What is LSD?

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a psychedelic drug, which means it can affect all senses, altering a person’s thinking, sense of time and emotions. Psychedelics can cause a person to hallucinate, seeing or hearing things that do not exist or are distorted.

LSD is a synthetic chemical, made from a substance found in ergot, which is a fungus that infects rye (grain).

Sometimes, what is sold as LSD can actually be other chemicals such as NBOMe or the 2C family of drugs (part of the new psychoactive substances). These drugs can be dangerous as their quality is inconsistent, and taking too much can be fatal – with a number of deaths having been reported.

What does Lysergic Acid Diethylamide look like?

In its pure state, LSD is a white odourless crystalline substance. However, Lysergic Acid is so potent it’s often diluted with other materials.

The most common form is drops of LSD solution dried onto gelatine sheets, pieces of blotting paper or sugar cubes, which release the drug when swallowed. LSD is also sometimes sold as a liquid, in a tablet or in capsules.

Other names

Acid, trips, tabs, microdots, dots, Lucy.