Safer Research Chemical User's Guide

[illuminati boy]

Tractatus Investigationis Chemici
(Handling of Research Chemicals)

Being a semi brief but concise treatise on the safer and more responsible investigation of the compounds commonly referred to as ‘Research Chemicals.’

Fraters Illuminati Boy, Et Al.



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Disclaimer:
The information herein presented has been created to assist in promoting harm reduction relating to the investigation of so-called ‘Research Chemicals.’ Nothing in this document should be construed as an enticement to violate the laws of your land. Nothing in this document is meant to imply that ‘Research Chemicals’ are in any way ‘safe’ or ‘legal;’ as the former is a relative judgment even when sufficient data is available and the latter is usually predicated on the variable of one’s particular location in space-time. All of the information for this treatise was based on theoretical conjecture rather than empirical research. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or cause anything that might be misconstrued as a disease by Health Canada, the FDA, or the WHO.
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INDEX:

Title Page
Disclaimer
Index
Very Basic Information
Inquiring After More Information
Deciding Whether to Become a Researcher
Acquiring Compounds to Research
Testing / Verifying Compounds
Ways of Measuring Out Doses
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Dosing, but Were Afraid to Ask
Reporting (AKA Everybody Run Here Comes SWIM!)
Distributing
Risk / Benefit Reevaluation
Some Required Reading
Some Additional Resources
Discussion
Appendix A: Shulgin Rating Scale.
Appendix B: DOSRS Rating Scale.

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[illuminati boy]

Very Basic Information

Very Basic Information:


The compounds commonly referred to as ‘Research Chemicals’ are simply chemicals that have not been researched very much. They usually have a limited (or in some cases non-existent) history of human ingestion. While usually the moniker refers to compounds from PiHKAL and TiHKAL and their progeny, a research chemical may be an inert compound, a stimulant, a depressant, a psychedelic, an empathogen, a toxin, or even a cutting edge prototype pharmaceutical agent. The compounds referred to as ‘Research Chemicals’ really do not necessarily have anything in common with each other beyond humanity’s general ignorance about them, their effects, and their safety (both short and long-term). Each ‘Research Chemical’ is a unique arrangement of atoms and is really not ‘the same as’ any other chemical legal, illegal, safe, or dangerous. ‘Research Chemicals’ certainly ARE NOT “Legal LSD,” “Safer Ecstasy,” “Synthetic Mushrooms,” or “Herbal Anything.”

Before reading any further in this treatise you are strongly encouraged to at least familiarize yourself with Erowid’s Research Chemicals FAQ if you have not dose so already. It is a brief Q&A overview of the basics. It can be found at: http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/research_chems/research_chems_faq.shtml

Also, please read the entire treatise before making any decisions about possibly investigating any ‘Research Chemicals.’ In fact, please find out everything you can about ‘Research Chemicals’ before making any decisions on the matter. Research the topic as if you and your research monkeys’ physical health, mental health, and life depended on it… as they may!

 

[illuminati boy]

Inquiring After More Information

Inquiring After More Information:


Giving information about all or even most of the compounds considered ‘Research Chemicals’ is far beyond the scope of this treatise as there are many hundreds if not many thousands of them. Luckily there is some degree of information available about many of the more commonly researched compounds. This section will discuss how you may acquire additional information about ‘Research Chemicals’ generally or about certain compounds in particular.

It is possible that you may be able to find out information about various compounds from; doing internet searches, talking with associates who are knowledgeable about the subject, from suppliers, from drug discussion forums, drug information libraries such as Erowid.org, medical journals, chemistry journals, PiHKAL, TiHKAL, and even academic conferences. Not all sources of information are equal and that is especially true of this topic. It is possible that even competent medical doctors, psychologists, or pharmacists are quite ignorant about the particulars of ‘Research Chemicals;’ so it is very unlikely that your friends, associates, or local area dealer will know much of use on the topic.

Probably the best starting place would be either PiHKAL or TiHKAL if it is a compound contained in either book. One could then perform lit searches if looking for scientific data or try searching Erowid or one of the larger / more popular internet drug forums if you were looking for a description of phenomenological / experiential effects in man. One could try using public law searches to see if any of the compounds might be covered by existing laws or if your country has something like an ‘Analog Act’ or ‘Catch Most Act’ prohibiting the ingestions of compounds for psychoactive effects.

Also, one will need to acquire much more information beyond just which chemicals might do what to whom and in which doses… one will need to seriously investigate resources to better educate themselves about how psychoactive compounds work in organisms and how drugs are administered and metabolized. Be prepared to do at least some reading on basic chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacy, psychopharmacology, nursing techniques, and scientific balances in addition to educating oneself about all that is known about a given compound.

