Hallucinogens are a difficult case. The dose-response curve is peculiarly steep. For pure LSD, for example, (in a sensitive individual) fifty micrograms might be below threshold. A hundred mikes might be a solid trip, a hundred twenty-five already in very heavy territory, and a hundred fifty could be ohmigawd I'm dying.
In a "hardhead" (by constitution rather than habituation; tolerance doesn't really occur with psychedelics) a hundred fifty mikes might be ho-hum, let's get pizza.
And of course with street acid, identity, purity and dose are great leaps of faith. (Much blotter acid contains DOB, a potent synthetic psychedelic that has a very long duration and a palette of effects best reserved for "experts".) There was a synthetic sike called STP in San Fran in, I think, 1970. Five mg is a good dose, 10 mg is psychotourism in Tibet. But onset is real slow, and these were 20 mg tabs! So these poor saps were dropping a massive dose, not feeling a decent onset at 90 minutes, then dropping Fat Man right on top of Little Boy! Oh, and did I mention long duration?
...The emergency roms had their hands full. |
