The High way code. the guide to safer, more enjoyable drug use. (lsd / magic mushrooms)

Transcription

1 The Hgh way code the gude to safer, more enjoyable drug use (lsd / magc mushrooms)

2 ntroducng the GDS Hgh Way Code GDS knows pleasure drves drug use, not the avodance of harm. As far as we know no gude has ever outlned the mpact of harm reducton strateges on the pleasure users obtan from drugs... untl now global drug survey Ours s a smple premse: as wth drvng, there are thngs you need to know and rules you should observe n order to get you to your destnaton safely. Beng aware of these makes you much more lkely to get to your planned destnaton n one pece and much less lkely to cause harm to anyone around you. Please share these fndngs, they really are mportant.

3 The hgh way code What s t? The frst gude to safer drug use voted for by people who take drugs. How was t was developed? GDS asked loads of people who take drugs, as well as other experts, what strateges they thought would reduce the rsk of harm when takng some commonly used drugs. As part of GDS2014, we asked people from around the world who had used those drugs n the last year to vote on these strateges. For each strategy we asked: 1. f they usually (.e. more than 50% of the tme) dd t 2. to rate how mportant t s n reducng the rsk of harm (10 beng the max reducton of rsk) 3. to tell us whether usng that strategy ncreased, decreased or had no effect on the pleasure they got from the drug. Who developed t? The guys and gals at Global Drug Survey a nce bunch of smart people who know a bt about drugs and, wth people's help everywhere, wll contnue to learn more and share what they fnd out. Anythng else? Yep follow us lke us on Facebook and check out our free apps the drnks meter ( and the app stores) and the drugs meter ( and google play store) For more nterestng nfo on drugs check out our drugs meter mnutes vdeos on the Global Drug Survey YouTube channel. For suggestons on how to mprove GDS, emal: adam@globaldrugsurvey.com copyrght of Global Drug Survey

4 How to read the Hgh way code Ths number ndcates the percentage of people who told GDS they usually follow the strategy drug name x.x% xx.x% xx.x% xx.x% Users who usually do Ths dal tells you how mportant users thought ths strategy was n reducng the rsk of harm. 00 x.x Reducng rsk from Pleasure mpact rated by users Here you can check how many users thought ths strategy ncreased, decreased or ddn t affect ther pleasure.

5 Know your drug effect, the dose, tme to onset, tme to peak and how long t lasts All drug effects are dose related. Usually the more drugs you take the stronger and longer lastng the effects (and the greater the rsk of harm). Because drug purty and potency vares so much you need to treat every new batch as a new drug. Ths means test dosng each new batch. Knowng how strong your drug s can help you ttrate (adjust/measure) how much you take so hopefully you get the effect you want and avod overdosng. By knowng how long t takes for a drug to come on and how long t lasts, you reduce your rsk of takng too much. People also vary wdely n how they respond to drugs and how much they need to take. Everyone has to fnd ther own rght dose. Not all drugs sut all people so f you get anxous or paranod on a drug don t use t. Remember beng greedy s not good for you. Less s more. Don t ever be worred about callng for an ambulance f you re worred about the state of a mate. GDS does not condone or promote the use of llegal drugs. GDS does promote the use of common sense when gong about one s daly actvtes. Drugs and alcohol can be very dangerous. They can kll you. Usng drugs when you are young can have a lastng negatve mpact on your cogntve and emotonal well-beng. The only way to avod to these harms s not to take drugs. Ths document represents the vews of those who responded to the GDS. Please note: no amount of plannng and care can ensure you wll have ether a safe or enjoyable experence when you take drugs. GDS s smply reportng the results of the survey whch may provde some gudance n reducng the rsk of harm only. The best way to avod drug related harm s to not use drugs.