Generally speaking PiHKAL, TiHKAL, and journal articles in peer-reviewed publications should be considered to be accurate with a fairly high degree of confidence (though they are by no means perfect, and your research can always produce idiosyncratic / unexpected results).

Erowid.org generally is a fairly decent resource, but many of the individuals who post ‘trip reports’ about first person experiences with various drugs do so anonymously. If someone posts they took 100 mg. of compound XY-Z it may in fact be true or it could be a hoax. Further their biochemistry may be such that the dosage they related may not be typical of a survivable dosage for others. Also, many persons ingesting compounds unfortunately do not really know what they are ingesting and do not really measure with any real degree of accuracy, so that report of 100 mg. of XY-Z could easily have in fact been 50 mg. of some other compound entirely. Lastly, the reports on Erowid may be biased toward the very glowing and/or the very horrific… after all not as many people are apt to take the time to sit down and write a detailed report about a blasé experience.

Internet drug discussion forums begin to have a much poorer signal / noise ratio compared to the above. If you ‘hang out’ for a while at one of the discussion boards, it will start to become obvious who the more knowledgeable persons are. The discussions really run the gamut from teenagers who think LSD crystallizes in your spine, smoking toilet paper will get you high, and other such nonsense to persons who are clearly very well educated in chemistry, psychopharmacology, perceptual psychology, and/or the medical arts. Some of the discussion boards require entrance essays to keep the discussion higher brow, while others may have specific boards dedicated to focus discussion about scholarly articles or ‘Research Chemicals’ in particular. If every other post is asking a very basic question or is someone trying to get people to tell them where to acquire chemicals at, it is probably a good idea to look for a board with a higher caliber of discussion. Needless to say, any posts on any of the drug forums (no matter how sophisticated or high brow) should be taken with a grain of salt. Some persons may be posting exaggerated doses with the mistaken thought that doing so will make them look cool or hardcore, when really their false bravado only serves to convey their ignorance and/or stupidity, while putting the credulous at risk. Also even if the dosage posted is accurate, it may well be the case that they are currently taking other medications, have built up a tolerance to the compound due to frequent use, or just got lucky after taking a dose that could have possibly killed them. Again any dosages posted on drug forums should be carefully scrutinized and not just taken verbatim.

Probably the least reliable source of information would be either your relatively uneducated friends or a street level dealer. Your friends (unless say they have a background in medical science, chemistry, psychology, pharmacology, or have very thoroughly researched this topic themselves) likely know very little on the topic of ‘Research Chemicals.’ Much of what they may ‘know’ may be an amalgam of 3rd hand stories, internet chartroom hype, and drug war propaganda. Possibly a just as bad or even worse place to turn would be a street level dealer. While it is possible that they may have some information about various compounds, it may be biased toward hype and/or minimization of possible negative effects. In at least one instance (in Japan) a street vendor was reportedly distributing 2C-T-7 saying “this is like acid” “eat, sniff OK.” This was well after 2C-T-7 was known to have been implicated in deaths from insufflations. The compound was apparently being distributed without warnings about possible risks and ways to minimize them. The moral of the story, be very critical of any information you come across and double or triple check before any consideration of researching.

 

[illuminati boy]

Deciding Whether to Become a Researcher

Deciding Whether to Become a Researcher:


So you have read up on some of the compounds referred to as ‘Research Chemicals,’ you have brushed up on your basic chemistry and biology, and you have started to seriously study what you can in the area of psychopharmacology. You have read up on your local laws and you have checked your bank balances. You are now ready to sit down and do an educated risk / benefit analysis. Only you can decide what an acceptable/manageable level of risk is. Below are some focus questions that you should consider.

Legal / Residential:

In many parts of the world non-institutional / non-approved research in psychoactive drugs can get you in a lot of trouble. The situation currently with regard to non-sanctioned direct research into the human mind is very much like the situation with regard to the non-sanctioned research into the human body and other sciences that occurred 500 years ago. During that time the Church and many principalities had taboos and prohibitions about direct examination of human corpses. Medical schools would often have to hire lookouts to keep watch when a dissection was about to take place. Some schools even had trap doors installed that would allow the bodies to be quickly cached in the event of a ‘bust.’ As late as the late 1500’s / 1600’s “calculing” (calculating) was considered sorcery and books on the subject were burned by the Tudor authorities. Looking through Galileo’s telescope was feared to cause the viewer to be deluded or go crazy. Johannes Kepler had to frequently move in order to find the optimal political environment in which to conduct his research. In short, doing research outside of mainstream sensibilities has historically been risky business. It is no less so today.

