Doing drugs is not something we have an official stance on, but this being the peak of the festival-season, odds are that one or two of you will partake. So to give you some practical insights we've chatted with two experienced psychonauts – both moderators at the drug harm-reduction message board
psychedelia. With more than a decade of hands-on experience with illicit drugs and over 100 trips under their collective belts, they have some pearls of wisdom (not a drug) to pass onto you. Truthfully, at first we were hoping for loads of juicy anecdotes with some educational value on the end of it, but our experts weren’t into that. And since we’ve already written so colourfully about all sorts of drugs in the past, we decided to give them a bit of leeway to compose this very sober no-frills guide. It just might just save you from waking up in the funny farm as a severely distraught youtube meme, because you inadvertently licked the wrong amphibia.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
If you decide to try a drug, start out by doing an allergy test. Ingest a few milligrams of the drug with water and wait at least 30 minutes. This will help you to determine if you are allergic to the specific drug and it can also provide an estimate of how pure the drug is, enabling you to lower the starting dose if necessary.
In general you shouldn’t mix drugs, and remember that alcohol is a drug too. Some drugs will increase the effects of alcohol, while others can do the opposite. In any case, going easy on the beer will give you way less of a hangover and lower the risk of unpleasant situations.
No matter how bollixed you are on boxed wine, you really shouldn’t do any drugs that you haven’t heard of. There are a lot of research chemicals going around that may well be legal, but can also be lethal in the wrong dose. Always keep in mind that it is not illegal to be under the influence of any drug in Denmark and that a visit to the hospital might end up being embarrassing whereas an untreated drug overdose might end up being fatal.STIMULANTS
Most common are cocaine, amphetamine and MDMA. They’re often used when dancing for hours on steaming hot dance floors. This poses a risk of dehydration, so it’s vital that you remember to drink a few cups of water hourly when doing stimulants. Also eat well before, since they act as appetite suppressants, and be careful with alcohol as these drugs will counter the feeling of being drunk, but not the effect of alcohol on your body.
If a drug is snorted, the effects will be notable after 10-15 minutes and if you ingest it orally, it will take about 45 minutes, depending on the time and size of your last meal.
The use of stimulants causes smooth muscle contraction. This can result in temporary erectile dysfunction and difficulty reaching an orgasm.Cocaine
The consistency is powder or rock, but high quality cocaine can also come in the shape of long flakes. It sometimes smells like kerosene due to impurities. Cocaine is often adulterated with anaesthetics and all these factors make it hard to tell anything about the quality of the product before use.
Most commonly, cocaine is snorted. A sensible dosage of street cocaine is between 40-60 milligrams.MDMA (Ecstacy)
Often seen as crystals, ideally white, but come in a variety of colours. The crushed crystals or powder sometimes smells sweet and is generally very bitter in taste.
MDMA can be snorted and ingested orally and a sensible dose is 70-100 milligrams that will last about four to six hours after which a strong desire to sleep is usually seen.
Note: A maximum of two doses during a session is recommended. The side effects of MDMA can dramatically increase with repeated dosing. MDMA is often sold 1 gram at a time, but this amount is way too much for a single individual.Amphetamine
This is mostly a white or yellow powder that is often moist with a potent smell.
Amphetamine is most commonly snorted, but can be ingested orally and a sensible dose is 10-20 milligrams. Purity may vary a lot and as such it’s better to start off low.
The effects of amphetamine generally last longer than those of cocaine and MDMA and in general you should not plan on sleeping within six hours of a dose.PSYCHEDELICS
The effects of psychedelics can vary dramatically depending on set and setting. The term set refers to your own general state of being when you take the drug. If you’re feeling down, it’s generally better to stick with the beer and save the trip for another time.
The term setting refers to your physical setting. With psychedelics it’s paramount that you feel comfortable and safe in your surroundings and this will not equal bone shattering music and mosh-pits for most people. It’s recommended that you take psychedelics with people you trust and feel comfortable around.
Don’t try and fight the effects of the drug but rather to go with the flow. Most psychedelics have a relatively low toxicity so it is unlikely that you have actually been poisoned even though you may feel like it. A visit to the paramedics will often result in more distress.
If a person around you starts feeling uncomfortable during a trip, you should try to calm him/her down by reasoning with the person. Fear is often based on illogical thoughts and it can help a great deal to get a different perspective on things. Do not let the person wander off alone.Mushrooms
They usually come in the shape of dried mushrooms with size and appearance varying a lot. Mushrooms are chewed and gulped down with a beverage and the dosage depends on the species. The most common species is cubensis (Mexican, Thai, ban hua, golden teacher) and a sensible starting dose is 0,5-1,0 gram.
Spids Nøgenhat is another species that grows in Denmark. A sensible dose of this is 0,5 gram as they are more potent, but appear small and spindly compared to cubensis.
