The recreational use of Salvia divinorum has received increased attention by media outlets and policy-makers in recent years. The vast absence of research to guide the dissemination of information has prompted this research note describing the use of this substance in a large public institution of higher education. The prevalence of Salvia divinorum is described in this context and a...
Statistics show that the prevalence of crack cocaine use and embalming fluid and phencyclidine (PCP)-laced cigarettes or marijuana sticks, commonly referred to on the street as "fry" or "wet" is a problem; however, the relationship between these substances of abuse and concurrent polydrug use is unknown. In the present study, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 426 African-American...
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; “Ecstacy”) is an amphetamine derivative that is related chemically to both amphetamines and hallucinogens. Despite reports of an increase in MDMA usage among adolescents and young adults in the past decade, systematic scientific information concerning MDMA and its effects remains insufficient, thus limiting or eliminating MDMA from inclusion in the drug...
This article discusses the competing definitions and issues surrounding the various desgner drugs, but is primarily devoted t o an examination of MDMA, an increasingly popular substance often labeled as a designer drug. Also known as “Ecstasy” or “Adam,” MDMA possesses both stimulant and psychedelic properties which combine to produce a unique effect desired by many users. The authors offer a...
Fifty-three college undergraduates reporting use of a hallucinogenic mushroom ( Psilocybe) were matched on demographic variables to fifty-three nonusers. The subjects were given a detailed questionnaire and were administered four psychological tests. Hallucinogenic mushroom use by men was most associated with peers' mushroom use, whereas mushroom use by women was most associated with parental...
This study investigated the extent of hallucinogenic mushroom use among 1507 college students and compared mushroom users to nonusers. The subjects, who completed an anonymous questionnaire, were students from California State University, Northridge, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The major finding was that among the respondents who reported use of hallucinogenic drugs (17%),...
Research evidence indicates relationships between anxiety and the use of psychoactive drugs, and between the practice of meditation and lowered physiological indices of anxiety. Ex-post-facto studies of meditators indicate a negative correlation between practice of meditation and drug use. In the present study, a non-self-selected sample of chemically dependent people was instructed in the...
If it is true that experiences involving altered states of consciousness have historically been confined to a minute segment of the population (such as shamans, prophets, and even self-actualizers within Maslow's [1] context), and if the psychedelics act as a catalyst for such experiences, then their widespread availability portends significant social consequences. The most profound long term...
Hallucinogenic agents have the ability to amalgamate or terminate certain neural activities. The psychedelic experience has been described as consisting of visions of new dimensions … to fantasies of eternal loneliness. LSD is a modern sacrament of the so-called drug culture which psychologically represents the snow-fort of a capricious army facing hell-fire. What can be done about the use of...