Some questions to consider:

What are the current laws regarding various ‘Research Chemicals’ and their possession in my home country?

Am I willing to move to another country/state/province/municipality that has more favorable laws regarding such research?

How negatively would my life be impacted by an arrest? (Would it result in loss of employment? Would paying for legal representation bankrupt you? Could you loose professional licenses and the like? Etc.)

How negatively would my life be impacted by a conviction / serving time in prison?

Are you ready to flush your chemicals, burn your journal, and drill your hard drive at a moment’s notice?

Physical Health:

If you are considering self-experimentation you must consider how physically fit you are. Do you have any heart/cardiac concerns that could be exacerbated if you took a stimulant or had a panic reaction? How is your blood pressure? How bothered are you by smoke or dust (if you are considering pyrolyzing or insufflating compounds)? Do you have any seizure disorders? Do you know if you have an abnormal liver that may complicate how drugs are metabolized in vivo? Do you have multiple allergies? Do you have any metabolic disorder? Do you have any rare, unusual, or named after your family illnesses of any kind? Does the thought of taking a few flights of stairs give you pause? How many years do you think experimenting with ‘Research Chemicals’ might add or take away from your life?

Mental Health:

If you are possibly considering self-experimentation you must take into account how mentally stable and psychologically healthy you are at the present time. Have you ever had treatment for any psychological, psychiatric, or substance use problems? Do you have an ‘addictive personality?’ Do you have a family history that is positive for mental illness, suicide, alcoholism, or ‘nervous breakdowns?’ How well do you handle or react to stressful situations? How well do you react to novel situations? Are you open to questioning your fundamental personal, philosophical, and religious beliefs? Do you get angry easily? Do you get anxious often? Do you fear loss of control?

Social Risk / Embarrassment:

What would happen if your family found out you were ‘using drugs?’ What would your neighbors or community do if information got out about your research? Would your family disown you if you were charged with a crime? Do you embarrass easily? Do you react poorly to humiliation? How much do you care about what others think of you?

Economic Issues:

Becoming seriously involved with ‘Research Chemicals’ can run into the thousands of dollars. At a minimum there is the procuring of the compounds themselves which can be costly, especially if one is getting a very obscure compound or having a custom synthesis done. If you are going to research these compounds you will want to get a balance capable of accurately measuring to the 1-2 mg. range or better. These scales can sometimes be found cheaply by bargain shopping at internet auction and science resale sites, but be prepared to spend a minimum of $100 or considerably more in order to acquire a scale sufficiently accurate and precise. Depending on how seriously you are taking your research you may want to consider investing in a blood pressure cuff, EpiPen, and possibly some other research accoutrements.

Time Issues:

This is not an endeavor for the cavalier or impatient. If you are seriously interested in investigating these compounds you should be willing to spend time in learning as much as you can about them specifically and the actions of drugs and the human nervous system generally. Just the education piece can take a considerable amount of time if you do not already have a grounding in chemistry, psychology, pharmacology, or medicine. It can also take some time to titrate up on dosing so as to be safe. Further, some of the compounds may last over 24 hours and/or have significant after-effects. Unless you have some disposable time on your hands investigating ‘Research Chemicals’ may not be for you.

 

[illuminati boy]

Acquiring Compounds to Research

Acquiring Compounds to Research:


While this treatise will not discuss any specific locations of where to procure any of the so called ‘Research Chemicals,’ it will discuss some of the general categories of places that have been reportedly distributing them in the past.

In the past ‘Research Chemicals’ were sold from the United States through various web based businesses. The compounds were fairly openly sold and were generally of fairly high quality. In July 2004 a number of these vendors were raided by the DEA (US Drug Enforcement) and their owners and operators charged under US Analog Laws. Some of the indictments specifically listed 5-MeO-DMT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-DiPT, and 4-AcO-DiPT as analogues. In Japan some of the compounds appear to still be legal and may still be sold there by either street vendors or in clubs. Reportedly 2C-I was showing up in pills in Europe and 2C-C has reportedly been found on large blotter papers. It is also always possible that true researchers may be synthesizing compounds themselves or ordering custom commercial syntheses in countries where doing so is legal.

Anything that comes from a commercial lab complete with analysis etc. will probably be of the highest quality one can reasonably expect, though it would be wise to have the purity/composition independently verified. If one is capable of doing a precise synthesis on their own it could yield fairly reliable results… but if one is capable of this level of sophistication already they probably would not be reading this treatise. Probably the least likely to be pure/actually what is being advertised would be a street level dealer sold pill. Who knows what might be in there.

