An interesting angle to this is that one could allegedly buy LSD in Cranbrook, a small city in the interior of British Columbia (population 20,000, home of the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel).LSD is supposed to be relatively scarce these days. Ryan Grim wrote a 2004 piece for Slate titled Who's Got the Acid?
Here's an excerpt:
Evidence of acid's decline can be found practically everywhere you look: in the number of emergency room mentions of the drug; in an ongoing federal survey of drug use; in a huge drop in federal arrests; and in anecdotal reports from the field that the once ubiquitous psychedelic is exceedingly difficult to score. In major cities and college towns where LSD was once plentiful, it can't be had at all.Apparently that's not the case in Cranbrook.
Yeah I've heard that it's been more widely available at music festivals, Burning Man, etc during the last few years. LSD is unique in that a single manufacturing source can supply a huge segment of the market. Since doses are measured in micrograms, or millionths of a gram, one batch can easily yield hundreds of thousands of doses at a minimum.
ReplyDeleteSo in 2004, when William Leonard Pickard was busted by the DEA, essentially the entire world's supply of acid went with him. But when it's that easy to eliminate supply, it's just as easy to re-establish it, which is apparently what has happened over the last 6 years.
By the way, the war on psychedelics and hallucinogens is perhaps the most insane and transparently desperate aspect of the entire Drug War. From cannabis to shrooms to ecstasy to acid, psychedelics are consistently much safer than alcohol, and pose essentially zero risk to the public. Of course, the drug war has always been about control and conformity rather than safety, and psychedelics help people think for themselves.
ReplyDeleteTo a government, a violent thief or an OD-ing body is much less dangerous than an open mind, making psychedelics the main boogeymen (they are all listed as Schedule 1 in the US). This is not only pathetic and desperate, but it has also resulted in a shameful cultural blindness to some of the incredibly important things that psychedelics can do for us.
Thanks Rhayader for the updated info on LSD. And added to the comments you've already made, I'll just point out that the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies is doing a lot of excellent research in this area. (I know that you're already aware of this, but I just thought I would mention it for others reading this blog.)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like we always hear about LSD on candy. Not an accusation against the RCMP, but at times I'm convinced that various anti-drug people concoct this stuff just to stir up controversy.
ReplyDeleteI mean doesn't it seem odd that some 40-year-old guy would be carrying gummy bears, or Little Kitty candy drops?
It seems the best way to keep LSD hidden would be to put it on vitamin pills for 50-year-olds, put it on fiber-for-regularity tablets, put it in gelcaps marked "cod liver oil" or "castor oil." :-)
I agree with Rhayader's comments about psychedelics. The sad thing is this yet another example of dimwits in power making things worse. There are tons of stories of very famous people doing amazing things while on LSD. It should be noted they were mature adults at the time.
Another nonsensical item from that page is how they completely overlook sugar! Want to see bizarre and irrational behavior and altered thinking processes? Give young children sugary soda or milk with sugary cupcakes slathered with sugary icing, with a side dollop of sugary ice cream. And it IS addictive!