The effects of PCP use are unpredictable. Effects can be felt within minutes of ingestion and can last for many hours. When taken in a moderate amount, PCP causes the user to feel distracted, distant, and estranged from their surroundings; as the dosage is increased, the individual’s behavior may escalate to hostility and even psychosis (Drugs.com, 2001-2021b). Psilocybin Psilocybin is a hallucinogen obtained from certain mushrooms found in South America, Mexico, and the United States. The substance can also be produced synthetically. Mushrooms containing psilocybin are available fresh or dried and have long, narrow stems topped by caps with dark gills on the underside. These mushrooms are usually ingested orally but can also be brewed in a tea or added to food to mask the bitter flavor. Once ingested, psilocybin is broken down in the user’s body to produce psilocin, another hallucinogenic substance (NIDA, MDMA, known as ecstasy or molly , was first used in the 1970s as an aid in psychotherapy, not a recreational drug. In 1985, the Drug Enforcement Administration labeled MDMA a Schedule 1 substance, or a drug with a high abuse potential and no recognized medical use (NIDA, 2020i). (Box 9) Box 9: MDMA: Common Street Names • Ecstasy 2020h). MDMA MDMA is a synthetic psychoactive drug similar to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. It produces feelings of increased energy, euphoria, and emotional warmth and empathy toward others. It also produces distortions in sensory and time perception. MDMA was initially popular among white adolescents and young adults in nightclub scenes or at raves (long dance parties), but the drug now affects a broader range of users and ethnicities (NIDA, 2020i). MDMA is taken orally, usually as a capsule or tablet. The popular term “molly” (slang for molecular) refers to the pure crystalline powder form of MDMA that is usually sold in capsules. The drug’s effects last approximately three to six hours; it is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade. It is commonly taken in combination with other drugs. For example, some urban gay and bisexual men report using MDMA as part of a multiple-drug experience that includes cocaine, gamma hydroxybutyrate, methamphetamine, ketamine, and the erectile-dysfunction drug sildenafil (Viagra; NIDA, 2020i). • Molly • Adam • Clarity • Eve • Lover’s speed • Uppers MDMA impacts the brain by creating a surge of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine while depleting the brain of its important chemical balance. This results in negative effects with additional drug cravings (NIDA, 2020i). Longer term, MDMA can have many of the same physical effects as other stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines (NIDA, 2020i). (Box 10)
Box 10: MDMA Abuse: Clinical Signs
Initial
Short-Term
Long-Term
• Lowered inhibition • Increased energy • Euphoria • Emotional warmth • Empathy
• Distortion in
• Memory deficits • Long-lasting confusion • Problem with attention • Impulsiveness • Aggression • Increased anxiety • Loss of appetite • Less interest in sex
sensory and time perception • Depression • Sleep problems • Drug cravings • Tachycardia • Hypertension • Hyperthermia • Sleep disturbances • Nausea • Blurred vision • High dose may lead to death
toward others
• Anxiety
Note. NIDA, 2020i; 2020j. Marijuana
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa . Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant. Other forms of cannabis include sinsemilla, hashish, and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are psychoactive (mind-altering) drugs (NIDA, 2019b). (Box 11) Box 11: Marijuana: Common Street Names • Grass • Pot • Weed • Blunt • Gangster • Hash • Hemp • Doobie • Herb • Stinkweed • Trees • Bud • Dope • Ganja • Herb joint • Mary Jane • Green • Sinsemilla • Skunk tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although legalized in some states, cannabis remains the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. According to the 2019 NSDUH report, Americans aged 12 and over who initiated marijuana use increased from 2.2 million people in 2002 to 3.5 million in 2019, averaging 9,500 people per day (SAMHSA, 2020). The number of initiands in 2019 was higher than any year previously from 2002 through 2018. Vaping THC has grown in popularity with 4% of 12th graders reporting they vape THC daily (NIDA, 2019b). Short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint ) or in a pipe or bong. Marijuana has also appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another drug such as crack. It can also be mixed into foods or used to brew teas (NIDA, 2019b). When inhaled, the smoke irritates the lungs and contains more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke. Common effects of marijuana use include pleasure, relaxation, and impaired coordination and memory (NIDA, 2019b). Marijuana is often the first illegal drug people use and is associated with an increased risk of progressing to more powerful and dangerous drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The risk for progressing to cocaine is 104 times higher if marijuana • Smoke • Boom • Reefer • Shatter Note. NIDA, 2020k. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-
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