Even if certain compounds are still legal (or not illegal) in the country where you are doing research, it may be the case that chemical or research supply houses will be leery of selling to non-institutional researchers or producing compounds that may conceivably be ‘toeing the line’ even if not explicitly proscribed.
Ordering compounds from other countries presents a range of problems. Even if they are legal, should they be searched by customs / border security they may likely be seized even if no chargers are brought as little packages containing powders and pills tends to get the attention of customs officials. Arranging payment in foreign lands can sometimes present a problem. It may be difficult to arrange on a mutually agreeable payment option or it may be difficult to ascertain a foreign company’s reputability if one does not speak the native language or have business contacts there. There is also something to be said about the different forms of payment that may be accepted. Cash / International Money Order can be quite anonymous, but there is little ability trace it should it vanish. Wire transfer definitely confirms receipt, but kind of seems like something out of a 80’s cop show ‘Yes please wire money to the following account in Switzerland… its for um a Swedish penis enlarger yea that’s it…’

 

[illuminati boy]

Testing / Verifying Compounds

Testing / Verifying Compounds:


Some companies that were willing to do syntheses in the past may have been willing to get an independent lab to assay the final yield. Some countries have harm reduction services that may be able to provide some testing of compounds, though most of these probably will not be to the exacting standards that would be ideal. Even if a company is fairly reputable and say provides lab assays and an MSDS with their shipment, it is always possible that human error could have come into play. One only need read some of the forums to find out about chemical mix-ups. Probably best to have a trusted friend who is a chemistry geek skilled in chromatography.

If the compound is in something like a pill, blotter, etc. it may be harder to verify contents or rule-out it containing additional active materials.

 

[illuminati boy]

Ways of Measuring Out Doses

Ways of Measuring Out Doses:


There are myriad ways of measuring doses… but all of them begin with you ordering a scale that is AT LEAST accurate to +/- 2mg. That is +/- .002 grams or better.
A .1 g scale and eyeballing will nowhere near cut it. If this presents a problem either financially or practically, you may as well stop reading right now and pack up and go home. A new scale accurate to +/- 1-2 mg. can be had for around $100, very accurate scientific balances can be found new in the $250 ballpark. It is also possible that you may be able to find older pharmacy balances, scientific scales, gem scales, etc. that may be accurate to the sub-milligram range for a very reasonable price at either an online auction site, scientific instrument reseller, or at an antique store. In any event you will want to secure a good set of calibration weights, which can probably be located at any of the aforementioned places. You may also be able to get a cheap 5 g mass by simply locating a mint condition US nickel (they should weigh exactly 5.000 g).

With your scale you should be able to measure higher dose compounds ( > 100 mg. ) with effectively perfect accuracy. You should be able to measure compounds in the 50 mg. range with very good accuracy. And you should be able to measure compounds in the 20 mg. range with sufficient accuracy. Any of these weights can be measured outright. Below 20 mg. you may need a tare in order to get the scale to read accurately. For doses at or below 10 mg. you are probably going to want to use some sort of volumetric measurement. If you have a compound that is highly soluble in either water or alcohol, you can use a volumetric measurement. The procedure would be to measure out say 50 mg. or 100 mg. of the substance and dissolve it in say 1 liter (1,000 ml) of water. Once fully dissolved the compound could then be quite accurately dosed. In the example of 100 mg. / 1,000 ml of water, lets say you want to dose as close to 5.5 mg. as possible. If you measured your 100 mg. on a +/- 2 mg. scale you know that you have a mass of 98 – 102 mg. dissolved in the water. If you were to precisely remove 55 ml from the solution, it should contain 5.39 – 5.61 mg. of the original mass that was dissolved. You dose would be off by about 110 micrograms (110 millionths of a gram!) at most. While this example is ideal, it should serve to show that very accurate measurements can be made provided you start with a good scale and accurate measurements.

When using water it is best to use distilled water as it should contain almost nothing other than H2O. Tap water could have all sorts of minerals or fluorine that may interact with any compounds stored in solution. When using alcohol, try to use pure ethanol though in practice you might want to use a much smaller volume so as not to get intoxicated off the alcohol. Depending on the volume used, accurate measurements could be made by household teaspoon / ml measures dedicated to that purpose or a small syringe with ml markings.

Never assume that the amount of compound you may have been sent is exactly as stated. It could easily be off by 100% or more. In practice it may also be a good idea to measure a mass 5-10 times and take the average as the result could ‘jump around’ a few mg. sometimes. When measuring out compounds, try to be as clean as possible. You do not want say your kitchen counter covered in chemicals… it could lead to some overly interesting ham sandwiches for lunch!

