting and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in particular may benefit from medical marijuana, according the IOM's March 1999 report. However, there are negative side effects associated with pot, including respiratory illness (when smoked), hallucinations, increased pulse rate, heart damage and permanent memory loss. The IOM's report calls for more studies to determine the true value of medical marijuana, and for medical marijuana to be administered under medical supervision.

Marijuana itself is hemp plant leaves, which contain cannabinoids, a group of compounds related to THC, marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient. When you ingest or smoke these leaves, the cannabinoids give you a high by affecting parts of your brain that control attention span, learning and memory.

How is it used?

Marijuana can be rolled in cigarette paper or stuffed in a pipe or bong (a water filtration system) and smoked, though the IOM identified smoking marijuana as a risk factor for respiratory illnesses, including lung cancer. Marijuana may be taken orally (as an ingredient in food such as brownies, for example), but compared to smoking, its effects are felt less quickly, and patients may not get fast enough relief. Inhalers and vaporizers have generated interest among advocated of medical marijuana as a smokeless alternative to quickly deliver the effects of the drug.

Physiological Impact

The short-term effects of marijuana include: sleepiness, poor short-term memory, loss of coordination, trouble concentrating, increased appetite and increased pulse rate. Paranoia, panic, hallucinations, restlessness, diarrhea, cramps and weight changes may also result from using pot.

Long-term effects include: heart and lung damage (including respiratory cancers), a decreased testosterone level in men, irregular menstrual periods in women, and permanent memory problems. According to the Institute of Medicine's 1999 report, your brain develops a tolerance to cannabinoids. This means that, over time, you'll need to do more pot to get the same effects. You can also develop a dependency to marijuana, which makes it harder to quit. Advocates of marijuana use claim that kicking the habit is easier than breaking a caffeine addiction; the Institute of Medicine has identified a "distinctive marijuana withdrawal syndrome" that is "mild and short-lived," according to their report. Withdrawal may cause restlessness, irritability, nausea, cramps, insomnia and mild agitation.

Dangerous complication/interactions

Illicit drugs don't benefit from governmental regulation, which ensures the quality and integrity of prescription medications. Prescription marijuana would likely ensure the drug is not tainted with other drugs, like cocaine, ketamine (special K), amyl nitrite (poppers), heroine, met amphetamine (crystal), LSD and angel dust, which could turn medical marijuana use into a dangerous (and potentially deadly) drug trip.

Since using marijuana impairs your coordination, motor abilities and perception, driving or operating under its influence can be dangerous, even life threatening.

For those with HIV, marijuana can alter judgment and may lead to missed HIV medication doses. It can also interact with other medications, particularly psychiatric drugs.

The risks for serious physiological complications from long-term marijuana use include: lung cancer, heart problems, blockage of your blood vessels and permanent memory impairment. For those with a terminal illness, the therapeutic effects of marijuana may outweigh these side effects.

by Jon Garbo

Mushrooms - magic mushrooms, shrooms, psilocybin

Intro

When I was a child, "magic mushrooms" brought to mind fanciful visions of fairies, elves and nymphs dancing around red-capped umbrella-sized toadstools. As a teenager, my childish notion was shattered when friends told me "magic mushrooms" were actually small and brown, and grew on cow patties (feces). The reason this brown fungus was considered "magical," they explained, was because it caused a hallucinogenic drug trip when ingested. (Warning: picking mushrooms is a dangerous practice. Eating a misidentified mushroom could be fatal).

What is it?

Several different species of mushrooms contain the alkaloid class hallucinogens, psilocybin and psilocin, which produce a hallucinogenic effect when ingested, including relaxation and visual distortion.

How is it used?

Mushrooms are eaten raw or in a dried form, or are sometimes boiled in hot water and made into "tea." Psilocybin can be also consumed in a processed form as a white powder.

What are the side effects?

Though shrooms generally have fewer physical side effects than other recreational drugs, repeated use can cause flashbacks up to several months after last taking the drug. A flashback is marked by the sudden onset of visual distortions that were experienced during the actual drug trip.

Since shrooms can cause panic attacks and other unpredictable effects, it may be more dangerous to take shrooms by yourself. If you are with someone who goes on a bad trip or panics:

Take the person to quiet, comfortable surroundings, and try to find a friend who can reassure him or her. Assure the person that the panic is caused by the drug and that it will wear off soon (in a few hours). Tell the person to try to relax and think pleasant thoughts. If the person becomes uncontrollable or hysterical, call a doctor or take him or her to a hospital. If you do go to the hospital, take a sample of the drug along so the medical staff has the option of testing it. Physiological Impact Like mescaline and LSD, psilocybin affects the nervous system by binding to receptors in the brain and altering the normal regulation of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals that affect mood and behaviour).

The effect of psilocybin can be felt after about 30 minutes, and it peaks in about three hours and usually lasts less than ten. At low dosages, effects of psilocybin include relaxation and visual distortions (altered and intensified colours, bright lights and shapes, bizarre images). Higher dosages may also cause numbness of the tongue, lips and mouth, shivering and sweating, nausea and anxiety.

At higher doses, shrooms can cause irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and heart attack. If you develop symptoms of arrhythmia or heart attack, including chest pain, seek medical help at once.

The hallucinatory experience ("tripping") can also entail an altered perception of time (minutes can seem like hours) and mood alteration, ranging from elation to severe anxiety. Feelings of paranormal occurrences such as leaving the body or travelling through time are not uncommon. The trip usually lasts for four to ten hours, and there are generally no lasting side-effects for single or infrequent use.