6 LSD/ Magc Mushrooms over 12,000 users AKA: Psychedelcs Although dverse n orgn and source, these drugs are smlar enough n effect for the Hgh way Code to treat them as a sngle group. They do dffer n peak-tme, effect and duraton. Trppng wth trusted company and beng somewhere you feel safe are mportant. Check our drugs meter mnute on mushrooms at: Usual dose Tme to onset Tme to peak Duraton of acton lsd mcg mn 2 3 hrs 8 12 hrs magc mushrooms Depends on mushroom mn hrs 6 8 hrs

7 LSD / Magc Mushrooms mportance n reducng rsk mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure Percentage of users who usually % Know your mushrooms % % Avod drvng and cyclng Avod when depressed/anxous % % % Use a relable source Trp wth trusted company Watch frends who are trppng % Plan trps n advance % Set lmt on amount used Test dose from new batch 89% 63% 64% Leave tme between trps Avod stmulants

8 1 know your mushrooms lsd/magc mushrooms % 31.6% 65.4% 87% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.9 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

9 1 know your mushrooms Make sure that you have the rght mushrooms before you eat them (e.g by usng past experence, checkng wth an experenced user or gettng them from a relable and trusted source) Not all mushrooms are magc. The rskest thng about mushrooms s pckng the wrong one (some can be very posonous). Makng sure that you have the rght mushroom s really mportant. Make sure that you pck your frst mushroom wth an experenced mycologst (fung expert, or just someone who knows what they are dong). Lberty caps have got a npple on them but don t rsk eatng the wrong ones or you feel lke a tt. Just rummagng around hopefully n sheep and cow poo mght land you n the sht.

10 2 avod when depressed/anxous/paranod lsd/magc mushrooms % 24% 72% 79% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.9 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

11 2 Avod when depressed, anxous or paranod Avod usng LSD/magc mushrooms when you are feelng depressed, anxous or physcally worn out Set and settng old school drug law. Although there s ncreasng research that suggests psychedelcs drugs lke ketamne and pslocybn can have benefcal effects on mental health and even treat psychatrc dsorders, most users agree that most drugs tend to worsen whatever state you are n when you take them. Gettng paranod when trppng s not uncommon. Beng somewhere safe wth trusted mates can help reduce ths rsk. f you are on antdepressants or other psychatrc meds, t s best to avod any drug because of unpredctable nteractons and the possblty that those drugs work aganst the effects of the medcaton.

12 3 avod drvng and cyclng lsd/magc mushrooms % 65% 30% 73% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.7 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

13 3 Avod Drvng and Cyclng Always avod drvng or cyclng wthn 24 hours of usng magc mushrooms or LSD t mght feel lke a vdeo game but t s not. Psychedelcs combned wth vehcular operatons (drvng) are just rsky. Blurred or double vson, pretty lghts, tme and space dstorton you know the score. All the thngs that make psychedelcs nce make drvng after t rsky and aganst the law. f you re wth someone who wants to drve whle trppng, do everyone a favour and keep the keys away from hm/her. Same goes for swmmng by the way.

14 4 Watch Frends who are trppng lsd/magc mushrooms % 41% 46% 88% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.6 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

15 4 Watch frends who are trppng Keep any eye on frends who have also taken LSD/mushrooms Common sense and beng a mate don t need an explanaton. Mates wll spot somethng wrong almost before anyone else so f you are worred do as most of you do and look out for your mates. Cheap, smple and so very mportant. MAPS and Project Zendo have got some great tps for helpng talk people, through ther trp, fnd out more at: zendoproject.org.

16 5 Trp wth trusted company lsd/magc mushrooms % 23% 73% 57% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.5 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

17 5 Trp wth trusted company Make sure that there s a trusted, experenced psychedelc drug user or non-trppng frend about Your mates can keep you safe. Shrooms and LSD, lke all psychedelcs, can be unpredctable and can result n ntense, occasonally not nce experences. Makng sure that there s a trusted, experenced psychedelc drug user or non-trppng frend about to keep an eye on you and take care of you should you have an unwanted / unpleasant experence seems sensble and popular.

