(Anti)prohibition, Psychonautics, and Designer Drugs

It was around 2013 when, as a psychonaut in my early twenties, I first heard about NPS (new psychoactive substances). The new substance in question was methoxetamine (MXE). 

Often sold as ketamine by more or less unaware dealers, this dissociative molecule created quite a stir among partygoers, especially those who thought they were taking ketamine and found themselves having to deal with unexpected effects. Methoxetamine, despite being dissociative, acts differently from its more well-known cousin, despite belonging to the same family. At that time, at least in the Bologna area, a certain stigma and even alarmism developed regarding this molecule. However, the problem with MXE, in my opinion, was not (and is not) the substance itself (which, if taken knowingly, can be liked or disliked depending on personal tastes), but rather the fact that it was often sold as ketamine. 

Indeed, coming face-to-face with a new substance, released onto the illegal market often without announcing its name, effects, duration, or other characteristics, can be unsettling for users. There are numerous such cases, some very recent, such as gummy bears containing 5-MeO-MiPT sold as a combination of LSD and mescaline, O-PCE sold as MDMA, 2C-B Fly sold as 2C-B, 25x-NBOMe sold as LSD, etc. This dynamic, as we will shortly see, is one of the consequences of prohibitionism. 

Prohibitionism itself fails to adequately inform individuals about the risks associated with taking one or more psychoactive substances. However, not talking about drugs doesn't eliminate the problems that may (or may not) arise from their use; rather, it creates new ones. These certainly include ignorance and misinformation about substances and their effects, dosages, etc. Fortunately, the more attentive and curious psychonaut can rely on a vast bibliography or on sites like Erowid, Psychonautwiki, or Danno.ch for certain types of information, as well as various online forums for discussion. 

This is not to mention the many opportunities for risk reduction and drug checking. Yet these services certainly don't exist because of government mandates, but are based on a kind of mutual aid and peer support, often without any recognition or funding from the state. The state instead insists on spreading its prohibitionist rhetoric, asserting that drugs must be fought because they are "harmful," without critically and objectively arguing this claim. This approach creates social stigma and a lack of information about psychoactive molecules, but it doesn't address the core issue: substance use. 

Despite prohibitions and repression, drug use continues to exist. Banning substances by listing them as narcotics and declaring them illegal has given rise, since the mid-1920s, to a series of substitutes and analogues that recreate or somehow mimic the effects of the banned molecule. Designer drugs are, in fact, nothing more than substances structurally similar to another molecule and, theoretically, should be similar in terms of effects. However, this is not a given; there are several analogues that have different dosages, effects, durations, side effects, and contraindications than the "original" ones. 

A designer drug usually remains legal until it attracts the attention of a country's government, which promptly places it on the schedule. It doesn't take long, however, before a new designer drug hits the market. And so it goes, this game of prohibition on the one hand and the creation of new molecules on the other. 

But let's dive deeper: how do designer drugs spread? And why would an individual purchase a little-known substance rather than one about which, theoretically, there is more information?

Since the first analogues appeared, the designer drug market has been inextricably linked to the prohibition of psychoactive molecules. This was already the case with morphine analogues in the mid-1920s, and ether replaced illegal alcoholic beverages in the 1930s. 

However, it was in the 1960s that a truly uncontrolled market for new psychoactive substances exploded, sometimes sold on the black market under their own names, other times passed off as better-known substances. This is the case with the psychedelic phenethylamines of the DOx family, which includes molecules such as DOM, DOB, DOI, DOET, and DOC. DOM in particular became popular in 1967 under the name STP (Serenity, Tranquillity, Peace) or sometimes passed off as LSD.

When mentioning psychedelic phenethylamines (and designer drugs), it's impossible not to mention Alexander Shulgin, known as the "godfather of ecstasy" (for having rediscovered MDMA and suggested its therapeutic potential to his friend, psychologist Leo Zeff). Shulgin is also the creator of 2C-B and many other psychoactive molecules, whose synthesis and effects, thanks to the contributions of his wife Ann and friends, including Darrell Lemaire, he was able to document in two books, PIHKAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved) and TIHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved). Shulgin, together with his collaborators, synthesized and experimented with a myriad of psychoactive molecules, many of which are still circulating on the designer drug market. Lemaire, however, is credited with contributing to the study of 2C-D and other molecules in the 2C-x family, documented in the pamphlet "Smart Pills".

In addition to purely psychedelic substances, the dissociative phencyclidine (PCP), withdrawn from the market in 1965 due to its numerous side effects, also found fertile ground on the illegal market during the San Francisco Summer of Love, sold under the name "Peace Pill" or sometimes passed off as LSD. 

PCP quickly spread as a street drug and substance of abuse (a predominantly North American phenomenon, as angel dust never caught on in Europe). Meanwhile, analogues and substitutes for this molecule were being synthesized in both medical and recreational settings, including ketamine, initially popular in hospital settings and then released outside of that context under the name "Rockmesc" (Morris, Wallach, From PCP to MXE: a comprehensive review of the non-medical use of dissociative drugs, 2014). 

