[geeks] Re: Squares, was Re: 4th of july plans

[Beth Roberts]

I (Beth) wrote:
> > There are some interesting substances that are not only legal,
> but easy to
> > procure and reasonably safe (if you inform yourself beforehand and don't
> > fuck around).
> >
> > And at least one is even fun, imho. :)
> >
> And examples of these would be?
>
> - Rob

I was thinking of the one that I had tried myself, dxm (dextromethorphan
hydrobromide). It's the (main) active ingredient in cough syrup. <insert
groans here>

Yes, many people disparage it, which is fine with me - the fewer people who
do it, the longer it will remain legal, frankly. Somewhere I read that only
about a third of the people who try it even like the effects - the other two
thirds either dislike the effects or don't feel them.

I found out about it originally via the Dextromethorphan FAQ, which is a
long well-researched document about it. It's got lots of info about the
dangers and effects and so on, and should be read intently by anyone who
wants to experiment with it, imho.

Now, granted, I'm a person who managed to screw things up and take a dose
that was effectively way beyond a "meet the aliens dose". Not sure what to
call it - maybe a "go completely fucking loony dose". But, truly, I didn't
realize the danger at the time. Still, it was my fault.

Anyway, I started doing the stuff back in 1994 or so, when I was quite
depressed. It gave me a bit of relief from that, and I continued to do it
intermittently afterwards. At least until the big fuckup, that is. Overall,
I think it expanded my mind and added to my quality of life. Your mileage
will almost undoubtedly vary.

I don't advocate that anyone do it, just pointing out that it exists, and
it's an option for people who don't want to do something overtly illegal.

The FAQ is at:

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dxm/faq/dxm_faq.shtml

-Beth
p.s. Drinking the syrup isn't required - there are recipes for extracting
the powder from the syrup using household chemicals (I have done this
successfully myself), or you can buy it from certain suppliers online as
straight powder (these can be a little tricky to find out about - they like
to keep a rather low profile).