18 6 use a relable source lsd/magc mushrooms % 29% 68% 77% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.5 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

19 6 use a relable source Make sure that you get your LSD or magc mushrooms from a relable and trusted source t s no guarantee but a bt of common sense someone you know s probably less lkely to rp you off and may be more nterested n your welfare than a random bar of soap you meet n the street. t s no guarantee but people seem to thnk t s very mportant.

20 7 plan your trp n advance lsd/magc mushrooms % 15% 82% 85% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.5 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

21 7 Plan your trp n advance Plan your psychedelc sesson (trp) wth LSD or mushrooms n advance (thnk about where you wll be, what you wll be dong and who you wll be wth Old fashoned drug common sense set and settng. Psychedelcs can be a tcket to many places. To make sure you arrve and get back home safely, advance plannng (where you wll be, who you wll be wth and what you ll be dong) s very mportant. Not only wll plannng ncrease your enjoyment of travel but t wll also reduce your rsk of takng a wrong turn (or f you do quckly fndng your way back).

22 8 test dose from new batch lsd/magc mushrooms % 34% 53% 35% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.2 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

23 8 test dose from new batch Test dose your LSD/mushrooms before a full trp by takng a smaller dose than a full trp dose and watng at least mn before takng a further dose) Drug purty vares buyers beware! Because llct preparatons vary n potency and precse composton, you should check new batches by takng a small test dose at least mnutes before re-dosng. Better stll: test on a completely separate day. Note that small doses of LSD or pslocybn may take longer to come on than expected and 90 mn may not be long enough for some people to feel the effect. Ths s often the reason that people take too much pslocybn: they take more before the effects of the ntal dose come on. Although dosng mushrooms mght be easer f you have used that type before, there can stll be marked varaton n pslocybn content between batches. Sadly there s nothng about the sze, shape or logo on your blotter that gves you a clue about how much LSD s n t (note: NBOMe class of drugs that are beng sold as LSD are just as potent but more unpleasant). Test dosng can help you fnd out how strong your drug s so you can ttrate (adjust/measure) future doses and hopefully get the effect you want.

24 9 Set lmt on amount used lsd/magc mushrooms % 47% 47% 63% Users who usually do 00 mn 8.1 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

25 9 Set Lmts on amount used Set a lmt for how much you wll use on a day you use magc mushrooms/lsd Less s more. Usng any drug too often leads to the development of tolerance wth psychedelcs ths can occur wthn just a couple of days. Tolerance = less pleasure + more cost for many people. Settng a lmt for how much you use on a day (we don t how much s safe) mght help keep your use under control and reduce your rsk of developng tolerance and spendng too much tme away from earth.

26 10 Leave tme between trps lsd/magc mushrooms % 29% 68% 89% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.8 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

27 10 leave tme between trps Leave enough tme between trps wth LSD/magc mushrooms to ntegrate (make sense of / understand) the experence Wat untl you have ntegrated the experence before trppng agan. Some journeys take longer to process/ recover from than others (thnk screamng babes, flght delays, sttng next to a Muppet on a 12hr plane journey). We asked MAPS how long between trps. They sad tll you ve ntegrated the experence. How long? Tme s not the key ssue. One ssue s that people buld up tolerance to psychedelcs very quckly so they re best used wth weeks, months, years (or a lfetme) between sessons.

28 11 avod stmulants lsd/magc mushrooms % 46% 47% 64% Users who usually do 00 mn 7.2 mportance n reducng rsk 10 max mpact on LSD/MM-related pleasure

29 11 Avod stmulants Avod usng stmulants durng an LSD or Magc mushroom sesson Don t rush your trp. Most psychedelcs have qute marked stmulant effects but for most the serenty and tranqulty of the trp s the predomnant sought-after effect. Agtaton, restlessness and anxety can sometmes take you away from where you want to be. Takng stmulants on top of psychedelcs can stress your system ncreasng the rsk of these unpleasant sensatons along wth other thngs lke palptatons and chest pan.