Hallucinatory experiences vary widely from person to person. Expectations, current mood and environment, previous drug experiences and the amount of drug consumed all play a part in the kind of experience a user may have. In addition, any other drugs you take in combination with the mushrooms (including marijuana or alcohol) can have a profound effect on the experience.

The hallucinations can range from intriguing or pleasurable to deeply disturbing or frightening, and may develop into a brief psychotic episode. A "bad trip" is most common after repeated doses or if the user is inexperienced, anxious or unhappy. A user is more likely to have a bad trip if he or she takes the drug while feeling stressed, down or depressed. Some users on a bad trip require restraint and sedation until the effects wear off to prevent them from injuring themselves or others. As with LSD, tolerance to shrooms rapidly develops, which means that over time, you have to take more of the drug to reach the same high.

Dangerous complication/interactions

To remove anxiety about drug interactions and greatly simplify treatment (should complications occur), avoid consuming other drugs or alcohol if you are using shrooms.

There is no predictable way of estimating the amount of psilocybin in each mushroom. The amount is determined by the species, strain, size and ages of the individual mushrooms and how they have been stored. Therefore, it is possible to consume a dose that is much stronger than you initially anticipated.

Warning: consuming a misidentified fungus that turns out to be poisonous can be fatal. Many species of psilocybin mushrooms exist though only a few are common, including the so-called Mexican and Hawaiian mushrooms (Psilocybe Cubensis and Copelandia Cyanescens), Philosophers Stone (Psilocybe Tampanensis) and Liberty Cap (Psilocybe Semilanceata). Many fatal types closely resemble shrooms, and determining the correct ones can be difficult, even in live specimens. Identification becomes nearly impossible in the dried state. Symptoms from eating the wrong kind can take up to 40 hours to develop. Many types of fungi are extremely dangerous and even fatal if ingested. Unless you know exactly what you are doing, do not attempt to pick and consume mushrooms yourself. If you do choose to consume shrooms, try a sample first to determine if the fungus is poisonous or not. If you consume a poisonous mushroom, seek medical help immediately.

by GayHealth Staff

Recreational marijuana - pot, hashish, weed, herb, grass, reefer, chronic, joint, skunk, Mary Jane, ganja, doobie

Intro

Marijuana is the most widely used and perhaps most controversial illegal drug in the United States. Advocates of pot, including pop culture figures and medicinal marijuana activists, are pitted against government officials and parents who often view marijuana as a "gateway" drug that will lead to abuse of other drugs. Internationally, laws that govern marijuana use vary wildly - from full legalization to strict prohibition.

What is it really?

Marijuana is actually the leaves of the hemp plant, which contain cannabinoids, a group of compounds related to THC, marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient. When you ingest or smoke these leaves, the cannabinoids give you a high by affecting parts of your brain that control attention span, learning and memory.

How is it used?

Marijuana can be rolled in cigarette paper or stuffed in a pipe or bong and smoked, or added to food and eaten (brownies are a popular drug-food combination). Each puff of a marijuana cigarette is known as a "hit." The stump of a used cigarette is called a "roach."

Physiological Impact

The short-term effects of marijuana include: sleepiness, poor short-term memory, loss of coordination, trouble concentrating, increased appetite and increased pulse rate. Paranoia, panic, hallucinations, restlessness, diarrhea, cramps and weight changes may also result from using pot.

Long-term effects include: a decreased testosterone level in men, irregular menstrual periods in women, and permanent memory problems. Those who smoke pot also run the risk that smokers of cigarettes face: heart and respiratory diseases, including emphysema and lung cancer. According to the Institute of Medicine's 1999 report, your brain develops a tolerance to cannabinoids. This means that, over time, some people may need to do more pot to get the same high.

You can also gain a dependency to marijuana, which makes it harder to quit. There is debate about whether kicking the habit is easier than breaking a caffeine addiction; the Institute of Medicine has identified a "distinctive marijuana withdrawal syndrome" that is "mild and short-lived," according to their report. Withdrawal may cause restlessness, irritability, nausea, cramps, insomnia and mild agitation.

Dangerous complication/interactions

Illicit drugs don't benefit from governmental regulation, which ensures the quality and integrity of prescription medications, nicotine and alcohol.

When you use pot illegally, you run the risk that it may be laced (mixed) with other substances. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), pot is commonly laced with PCP or embalming fluid, both of which produce an hallucinogenic effect.

Pot may also be laced with the following substances: LSD, household chemicals, crack cocaine, ketamine (special K), poppers and heroine. Though pot is not usually laced with these substances, it may be popular to do so in certain regions of the U.S., according to the ONDCP. "It depends on the culture of the group using the drugs," an ONDCP representative told GayHealth.com.

Since using marijuana impairs your coordination, motor abilities and perception, driving or operating heavy machinery under its influence can be dangerous, even life threatening.

The risks for serious physiological complications from long-term marijuana use include: lung cancer, heart problems, blockage of your blood vessels and permanent memory impairment. For those with a terminal illness, the therapeutic effects of marijuana may outweigh these side effects.

According to the U.S. Institute of Medicine (I.O.M.), which studied the effects of marijuana at the request of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (O.N.D.C.P.), women who are pregnant or plan to be should avoid using marijuana. There is evidence that the risk factors of smoking marijuana during pregnancy is similar to that of smoking tobacco, including increased risk of miscarriage and lower birth weight. More studies are needed to determine the effects of cannabinoids and pregnancy. Marijuana may also decrease fertility, at least on a short-term basis. The I.O.M. also speculates that THC, the main active ingredient of pot, may interfere with implantation, or the attachment of the fertilized egg to the lining of the uterus. If implantation doesn't take place, the pregnancy will not progress.

by Jon Garbot