The Cause. There are many, many reasons why people choose to drugs. Mostly, it starts with pot, as harmless as it tends to be. People tend not to notice exactly what it could eventually lead to, and they forget how risky moving onto harder drugs can be. I’ve heard from so many people, myself included, that they would never touch any drug other than pot. And in some cases, they follow through with that philosophy. But, with some, such as myself, they begin to develop a sense of invulnerability to chemical effects. They feel relatively no pain or long tem side effects whatsoever from weed that many education programs claim it can have. That mindset then eventually rolls over to harder drugs when they are introduced to the person, whether it be knowingly or not. They start to really like the drug, and continue to use it a couple more times. Mostly over a period of a couple of months to avoid addiction, but as availability increases, so does the indulgence. Even though they may notice their growing habit, they continue to feed the addiction out of a sense of need instead of want. Eventually, their need will begin surpassing their ability to supply it, which is where distrust comes into play.

Social Effects. Once the actual addiction sets in, people will begin to place all priorities below it. While they will still hold on to some of thier hopes and dreams, they begin to give up on the ones that would require their full, undivided attention. They begin to steal from loved ones, not thinking anything of it. It becomes sort of a game that they feel the need to play, else they chance the inevitable withdrawal. This sows the seeds and waters them. The people that care take notice, and the addict will usually deny it and continue feeding it behind closed doors. Seeking for help is among the last options they take at this point, as addiction can be a very powerful and lingering force in your mind. After growing weary of the antics, friends and families of the victim will begin losing trust in them, which is the backbone of any relationship, be it between parent and child, spouses, or friends. They will continue to unravel the rope of trust until it is withered and decayed to oblivion. And then they willl move on. Only after many people have suffered from this will the addict normally take notice and begin wishing for the effect to become the opposite. But even then, it may be a while before most will begin seeking to be rid of the addiction, as it is a very compelling force.

My Experience. I am a recovered crack addict myself, so I do know what I am talking about. But even before my addiction, I was put through alot by my abusive father and my neglectful mother. Throughout my long childhood, I was beaten, starved, unprovided for, and failed to develop many skills necessary in life to succeed. I am still on the path to building those skills to the level of an average 17-year old boy. Although my behaviors and eccentricities are somewhat severe, my experiences with it all have provided me with much insight, as you may have noticed from reading this article. I am told by many that I am very inteligent and that I should not waste my life. So, when I tell you that I know what I’m talking about, even regarding the fact that I was a drug addict, you can still believe me. My experience was much like the scenario described earlier. I was unmindful of my grandparents, who were the equivalent of my parents at the time, and I consistently stole from them, lied to them, and disrespected them. To this day, I regret every bit of it and always will. But, I very much believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It is my wish to have people spread this knowledge on just how devastating the experience of a 17 year old addicted to drugs for 1 short year was. I have yet to apologize to them, or even look them in the eye when I talk to them. Every night, I lay in my bed, disgusted with myself for letting things happen this way. I am messed up, to say the least. I wish it not to be like this for anyone else. Please. Spread my wisdom. Help encourage those who have fallen victim to rise above and conquer. To regain control of their lives, and to give them a second chance to shape things how they should be.

Shamans in the upper Amazon region of South America have been preparing a sacred medicinal tea for thousands of years for the purpose of healing of psychological problems, connecting to divinity, and receiving spiritual guidance. In Ecuador and Peru, this brew is called “ayahuasca” in the Quechua language. “Aya” means “spirit,” while “huasca” means “vine.” Ayahuasca tea is known by other names in other regions.

How Ayahuasca Tea Is Made

The main and consistent ingredient in every ayahuasca brew is the ayahuasca vine itself. This is combined with leaves from at least one other plant that varies based on the effects a shaman would like to achieve.  These effects can include soul travel, telepathy, spirit communication, and visions. To make ayahuasca tea, shamans pound lengths of the ayahuasca vine with stone. They then boil the vine with leaves from another plant or plants in water for several hours.