Always label correctly! If you are using some sort of volumetric measurement, you want to make damn sure that no one will possible mistake it for ordinary water or alcohol. While this should probably go without saying, make sure to keep all chemicals out of the reach or access of children and animals.

Since we are on the topic of storage, let’s talk compound stability. Compound stability really does vary, from some compounds that are quite stable to those that are very susceptible to oxidation and/or heat. Some compounds in the phenethylamine family are probably quite stable and short of being exposed to very extreme conditions, will remain so for decades or considerably longer. Some 4th position tryptamines appear very susceptible to oxidation and/or may be quite hygroscopic. A good way to keep all of your compounds around for a long while will be to store them in amber glass vials in a deep freezer. This will keep most compounds around for a good while. Ways to improve on this method of storage would be to store the compounds in an inert, non-reactive gas. While such gasses abound, carbon dioxide is one that is readily available and cheap. If you want to be a purist about how clean your gas is (as CO2 can be quite dirty in bulk availability), there are some computer dust guns that run on clean CO2 chargers. Simply acquire these chargers and build a device to crack them and let the gas out at VERY low speed (otherwise you have a powdery mess on your hands). Filling up the glass containers with CO2 may reduce unwanted oxidation. Further sealing the container itself in an vacuum seal wrap may also help. If compounds are stored in this manner, they will likely be good for many years. Some of them could actually well outlive you!

 

[illuminati boy]

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Dosing, but Were Afraid to Ask

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Dosing, but Were Afraid to Ask:


Am I Allergic?

Many people have drug allergies and it is not unreasonable to assume that you may have an allergy for a compound that has not coexisted with humanity for any evolutionarily appreciable period of time. The trick is how do you find out if you have an allergy or other idiosyncratic reaction to a new compound without being exposed to it? Well unless you are an professional allergist or have a very trusted friend who is one, the odds are you will have to take the compound and see. There certainly are safer ways to do this. This treatise will outline one for water soluble compounds.

Measure out approximately 5 mg. of your material (this does not have to be overly exact as long as it is fairly close to 5 mg., really anywhere from 2-10 mg. is fine). Dissolve your 5 mg. in 1 liter of distilled water and allow to go into solution. Your solution should now have a concentration of approximately 5 µg. / ml. Measure out 1 ml of water and hold it in your mouth for 5-10 minutes to see if any reaction occurs. If not swallow and wait 1 hour to see if any reaction occurs. If no reaction has occurred, repeat the same operation with 2 ml of water. At the end of that hour repeat with 5 ml of water. This can continue along until you reach a level where you are satisfied that you will not have an extreme anaphylactic reaction. Ideally you probably would want to go up to about 1/10th of an active dose or so. The amount required to do this will of course depend on the compound in question and its presumed active dose.

Routes of Ingestion / Administration:

Without getting into some of the really unusual methods of drug administration (intrathecally etc.), there are really only about a dozen methods of getting a drug into the body. Probably only about 8 of which are pertinent to the discussion of Research Chemical investigation. Still further, only about ½ of those will likely be used with any real regularity.

In discussing administration, some persons prefer the Enteral / Parenteral distinction. In short Enteral administration involves absorption through the GI Tract / Intestine / alimentary canal (i.e. mouth to gut to butt). Parenteral is pretty much every other method of introducing a drug into man, but generally is used to refer to IM, IV, and SC routes of administration which can be very potent routes of administration depending on the drug in question. We will discuss each of the major dozen or so routes of administration and some possible Pros & Cons.

Enteral Routes: Through the GI Tract / Alimentary Canal.

Orally: Simply put oral ingestion is just putting the compound in a gel cap or liquid and swallowing. It is usually the most convenient and least dangerous route of taking a drug. This is probably the route that most drugs should be taken do to its relative safety in comparison with some other routes that will be discussed below. When a drug is administered orally, some of the absorption may begin in the mouth or stomach, but a large portion of the absorption may ultimately take place in the small intestine. In the case of absorption in the small intestine, the drug will go through the liver before it actually enters the bloodstream. Much of the drug may be metabolized before it even reaches the bloodstream and further distribution throughout the body. This is why higher doses are often required with oral ingestion than with other routes. The Pros for Oral Dosing are that it is usually the safest route of ingestion, it is pretty easy to manage, and the effects are more gradual in onset. The Cons for Oral Dosing are that it may require more of a compound to be ingested, effects may be altered by recent eating, it may be more likely to cause nausea than some other routes, it may also aggravate the stomach lining depending on how abrasive the compound is etc., and it may cause effects to last longer. Generally speaking Oral Dosing is probably the most common dosing method and should always be tried first before moving on to other Enteral or Parenteral routes.