Gradually, the phenomenon of analogues and derivatives spread across various categories of substances (opioids, dissociatives, tryptamines, lysergamides, amphetamine-like stimulants, etc.), inevitably attracting the attention of law enforcement. In the 1980s, the term "designer drugs" was coined, and not only many molecules but also some precursors and compounds necessary for the synthesis of certain drugs were made illegal. Since then, the pattern has remained unchanged: the inclusion of a substance in the schedule is followed by the appearance of one or more analogues. With the advent of the internet, the designer drug phenomenon experienced its golden age. The term "research chemicals" (often abbreviated to RC) began to be used to refer to designer drugs, a term that remains prevalent today. 

Yes, even today, because the designer drug market, despite bans, laboratory raids, and arrests of chemists and dealers, continues to stay afloat, albeit weakened by the tightening of laws.

This brings us to another fundamental point: why buy new psychoactive substances, about which we often know very little, especially if they are synthesized and have only been on the market for a few years, if not months? One reason may be the impossibility of finding a better-known substance you're interested in and the choice to opt for an analogue, possibly one not yet listed in your country. (Also, pay close attention to any bans on analogues! Just because a substance isn't explicitly listed doesn't mean it's legal in your country!) This reason is a clear consequence of prohibitionism. 

Some consumers also claim to buy designer drugs for the guarantee of product purity, a factor that can be lacking on the black market. Without a testing kit or a drug-checking service that warns you of the presence of impurities or other substances, this could even lead to unpleasant consequences. 

Another motivation often lies in the psychonautical curiosity to experience an expansion of the ordinary state of consciousness through molecules not yet personally tested, obviously taking all necessary precautions (careful attention to set and setting, as detailed as possible information on the substance, dosage, effects and timing, post-experience integration, etc.). 

It should be specified that a "psychonaut" (a term coined by Ernst Junger), as Giorgio Samorini emphasizes, is someone who "listens to the effects of a drug" and does so for the purpose of knowledge, unlike those who consume substances to "use" their effects. And, according to one of the basic principles of psychonautics, the good psychonaut "at the slightest onset of psycho-physical disorders induced by self-experimentation with psychoactive substances, a period of total suspension of the experimental phase is mandatory, the length of which is directly proportional to the severity of the disorder" (Samorini in A. Legni, Vi racconto Alexander Shulgin, il padrino dell’ecstasy, 2014; G. Toro, Triptamine psichedeliche, 2022). 

Therefore, information, awareness, and attention are fundamental tools for those navigating the psyche, even if they should also be so for other users, so as to benefit from the effects of a substance while limiting the risks associated with its use (these risks can range from acute side effects to long-term use, etc.). 

But what happens, instead, if designer drugs/research chemicals, so readily available, begin to circulate uncontrolled on the illegal market without users being aware of what they're taking? Clearly, the risks associated with using certain substances increase because all the necessary tools mentioned above, essential for a successful experience, are lacking. Therefore, it's important to pay attention to what you're about to consume and try to analyze the substance, especially because the designer drug phenomenon, contrary to what you might think, is widespread on the streets, at festivals, and free parties, and probably half of you reading this have even tried some without knowing it (perhaps that slightly strange ketamine, which lasted longer than usual and left a bit of a comedown, wasn't really ketamine at all...). 

Without wishing to create unnecessary alarmism, we can say that conscious and informed use can help limit and contain the risks associated with the use of these substances, about which little is known. 

However, this necessary step is needed, at least regarding much better-known substances that are often abused without considering the possible repercussions on the body. Many substances, such as alcohol, ketamine, cocaine, and MDMA, are in fact frequently consumed, especially by regular users, in doses far higher than those needed to produce significant psychoactive effects, and in short intervals between doses, thus increasing side effects. Among these, we can highlight increased tolerance, neurotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity in the case of stimulants. However, it is important to be informed about all the potential risks associated with the abuse of individual molecules, whether preferred or not. 

 

This statement is not intended to be moralistic or point the finger at anyone; rather, it seeks to create food for thought as well as a space for non-judgmental discussion and sharing on the topic of substances and the dynamics of consumption. Have a safe journey. 

 

Bibliography

Legni Andrea, Vi racconto Alexander Shulgin, il padrino dell’ecstasy, 4 giugno, 2014, https://www.dolcevitaonline.it/vi-racconto-alexander-shulgin-il-padrino-dellecstasy/ 

Morris, Hamilton; Wallach, Jason (July 2014). From PCP to MXE: a comprehensive review of the non-medical use of dissociative drugs. Drug Testing and Analysis. 6 (7–8): 614–632.

Toro Gianluca, Triptamine Psichedeliche. Chimica, farmacologia ed effetti, Avvicinamenti autoproduzioni, Pinerolo, 2022.

Alfredo Squillaro | Community Blogger at Chemical Collective

Alfredo is one of our community bloggers here at Chemical Collective. If you’re interested in joining our blogging team and getting paid to write about subjects you’re passionate about, please reach out to Sam via email at [email protected]