Preparation of ayahuasca

How Ayahuasca Tea Is Used

Ayahuasca tea is never to be used recreationally but rather exclusively as part of a sacred ceremony. The shaman who conducts an ayahuasca ceremony must be a person of high integrity, who is acting from a place of pure intention, devoid of ego goals. The shaman creates a safe, supportive environment in which respect and reverence for the ayahuasca sacrament is of utmost importance. The goal of the ceremony is to help participants experience a state of elevated consciousness.

Shaman “Don” Cesario ready to lead an ayahuasca ceremony

Physical and Spiritual Components of the Ayahuasca Experience

Ayahuasca ceremonies are all-night affairs. The effects of the ayahuasca tea last for 5 to 10 hours. The experience of each individual varies according to his or her previous experience with the tea, level of consciousness, personality, emotional state, and intention, as well as the influence of the shaman facilitator.

After ingesting the bitter-tasting ayahuasca tea, one embarks on physical and spiritual experience. Use of ayahuasca is often a physically cathartic process that involves vomiting and diarrhea. This is interpreted as a positive indication that neuroses and negative thoughts are being purged from the body.

Shamans revere ayahuasca as a highly intelligent plant teacher. They often refer to the plant as Mother Ayahuasca, which conveys their deep respect for the plant. Participants in ayahuasca ceremonies often describe feeling an intelligent presence during their experience. Many have reported seeing this presence manifest in a vision as a headless woman.

Participants in ayahuasca ceremonies often describe being awoken to a grander reality than what is normally open to us. Initially, they notice a change in their sensory perceptions. Emotions become more profound. Touch and hearing become heightened. Some people start to feel like they are floating. People describe experiencing the mythological forces that created and are the foundation of all life. They often report intense visions of geometric patterns, gods, animals, snakes, and spirits. Jungle scenes often figure prominently in their visions, regardless of whether the individuals are of Indian descent or have lived in the jungle. Sometimes several individuals experience shared visions within a group setting.

Amazon jungle

After ayahuasca ceremonies, people often describe profound, life-altering effects. Many report that their consciousness was raised, expanded, and amplified so that they are now able to see the unity, oneness, and interconnectedness of all life. They report that the positive effects of their expanded understanding of the world and their expanded self-knowledge have profoundly transformative effects on their life.

Legality of Ayahuasca

The use of ayahuasca is legal in most countries in South America. In the United States, the growing of the ayahuasca plant is legal. However, brewing ayahuasca into a tea is illegal in America since the brew contains DMT, which is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

In the United States and in other countries, some people have fought and are fighting against the ban on the use of ayahuasca tea. The sacred use of ayahuasca in some churches has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Some Santo Damie and União do Vegetal (UDV) churches, which combine Christianity with indigenous practices, have been granted the right to use ayahuasca in religious ceremonies, pursuant to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Other Interesting Information About Ayahuasca

It is interesting to note that drug addiction was virtually nonexistent in native cultures prior to contact with Europeans, although plants that are used in the preparation of ayahuasca tea are narcotics. Ayahuasca is non-addictive and seems to have no adverse health effects. There are even several treatment centers for drug addiction in South America that help addicts overcome their addiction to drugs through the use of ayahuasca.

For additional information about entheogens, you might enjoy these articles:

• Drug Ayahuasca, Church of Santo Daime Sacrament: Legality of Use of Yage Entheogen in Religious Ceremonies, Rituals

• Peyote Cactus in Native American Traditions: The Drug’s Uses, Effects, and Legality
  

LSD

LSD (Lysergic acid Diethylamide), also called acid, is a chemically produced synthetic drug, all though it is derived from Lysergic acid found in some mushrooms and flower seeds. As a drug it became popular in the 60s, with the Flower Power movement in the U.S.

LSD is usually swallowed in form of pills, stamps/papers with added drops of LSD, sugar cubes or as a liquid. Because the strong effect, very small doses are used. 25-45 micrograms may often be enough for a trip.

Effects

The main effect of LSD is different kinds of hallucinations. One or more effects may occur under the influence (may vary):

• Distorted reality (for example visual color hallucinations)

• Increased energy

• Rapid changes of mood

• Gazing eyes

• Dry mouth

The drug user will feel the first effects after about 30 – 90 minutes, which will continue for about 10-12 hours.

