PSYC62H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Psychedelic Drug, Locus Coeruleus, 5-Ht Receptor
Document Summary
Psychedelic drugs are drugs that induce a reality-altering experience consisting of hallucinations, sensory distortions, or delusions. Psychedelic drugs are classified into three general categories: Hallucinogens represent a large class of psychedelic drugs that produce hallucinations as their main pharmacological effects. Most representative drug of this class is lysergic acid diethylamide (lsd), which goes by street names such as acid, window pane and blotter. Other hallucinogens are psilocybin, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine (dmt). Lsd and lysergic acid are both schedule 1 drugs. After oral administration, psilocybin rapidly converts to its active metabolite psilocin, a hallucinogenic substance that likely account for the hallucinogenic affects of psilocybin. Mescaline is found in peyote (type of cactus). Body produces small amounts of dmt but the function of endogenous dmt remains largely unknown. Hallucinogen use is prevalent on college campuses. Primitive cultures use hallucinogenic plants as psychic medicines to treat maladies, communicate with gods and perform magic.