Sublingually (SL): Sublingual absorption just means ‘under the tongue.’ When a drug is placed under the tongue it can be absorbed by small blood vessels that are present just under the tongue. The dose required is often much lower than an oral dose as the drug will rapidly enter the bloodstream without first going through the liver. A good example of a drug that is commonly taken sublingually is Salvia Divinorum. One could take relatively high doses of the plant orally with little or no effect. While one can get pronounced effects by simply switching to sublingual absorption. The Pros with this method are that less of a compound is needed to achieve effects or that it may make certain compounds active that might not realistically be so by simple oral ingestion. The Cons are that you may have to hold foul tasting compounds in your mouth for sometime and that the drug may be only partially absorbed (dosing can be a bit erratic).

Rectally (Suppository): Rectal administration is simply what it says. In practice one can stick a gel cap a few inches back in or go with using a liquid solution. The rectum has a very good supply of blood vessels and allows for very easy absorption. Depending on the compound it may make for a much more efficient/potent method of administration or it could be about the same strength as taking a compound orally. For compounds that are pretty readily absorbed this way, it can easily lead to a 200-300% increase in potency when compared with taking a compound orally. There may also be a reduction in nausea. The disadvantages are that this method can cause irritation and can strike people as a bit disgusting. If the compound is in a solution, one may feel like they have to defecate. Onset is usually faster via this route. For many it is a preferable alternative to Parenteral routes of administration.


Parenteral Routes: Not through the GI Tract / Enteral Routes.

Intravenously (IV): Intravenous administration is by far the most potent route of administration and likely the most dangerous route of those being discussed here. I.V. administration will often lead to the most rapid onset of effect and highest peak plasma levels. When a drug is administered intravenously it not only avoids a first pass through the liver, but also avoids any diffusion through membranes etc. The drug goes immediately and directly into the bloodstream. The dangers associated with this route are that it may put one at risk due to such a high peak plasma level. It also may pose a risk if someone miscalculates dosage based on previous experiences by other methods of drug ingestion (especially enteral routes). Further, unless one is skilled at venipuncture or giving IVs etc., one can possibly dammage their veins while attempting this route of administration. Also, unless one is capable of practicing sterile techniques, there is the very real risk of acquiring an infection. Still furhter, for some people who are obese or have ‘small veins’ the challenge will be greater. There are some advantages to this route: an exactly known quantaty of drug can be delivered to the bloodstream, the least ammount of drug is usually needed in order to achieve effects, and overall duration can be considerably shorter than most other routes of adminstration. Still, unless you really know what you are doing here, you should probably avoid this route.

Intramuscularly (IM): Intramuscular administration can be a very potent form of administration for many drugs. While it may be slightly less potent or rapid than IV administration, for many drugs there will not be a very large difference (though for some others there may be a marked difference between the two!). The procedure here is usually to either inject in the upper arm area, thigh, or buttock. Actual speed of absorption and onset could vary along a range of personal factors. IM is a very potent route of administration and again should only be attempted if you really know what you are doing and are assured of sterile conditions/tools. It is usually easier to manage in practice than IV.

Subcutaneously (SC): Subcutaneous administration means ‘under the skin.’ In this method a drug is injected into the fatty tissues just under the skin. This route may be less effective or less useful if larger amounts of a drug are being injected. This route can still lead to greatly increased drug potency relative to the enteral routes as the GI tract and first pass metabolism are still both bypassed.

Other? Routes: Depending on your preferences these could be ‘Parenteral’ or ‘Other.’

Insufflated (Snorted): Intranasal insufflation of a drug is when it is inhaled through the nose and absorbed in that fashion. Insufflating a drug can speed onset and serve as a very potent non-needle method of taking a drug. Considerably less of a drug will be needed to be consumed when it is insufflated. This is not to say that insufflation is a ‘safe’ alternative to IVing a compound. In fact, insufflation of 2C-T-7 and other compounds has lead to some severe abreactions up to and including death. Insufflating a compound is potent and that can cut two ways. Insufflation can also cause some irritation or possible damage to the epithelial tissues that line the nasal cavities. How much the ‘burn’ or ‘drip’ is an issue will vary from drug to drug. Some research chemicals have been reported to cause only minimal discomfort, while for others the ‘burn’ has reportedly been quite unbearable. Frequent or semi-frequent utilization of the insufflation method could result in nose bleeds or other similar nasal complaints. Also, with some compounds the rapid onset of effects by this route will make vomiting much more likely for some.