Ecstasy

Ecstasy (3,4-MetylenDioxyMetAmfetamin (or MDMA)), is like LSD, a synthetic drug. It has both hallucinogenic and central stimulating effects. There’s also other variants of Ecstasy – MDA, MDE, and others – but MDMA still seems to be the most popular.

Ecstasy is mainly used among the techno/rave culture for increasing the music and dance experience. Among these users it’s nicknamed “E”. It’s mainly sold as a pill in all kinds of shapes. Some of them may be stronger than other and/or different have mixtures with other drugs (such as amphetamine). It is also available in the more unusual powder form.

Effects

Generally, the drug gives affects the excretion of serotonin, which gives an overall sense of happiness, but also gives a stimulant effect. These are some of the effects under the influence of Ecstasy:

• Increased energy

• Increased perception (sounds and lights)

• Euphoria – cuddly, loving, forgiving

• Uncontrolled tension in the cheeks

The effect will occur after about 30 – 60 minutes and will last for about 4-6 hours. Ecstasy is rumored to have low negative effects and no addiction, which of course is wrong.

One known negative effect is the mental hangover. Because of the high production of serotonin during the trip, the user may experience a depression like condition a few day after the use. Taking Ecstasy may temporary remove this effect, but usually returns even worse a few days later – creating a different kind of addiction.

Phenethylamines

These drugs are generally “designer drugs”, basically meaning that the chemical structure of an illegal drug has been modified, practically making it a new substance. Because of that, some of them may still be legal in some countries. There’s a lot of them, but these are 2 Phenethylamines drugs.

• 2C-B
  2C-B belongs to the chemical group Phenethylamines and is a “designer drug”. It’s usually available as a pill, all though powder is possible.
  The effect is similar to the Ecstasy at higher doses, giving hallucinogenic effects. A big difference, however, is the time of the effect. It occurs after about one hour and lasts for about 4-6 hours.
  

• DOB
  DOB is also a Phenethylamines, similar to 2C-B, but 10 times stronger and much longer effect. The effect (same as 2C-B, similar to LSD) will kick in after about 1-3 and last for 7-23 hours.

Other hallucinogenic drugs

Magic Mushrooms

Mushrooms, nicknamed “Magic Mushrooms”, containing the hallucinogenic substance Psilocybin and Psilocin, grows wildly all over the world. In some countries they may be classed as a drug and in some not. How it’s legally classed (for example illegal if dried) may also differ.

The mushrooms may be eaten raw, dried, cooked or brewed as tea. The dose of the substances is usually about 2-3 grams. The effects are similar to LSD (above). It kicks in after about 20 minutes and last for about 6 hours.

Peyote Cactus

Similar to the “Magic Mushrooms”, there’s a cactus growing in Mexico – Peyote – containing the hallucinogenic substance Mescaline. Consuming pieces of this cactus will give a LSD-like effect. The effect will kick in after about 45 – 60 minutes and lasts up to 11 hours.

Learn more about drugs

• Cannabis – Marijuana, Hashish, Hash oil

• Central Depressive Drugs – Benzodiazepines, GHB

• Central Stimulants – Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Khat

• Inhaled Drugs – Butane Gas, Poppers

• Opiates – Opium, Morphine, Heroin, Methadone, Subutex, Subuxone, Fentanyl

• PCP and Ketamine – Fencyklidin, Ketamine

• How to see signs of drug addiction

Of course, from a legal standpoint, DO NOT take my advice to handle situations with employees, tenants, or such. I am speaking as a mother or a girlfriend. Sometimes the people right down the hall are the ones we need to take action on. I would never say anything if you get a negative drug result. If you get a positive result, however, then I think the situation is more serious than your invasion of their privacy. I had an incident that I suspected an ex-boyfriend of mine was doing drugs. He continued to lie to me and tell me I was crazy. All his friends kept telling me. All the tell-tell signs were there. I just had to know.

