If her desription of the type of crystal is accurate than I was doing silver. Late 80s, early 90s was my acid heyday.
In the Bay Area, acid was one drug that was never in short supply, like chinacat said dead shows offered a distribution network for acid through out the rest of country (and world if they were turing internationally). People would sell all kinds of stuff legal and otherwise, N20 baloons, vegie burritos, kind bud, beads, ect that would go on tour with the dead. The main thing is that on "shackdown street" was kind of the main drag or row in the parking lot (people would camp out in the lot the night before depending on venue), but there were all kind of interesting people throughout.
My cousin saw them in the 70s at winterland, SF. After 86' the band became more widely known and began attracting weekend deadheads. However there was a core group, "the family" that followed them around. The main thing is that rip offs were fewer than the average rave. People selling acid then, based on the prices weren't getting rich. According to the DEA, they had trouble infiltrating groups because they were tight knit like China cat alludes to
3 Blows happened in the 90s. Around 91, 92, 93 the DEA sent people deep undercover according to my friend who was on tour for 18 months on and off, and made huge busts- bizarre watching hippies having hippies in handcuffs. 2.) They were armed with new federal laws wereby when they busted you they not only weighed the acid but the vehicle it came in. So for instance if you had a sheet, 1 mg of acid and the paper weighed 3000 mg, you would get busted for 3 g of LSD. People were serving 10 year federal terms for carrying 10-20 hits of acid. 3.) Jerry died and the band stopped touring as the Grateful Dead. This might seem like old info, my point is reading her posts reminded me of the idealism. Sad if profit motive is going to muscle in- its a hard drug to produce, high prices start to mean that the wrong kind of people step in moving in like you aluded to. Still, its a catalyst thats needed to get people out of apathy. Whom ever is handling it.
Towards the end of the scene, alot of dead heads were strung out on dope and other ghetto drugs.
When I went to my first rave in dec 91' there was great E and idealism. Used to look for the guy in the mad hatter hat or such. Best hit was my first rave- white capsule. Had done E several times but context and product- pure, clean, spul purifying. The honeymoon phase but good pills. That burned out fast. When pills started coming around bunk E and dealers with profit motives as paramont motivation moved in on that scene fast. 93-94' the scene was ruined.
But we were getting some oustanding pills in 93' strong and uniform. Before that, one pill would make you puke then you'd go off, another would kick make you want to cuddle but without energy. Another I got I thought was bunk but 1.5 hrs latter I went to sleep and started having significant eyes closed visuals.
But 93-94 or 95, San Diego had lots of good E but the element selling it was organized and more sketchy. As an aside, I went to a dance event in 93 I think were they were selling Nexus (2-CB) at the smart bar. I had taken acid so I didn't try it. Friend that did raved about it (scuse the pun). I had read PIKHAL by then. When I found out what it was I kicked myself.
MDMA seems to induce apathy over time. What about the 2C-X, DO-X, DMT, Mescaline, are there any other psychedelics that can wake up the masses to the Bullshit thats going on around us?
Sorry for redundent info.
Peace, Happy tripping.
But with trully heroic doses of LSD it seems the general consensus ( with sheet plus doses and thumprints) that trips to demensions and states of conciousness- near death experiences, ect... "where no man has gone before" are possible.