Smoked/Vaporized: Vaporizing chemical material is a little different than smoking plant material. When smoking plant material, it is usually burned and the constituents are delivered in the smoke. When working with pure compounds the trick is not to burn the compound itself, but to vaporize it. Usually the freebase form of the compound is most amenable to being vaporized. This method usually leads to a very rapid onset of effects and usually requires only a minimal amount of drug. Interestingly, some compounds show little increase in potency in comparison to oral dosing when pyrolized. While this is probably not true of most compounds, there are some outliers out there.

Vaginally: Yes Virginia, it is possible to take some drugs vaginally. If a drug is active by this route, it is slowly absorbed through the vaginal wall. There was an interesting report posted on Erowid some years back that described 8 women (ages 24-42) experimenting with a range of compounds by this method. The compounds they investigated included LSD, 2C-B, MDMA, Ketamine, & Xanex. In all cases the effects appeared to be reduced from that of oral administration. Still some of the drugs were indeed active by this route.

Ocular Instillation (Eye Drops): While it is probably a very bad idea to attempt ocular instillation with an largely untested compound (even one that has proved relatively safe orally), it is a possible route of administration for some drugs. In addition the usual concerns related to ingestion of a little known psychotropic compound, there will also need to be some attention paid to the physical properties of the compound. If the compound is in any way abrasive, it could do real damage to the cornea; or at the very least hurt a great deal. Corneal abrasions or ulcers are reportedly bad news. Again while it is possible that some agents may indeed be active by this route, best to skip using it.

Topical (Cutaneous / On the Skin Locally): While this will likely not apply to ‘Research Chemicals’ that are generally of interest, it is always possible that a compound could have local topical activity. We probably wont be seeing any 2C series derived ointments anytime soon though.

Transdermal (Through the Skin Globally): It is possible to deliver drugs throughout the body by means of transdermal absorption. Common examples of this would the nicotine patch or the birth control patch. Some pain medications and other drugs are also commonly available in transdermal patch form. The trick here is that most ‘Research Chemicals’ probably will not be active through the skin on their own. You would need to come up with some way of making them capable of transdermal activity. It may be tricky, but it is at least theoretically possible to do so.

Still Other Dosing Methods: There are some other possible alterations or combinations of compounds that may be used in dosing. One possible option is to use a MAOI to potentiate a compound that is otherwise only weakly active orally. This has been done with DPT, DMT, & 5-MeO-DMT among others. One better know what they are doing if they are planning on attempting this as it is quite possible to die as a result of taking an MAOI with the wrong drug. There are some MAOI resources and FAQs already available on the net. Some people have reported employing ion exchange resin to extend the duration of short-acting compounds or cyclodextrins to improve absorption. These and other such techniques are probably not for the novice researcher.

How Should I Titrate Doses?

Titration should begin with trying to find any available information about a compound that one can. If the compound is one of the compounds from PiHKAL or TiHKAL or if there are reports on Erowid or other similar sites, it is likely that some information about dosing will be available. If the compound is truly novel, there may be little or no dosing information whatsoever.

For Compounds with Some Dosing Information: First rule out allergic / idiosyncratic reaction. After having ruled out extreme sensitivity, it would be prudent to start at a dose no greater than lowest reported active dose. If one is particularly sensitive to certain related compounds (i.e. phenethylamines, 4th position tryptamines, 5-MeO compounds, etc.) it may even be prudent to start at ½ of the lowest reportedly active dose. From there it might be wise to increase doses no more that 50% of your initial reference dose. In compounds that may have a reputation for having a marked dose/response curve (2C-E being notable in this regard) it may be wise to proceed in increments closer to 10-20% of the initial reference dose. In compounds that may have had deaths reported in doses not greatly above their effective range, one may want to seriously consider avoiding any involvement with them whatsoever. When in doubt, start low and go slow.

For Compounds with Scarce Dosing Information or No History of Human Use: If you are working with a truly cutting edge compound EXTREME caution should be used. Depending on the amount of data available it may be advisable to start as low as 5-10 µg. or lower and slowly work up from there. The compound you are working with may be relatively benign or it may be a potent neurotoxin… who knows! Before becoming involved in any experimentations along these lines, you will want to minimally have read all of the works by Dr. Shulgin as he outlines some the procedures he used to minimize risk while experimenting with unknown compounds. You also want to minimally have some sort of related specialist training in this area (chemistry, pharmacology, research psychology, medicine, etc.). Dilettantes need not apply! Bear in mind that some compounds that have been commercially available (5-MeO-DALT, 5-MeO-DPT, and 2C-B-FLY for instance) may have been fairly widely available before 100 people had ingested them. Such compounds should pretty much be treated as if starting from scratch. In any case be watchful for signs of numbing, tingling, or ‘pins and needles’ type feelings in the extremities possibly indicative of neuropathy. Severe vomiting, tremors, or seizure/preseizure indications should be taken very seriously. When in doubt, halt experimentation with any questionable compounds. No data point is worth taking senseless risks.

