The “Gentle” Enticement of Hallucinogens

Some psychedelic substances are taken from wild plants or are cultivated on drug farms. Others are manufactured in illegal laboratories. They come from sources both within and outside the United States.

Much of the domestic street supply of LSD is made in the United States, particularly in the Northwest and Midwest. PCP is produced mainly in Southern California. Ecstasy is produced in large quantities in Belgium and the Netherlands. Increased amounts reportedly are being made by Asian-based drug-trafficking organizations operating in Canada. The U.S. government cooperates closely with Canadian and Mexican agencies to patrol shipments, but the organized trafficking network for illegal substances spans the globe.

Some contraband distributors use agents who transport substances personally from one point in a network to another. They also ship products by parcel post and the U.S. Postal Service. Hallucinogens can be bought over the Internet.

At the consumer end, prices vary widely. LSD may cost five dollars to ten dollars a dose. Ecstasy doses may cost ten dollars to forty dollars at all-night dance parties (raves).