Christine,
I beg to differ with you. Not all "natural" psychedelics are the same. Some can be quite toxic in their somatic effects.
LSD-25, because it is so potent, has nil long-term somatic effects, but the psychological effects can be quite extreme, and long-lasting.
LSD-25, while not yet found in nature, is in the same class of compounds created by the ergot fungus, and also found in Hawai'ian baby woodrose and morning glory seeds, both used as psychedelics.
I think that many who have ingested woodrose or morning glory seeds report some very unpleasant somatic effects, which has resulted in the relative rarity of the use of these substances in the U.S., with most individuals finding LSD-25 to be preferable.
Also, there is a common unpleasant reaction of shallow breathing induced after ingestion of psylocibe cubensis (magic mushrooms). The affected individual can become quite fearful when this occurs.
Because natural products used as drugs almost always contain a mixture of psychoactive substances, "side effects" can be more of a problem than when using purified substances (either synthetic or "natural").
I have used quotation marks because the assignment of a substance to one of the two categories can change when it is discovered that a "synthetic" substance is later found to be present in nature. This in fact happened with diazepam (Valium), which was synthesized in the laboratory, and patented as a man-made "invention."
It was subsequently discovered (circa 1986) that this compound (and other benzodiazepines) occur naturally in potatoes and wheat, and they were also found in human brains, as well as in human mother's milk.
When the drug was "discovered," this prevalence was unknown.
Let me know if you want the citations for above statements on diazepam.
There is no fine line between "natural" and "man-made": the distinction is an artificial one, which I personally believe to be fallacious.
David |