The effects of mushrooms generally last four to seven hours.LSD
Usually sold as small pieces of cardboard (blotters) which have been soaked in a solution of LSD. Sometimes LSD is sold in the form of a solution where one drop corresponds to a dose. A blotter or a drop will usually contain a dose sufficient for a trip and is placed on the tongue for about 15 minutes. The effects of LSD can take up to three hours to develop fully so do not re-dose thinking that you haven’t had enough to begin with. The effects generally last anything from eight to fourteen hours and most people feel a desire to sleep after the effects have worn off.2C-X (2C-B, 2C-C, 2C-I, 2C-C)
Drugs in the 2C-X-family come in the form of white powder or crystals. They are usually very bitter in taste. 2C-X drugs are often sold in premeasured doses in capsules and can be snorted (not recommended) or taken orally. Be careful about proper dosing if you encounter the drug as a powder, which you have to measure out yourself. 2C-X drugs are quite potent and a dosage of about 10 milligrams can be sufficient. The effects of most 2C-X drugs generally last four to six hours.DOWNERS
Downers usually lead to a feeling of intoxication, sedation and memory loss. This term covers some major groups in pharmaceuticals such as opiates (heroin, morphine, metadone etc.) and benzodiazepines (valium, rohypnol, xanax etc.) but also GHB commonly referred to as Fantasy. Not mixing downers with alcohol (or other downers) is quite important. If you suspect an overdose on downers, a paramedic should be contacted immediately as it can lead to respiratory depression and cardiac arrest.GHB (Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyrate, Fantasy)
GHB is usually sold as a clear solution and the concentration can vary a lot. You drink it and a sensible start dose is impossible to tell unless you know where the GHB comes from. You can’t tell the concentration from the appearance and taking GHB from strangers is really discouraged as there is little difference between the active dose and an overdose. The effects will wear off by two to four hours.
Note: The above factors combined make GHB a particularly dangerous drug to use at concerts or festivals. Please consider whether it’s worthwhile. If you decide to try it however, find someone sober who can keep an eye on you.Benzodiazepines
Benzos are sedatives such as diazepam (valium, stesolid), flunitrazepam (rohypnol) and clonazepam. They are sold as pills in different colours and sizes. They are taken orally with a glass of water in the following dosages: diazepam or valium: 5 milligrams, flunitrazepam: 0,5 milligram and clonazepam: 1 milligram.
Note: Benzodiazepines can sedate you for several days even after a night of sleeping.DISSOCIATIVES
Ketamine
Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic and comes in crystals or white powder and is bitter in taste with little or no smell. This drug is not related to any of the previous categories. In low doses it can lead to clumsiness and a feeling of intoxication and dizziness. In higher doses it becomes more psychedelic often associated with loss of motor skills and inability to move. One should be vary of talking ketamine at concerts as not being able to move can lead to dangerous situations when surrounded by many people. In a safe setting however, ketamine is relatively safe due to its low toxicity.
Ketamine is snorted and a sensible starting dose is 20-40 milligrams. Dosages above 100 milligrams usually lead to total dissociation from the surrounding world accompanied by inability to move and the effect usually lasts about an hour.
Note: It can be dangerous mixing ketamine and alcohol and you shouldn’t take ketamine if you’re drunk. It can lead to severe vomiting and eventually suffocation.
If you decide to try a drug, start out by doing an allergy test. Ingest a few milligrams of the drug with water and wait at least 30 minutes. This will help you to determine if you are allergic to the specific drug and it can also provide an estimate of how pure the drug is, enabling you to lower the starting dose if necessary.
In general you shouldn’t mix drugs, and remember that alcohol is a drug too. Some drugs will increase the effects of alcohol, while others can do the opposite. In any case, going easy on the beer will give you way less of a hangover and lower the risk of unpleasant situations.
No matter how bollixed you are on boxed wine, you really shouldn’t do any drugs that you haven’t heard of. There are a lot of research chemicals going around that may well be legal, but can also be lethal in the wrong dose. Always keep in mind that it is not illegal to be under the influence of any drug in Denmark and that a visit to the hospital might end up being embarrassing whereas an untreated drug overdose might end up being fatal.
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Most common are cocaine, amphetamine and MDMA. They’re often used when dancing for hours on steaming hot dance floors. This poses a risk of dehydration, so it’s vital that you remember to drink a few cups of water hourly when doing stimulants. Also eat well before, since they act as appetite suppressants, and be careful with alcohol as these drugs will counter the feeling of being drunk, but not the effect of alcohol on your body.
If a drug is snorted, the effects will be notable after 10-15 minutes and if you ingest it orally, it will take about 45 minutes, depending on the time and size of your last meal.
The use of stimulants causes smooth muscle contraction. This can result in temporary erectile dysfunction and difficulty reaching an orgasm.Cocaine
The consistency is powder or rock, but high quality cocaine can also come in the shape of long flakes. It sometimes smells like kerosene due to impurities. Cocaine is often adulterated with anaesthetics and all these factors make it hard to tell anything about the quality of the product before use.
Most commonly, cocaine is snorted. A sensible dosage of street cocaine is between 40-60 milligrams.MDMA (Ecstacy)
Often seen as crystals, ideally white, but come in a variety of colours. The crushed crystals or powder sometimes smells sweet and is generally very bitter in taste.
MDMA can be snorted and ingested orally and a sensible dose is 70-100 milligrams that will last about four to six hours after which a strong desire to sleep is usually seen.
