By: Gus Tovar
We are currently seeing an explosion of new drugs, or research chemicals, which are being mass produced all over the world. Research chemicals are, for the most part, a crafty way for people to catch a specific high without having to fear prosecution for possessing a controlled substance. Most people in the medical marijuana community are familiar with synthetic cannabinoids sold as “spice” or “potppuri” at head shops. The purpose of synthetic cannabis is simply to provide the user with a THC-like high. Unfortunately, there are people who, due to lack of safe access, or simply due to ignorance, ingest synthetic cannabis thinking it is as safe to use as the real thing.
Unlike traditional cannabis, “spice” has proven to cause many physical issues which can eventually lead to very severe physical addiction. While cannabis (along with chocolate, pho, cuddling, tacos, and just about anything that feels good) can become psychologically addicting, there is never an actual danger for severe physical withdrawals, which are present with harder drugs such as opiates. A severe case of drug withdrawals is a complete shock to the system which can, unfortunately, lead to death in the worst of cases.
It is truly a shame that our government has created a culture where people fear persecution from law enforcement and their peers, to the point where they are willing to take a technically unknown chemical to reach a high. While all drugs will eventually have some negative effect on your body, we have years and years of research on the traditional drugs, and therefore can perfectly predict our personal outcome if we continue to abuse the drug. With research chemicals, we truly are taking a guess, as most of these drugs are being created and then slightly modified, in order to avoid falling into illegal standing with the DEA or other drug enforcement agencies. There is currently a Federal Analogue Act that aims to make all research chemicals illegal, but we are yet to see their plan make a dent in the markets.
The current marketplace for research chemicals and just about any other drug is quickly moving towards the darknet. The darknet is essentially a heavily encrypted “internet”, while it is accessed through a regular internet connection. There are specific prerequisites needed to enter the sites. The darknet has become a way for people to not only sell drugs, but also trade information. In many parts of the world where internet access is extremely controlled by the government, such as North Korea, and other dictatorship countries. This is the only way people can gather information from outside of their country, or to communicate with outside sources. Most of the daily life accounts we have from countries such as North Korea or Syria (before the fall), has been filtered out through the darknets, something that would have been impossible to do only a decade ago.
With private companies and good citizen coders being miles ahead of the government’s efforts to crack down. Darknet markets have a promising future, especially with bitcoins and other crypto-currencies taking hold all over the globe. While it is fantastic to see an open source currency and open source market offer true anonymity to both sellers and buyers, it does create an interesting supply chain in the current drug world. With the darknet offering extremely cheap research chemicals being mass produced in China, we are seeing many street dealers selling illegitimate chemicals to their clientele since they produce a similar effect. Please remember, always test your drugs before ingesting them.
While the concept of a darknet might sound a bit chaotic and threatening, it does offer freedom of speech to those who have never known it. But most importantly it has offered a way for Psychonauts and other drug enthusiasts to explore new drugs that are becoming part of the “traditional” drug culture. Being able to share experiences with new substances without fear of incrimination has allowed for clandestine research of these new chemicals. Thanks to the darknet we are seeing an explosion of psychedelics such as 2C-B and 4-ACO-DMT along with many of their analogues.
2C-B has been around since the mid 70’s but it has not been until recent years that we have seen an explosion of 2C-B use. With the easy availability of the drug, people can share their research and we can find a safe way to use the chemical. 2C-B is described by many as the love child of alcohol, LSD, and MDMA.
Most people describe the onset of the effects to be felt about 45 minutes after oral ingestion of the chemical. The initial effects are similar to MDMA in the way that skin sensitivity and tactile feelings are extremely enhanced. There is then a very present uplifting mood enhancement which occurs, many people relate this to the social lubrication brought on by alcohol. Lastly, the psychedelic visuals begin to propagate themselves, a special shimmer and meltiness to textures can be seen all over, depending on dosage amounts the visuals can range from slight to overwhelming.
Effects usually last about 6 hours, with a peak around the second hour, the drug can be re-dosed without any buildup of tolerance, like LSD would have. Also, the drug does not cause the “headspace” which would be felt on a traditional Psychedelic, it is very difficult to have a negative trip on the substance. The drug has not proven to be neurotoxic such as MDMA can be. While the chemical has been around for decades, the darknets have put the chemical in the hands of more people allowing for more research. This has all ultimately lead to safer use of the chemical.
4-ACO-DMT is another very popular up and coming research chemical which has been around since the early 60’s. It came from the same company which brought us LSD, Sandoz Ltd. Labs. Albert Hoffman who we can thank for LSD was also involved in the first synthesization of 4-ACO-DMT. This chemical has been described by many as a true substitute for Psychedelic Mushrooms as the chemical is processed into Psilocin by our system, which many of us are familiar with thanks to Psilocybin mushrooms.
The administration of this chemical is also usually through oral form. The chemical takes about 45 minutes to take effect with a peak being felt around 90 minutes into the experience. The effects of the drug are described to mirror those of the familiar Psilocybin mushroom, this means the usual body dopiness and intricate Mayan-like fractals that fill the vision. Unlike 2C-B, 4-ACO-DMT acts as a traditional psychedelic in the sense that it offers a heavy “headspace” which can be deeply altered by the mindset of the user and their physical setting. Some users, however, report that there is a bit of a heavier body load feeling while on the drug, compared to a traditional Psychedelic such as LSD or Mushrooms. Additionally, there is a constant fluctuation of body temperature which can lead to discomfort in inexperienced users. Once again, this is all information which can be backed up by users research thanks to the availability, and anonymity offered by darknets. This information share is something that would have been impossible not too long ago.
All in all, we must understand that we live in a constantly changing world. Every aspect of our environment be it physical or spiritual is in constant fluctuation. The state of the drug world must be carefully watched by those involved within, as it is very easy to get caught up in the wrong crowd with the wrong chemical. Please do your research when looking into trying a new drug, don’t believe that these new alternatives will give you the desired high without any consequence. Just because they are “legal highs”, does not mean they are good for you. Most of the times you will find that it is preferable to stick to the traditional drugs, but there is definitely room for the some new chemicals to bring something new to the table.
Stay Safely Medicated.
