General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: CNN's Sanjay Gupta: We've been misled about cannabis [View all]RainDog
(28,784 posts)I don't think LSD and weed are alike. I'm not throwing them in together.
I was talking about the way in which the war on the 1960s has harmed research, valuable research, into things - not based upon the harm of the substance, but on the cultural history surrounding the substance.
From Erowid - Dr Paul Gahlinger states "LSD is not toxic in the biological sense.". A 2008 review of the scientific literature titled "The Pharmacology of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: A Review", by Passie et al. gives the number of pharmacological fatalities from LSD as zero: "There have been no documented human deaths from an LSD overdose."
There have been deaths associated with LSD use - but these were suicides and it was not the substance itself, but rather the mental illness of a person that is the root of this issue. i.e. - someone may be suicidal and take an overdose of aspirin - that means aspirin has a lethal dose. someone may be suicidal and take LSD - but they will not overdose. Physiologically - this is the reality.
On the other hand, under medically supervised conditions, people who face the end of their lives have used LSD to come to terms with terminal illnesses.
I wasn't referring to LSD to talk about its recreational use - it's a powerful, powerful drug, much more powerful than marijuana - and, as such, people should have respect for that power - and caution in relation to it.
but that doesn't mean it is without medical benefit or that it is harmful to society.
However, just as someone with a history of schizo-affective illness in her/his family should be cautioned about cannabis with high THC (while high CDB cannabis is now under consideration to help people with schizo-affective disorder), someone with a history of mental illness should be cautioned regarding the powerful effects of LSD.
At the same time, LSD has shown promise, in a therapeutic setting, for some people with various mental illnesses such as PTSD, depression, addiction... and the scare stories and counter culture associations people have with LSD should not impede research into its uses.