Before I tell you the way I “tricked” him into a drug test, let me say that I had lived with him for awhile and knew his bathroom habits. At night, he would fall asleep on the couch. I would come in from work and wake him up. He would always go pee, and then go to bed. That is the key. I knew when he peed, like clockwork every night. It definitely helped that it was at night. He was tired and not paying attention in the dark so much. Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me just tell you how I accomplished my surprise drug test. First of all, you can purchase at home drug tests at any pharmacy or department store. I read all the instructions the morning of to make sure I conducted the test properly.

When I got home, I emptied all the water out of the toilet. I got a cup, and then a turkey baster, and completely drained the toilet. Then, I wiped it out real good with a clean towel. Do NOT use cleaners or anything, just dry the toilet out. Now, if you can imagine, this is one huge clean cup. I woke my boyfriend up, and followed him into the bathroom. I made sure to just ramble on and keep his focus on me while he was peeing. Then before he had a chance to flush, I jumped on the toilet. I acted as if I had to pee really bad. I had already had my pants ready to pull down. As soon as he walked out of the bathroom to go to bed, I pulled my test out from under the sink. I scooped up the “sample” and tested it right then. They even have tests you can mail in as well to get even more accurate results.

So, I know it is not the most honest way to find out what you need to know. I am glad I did. The tests confirmed what I had thought all along. I hope the results won’t be the same for you. At least you will have proof. Sometimes the peace of mind of knowing is the best medicine to start healing. That way everything is out in the open, and no one can lie their way out of the test.

Jenkem, or commonly referred to today as: Runners, Butthash, Winnie, Fruit from Crackpipe, Might, and Waste, has become a drug of experimentation within the United States recently. This concoction (consisting of human feces and urine), originated in Africa and has been used there by homeless children for decades. Apparently, the drug is produced by fermenting fecal matter in a bottle for several days.

Once the finished product is ready, the user attaches a balloon to the opening of a bottle and inhales the fumes. The inhaled substance is said to initially cause unconsciousness, followed by intense hallucinations that can last up to 3 days. This act is said to leave a foul taste in the user’s mouth for several days after a single use. This idea of a free buzz, and the experimentation thereof, is said to have sparked interest in students in Collier County, Florida. That’s right, this drug is made up of urine and feces and people are actually trying it here in the United States.

Apparently, a confidential memorandum written by a staff member of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office leaked out, found its way to the public, and has spread like wildfire. I think this memo should have stayed within the walls of the Sheriff’s Office for obvious reasons. Now, we know what Johnny Floridian will be doing this weekend; why harvesting a fresh batch of his own human waste in hopes it will yield a free buzz that keeps him zinging through the weekend of course.

Now when I first became aware of this new trend, a few questions came to mind; serious, but yet, comical inquiries into the dynamics of this substance. If you imported Butt Hash from a foreign country would it be of better quality? For instance, does the “dank” Butt Hash come from India or something? Also, I pondered a theory that a different (or better) strand might lie within the fecal matter of domesticated animals. I think my weekend might consist of chasing Max around the house with a pooper scooper in efforts to create the best Butt Hash on the block, the primo man, Yeah! Then I move onto the cat, I pick apart Morris’s nuggets, remembering to remove grains of kitty litter so that my stuff is uncut.

But on second thought, I don’t want to be a “turd burglar” so I might end up using my own “butt mud” for experimentation. Ok, I might have gotten a little carried away there, and by no means do I intend on attempting to create Butt Hash of any kind. Yeah, I would just love to taste raw sewage in my mouth for days, so worth it. Are people really doing this?

Will the introduction of this new substance put the traditional street-corner crack dealer out of business? Will people be “slangin” Butt Hash in the hood to generate funds? It is highly unlikely that this substance could be marketed on the street for obvious reasons; anyone can make it and you do not need any overhead to do so.

This subject disgusts me beyond words, but at the same time fascinates me. I mean seriously – what is wrong with the world today? If someone is willing to inhale an explosive gas that was yielded from dung, they must have a deep seeded drug addiction that needs to be looked at. I believe our next generation of world leader’s are in big trouble. If teens are willing to huff on feces, what else would they be willing to do to get high? The next thing I know, I will turn around and people will be smoking their own skin or scraping blood chips into a fine powder for snorting.