Note: A maximum of two doses during a session is recommended. The side effects of MDMA can dramatically increase with repeated dosing. MDMA is often sold 1 gram at a time, but this amount is way too much for a single individual.
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This is mostly a white or yellow powder that is often moist with a potent smell.
Amphetamine is most commonly snorted, but can be ingested orally and a sensible dose is 10-20 milligrams. Purity may vary a lot and as such it’s better to start off low.
The effects of amphetamine generally last longer than those of cocaine and MDMA and in general you should not plan on sleeping within six hours of a dose.PSYCHEDELICS
The effects of psychedelics can vary dramatically depending on set and setting. The term set refers to your own general state of being when you take the drug. If you’re feeling down, it’s generally better to stick with the beer and save the trip for another time.
The term setting refers to your physical setting. With psychedelics it’s paramount that you feel comfortable and safe in your surroundings and this will not equal bone shattering music and mosh-pits for most people. It’s recommended that you take psychedelics with people you trust and feel comfortable around.
Don’t try and fight the effects of the drug but rather to go with the flow. Most psychedelics have a relatively low toxicity so it is unlikely that you have actually been poisoned even though you may feel like it. A visit to the paramedics will often result in more distress.
If a person around you starts feeling uncomfortable during a trip, you should try to calm him/her down by reasoning with the person. Fear is often based on illogical thoughts and it can help a great deal to get a different perspective on things. Do not let the person wander off alone.
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They usually come in the shape of dried mushrooms with size and appearance varying a lot. Mushrooms are chewed and gulped down with a beverage and the dosage depends on the species. The most common species is cubensis (Mexican, Thai, ban hua, golden teacher) and a sensible starting dose is 0,5-1,0 gram.
Spids Nøgenhat is another species that grows in Denmark. A sensible dose of this is 0,5 gram as they are more potent, but appear small and spindly compared to cubensis.
The effects of mushrooms generally last four to seven hours.LSD
Usually sold as small pieces of cardboard (blotters) which have been soaked in a solution of LSD. Sometimes LSD is sold in the form of a solution where one drop corresponds to a dose. A blotter or a drop will usually contain a dose sufficient for a trip and is placed on the tongue for about 15 minutes. The effects of LSD can take up to three hours to develop fully so do not re-dose thinking that you haven’t had enough to begin with. The effects generally last anything from eight to fourteen hours and most people feel a desire to sleep after the effects have worn off.2C-X (2C-B, 2C-C, 2C-I, 2C-C)
Drugs in the 2C-X-family come in the form of white powder or crystals. They are usually very bitter in taste. 2C-X drugs are often sold in premeasured doses in capsules and can be snorted (not recommended) or taken orally. Be careful about proper dosing if you encounter the drug as a powder, which you have to measure out yourself. 2C-X drugs are quite potent and a dosage of about 10 milligrams can be sufficient. The effects of most 2C-X drugs generally last four to six hours.
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Downers usually lead to a feeling of intoxication, sedation and memory loss. This term covers some major groups in pharmaceuticals such as opiates (heroin, morphine, metadone etc.) and benzodiazepines (valium, rohypnol, xanax etc.) but also GHB commonly referred to as Fantasy. Not mixing downers with alcohol (or other downers) is quite important. If you suspect an overdose on downers, a paramedic should be contacted immediately as it can lead to respiratory depression and cardiac arrest.GHB (Gamma-Hydroxy-Butyrate, Fantasy)
GHB is usually sold as a clear solution and the concentration can vary a lot. You drink it and a sensible start dose is impossible to tell unless you know where the GHB comes from. You can’t tell the concentration from the appearance and taking GHB from strangers is really discouraged as there is little difference between the active dose and an overdose. The effects will wear off by two to four hours.
Note: The above factors combined make GHB a particularly dangerous drug to use at concerts or festivals. Please consider whether it’s worthwhile. If you decide to try it however, find someone sober who can keep an eye on you.Benzodiazepines
Benzos are sedatives such as diazepam (valium, stesolid), flunitrazepam (rohypnol) and clonazepam. They are sold as pills in different colours and sizes. They are taken orally with a glass of water in the following dosages: diazepam or valium: 5 milligrams, flunitrazepam: 0,5 milligram and clonazepam: 1 milligram.
Note: Benzodiazepines can sedate you for several days even after a night of sleeping.DISSOCIATIVES
Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic and comes in crystals or white powder and is bitter in taste with little or no smell. This drug is not related to any of the previous categories. In low doses it can lead to clumsiness and a feeling of intoxication and dizziness. In higher doses it becomes more psychedelic often associated with loss of motor skills and inability to move. One should be vary of talking ketamine at concerts as not being able to move can lead to dangerous situations when surrounded by many people. In a safe setting however, ketamine is relatively safe due to its low toxicity.
Ketamine is snorted and a sensible starting dose is 20-40 milligrams. Dosages above 100 milligrams usually lead to total dissociation from the surrounding world accompanied by inability to move and the effect usually lasts about an hour.
Note: It can be dangerous mixing ketamine and alcohol and you shouldn’t take ketamine if you’re drunk. It can lead to severe vomiting and eventually suffocation.