How Often Should I Dose?


This is a question that will vary based on the compound in question, its effects, duration, your personal comfort level, and your periodic reevaluations of your safety criteria. At a bare minimum you should not dose any sooner than 3 days apart. A better dosing strategy would be to wait at least 2 weeks between doses. Some of the compounds you might encounter could have long half-lives and could accumulate if you are dosing frequently. If you are regularly using the same compound, you may want to periodically examine your usage levels and pay careful attention to any possible signs of physical or psychological dependence.


What’s the Story on Combinations?


Combining 2 relatively unknown compounds is only multiplying the uncertainty factor. There are many examples where both drug A and drug B are fairly safe and tolerable drugs when taken individually, but could lead to serious complications and/or death if combined. In the world of ‘Research Chemicals,’ there appear to have been several deaths from 2C-T-7 in combination with other agents. It could very well be the case that one research chemical could drastically potentiate another when used in combination. If you are considering embarking on any combinations there are few bare minimums you will want to follow. You will minimally want to be familiar with the effects of both compounds in a wide range of doses. You will minimally want to start with ¼ of an active dose of each (or less) for your first attempt at combination. You will want to pay close attention to any unusual side-effects that appear distinct from previous experiences with either agent. It would probably be best practice to treat each combination as if it were a new and untested compound that is being researched for the first time.

Shit! Should I go to the hospital?


This is a tough topic, but it is one that you might want to put some thought into before experimenting with any ‘Research Chemicals.’ It is best to work out some guidelines ahead of time while you are sober and able to better appreciate and weigh risks. If the compound in question were something along the lines of LSD, and you could pretty much be assured of the compound’s physical safety, you could easily adopt a policy of ‘never call 911’ and simply try to ‘ride it out’ or abort with self-administered benzodiazepines. With ‘Research Chemicals’ the situation is less clear. Persons have died from ingesting research chemicals. So physical safety is in no ways assured. If dealing with a newer compound, it may be hard to predict how a benzodiazepine or antipsychotic will interact with the compound. It could mitigate effects, or it could amplify them (not likely, but it has been known to have happened with some benzodiazepines, possibly more likely with Ativan (Lorazepam)). One of the advantages of having a trusted, sober, sitter on hand is that you have someone whom you can make prearrangements with. You can say specify that if loss of consciousness, breathing problems, change in color etc. occur call 911 and if you are just having a rough time psychologically to leave you alone, etc. Hopefully the allergy test will help rule out serious problems unless taking uncharted doses/combination, though again there is no guarantee. ( It might not be a bad idea to investigate acquiring an EpiPen as a possible tool to deal with abreactions that might occur in allergy testing.) One of the problems with ‘Research Chemicals’ is that the medical staff at an ER may have no knowledge whatsoever on what the best course of treatment might be. That is not to say that there is nothing that they can do. They can certainly work to get your temperature down, treat convulsions, force feed you active charcoal, or shock your heart back into rhythm if need be.

 

[illuminati boy]

Reporting (AKA Everybody Run Here Comes SWIM!)

Reporting (AKA Everybody Run Here Comes SWIM!):


As there is little actual clinical data about ‘Research Chemicals,’ much of the information is driven by personal accounts and ‘Trip Reports’ (TRs). Most of this data is posted to Erowid or on internet discussion boards that discuss psychoactive drugs and ‘Research Chemicals.’ Some information has also been posted in semiunderground publications like The Entheogen Review or similar publications. This information, when accurately relayed, can help warn other researchers of potential hazards or inform them of possible dosing ranges. Given the nature of this type of research there are several things that need to be considered before posting any experiences or data.

To Post or Not To Post?
Given that some of the compounds you might be researching could be illegal, taboo, potentially dangerous, or all of the above; you will want to consider the ramifications of any posts or articles you might author. If you are in a country where the research you are conducting is illegal or potentially illegal, your reports could possibly come back to haunt you. They could serve as possible indications of intent or admissions to crimes. Even if you do not get in any legal trouble, if any of the details make your identity obvious, it could in some way come back to potentially embarrass you or get you in trouble at work or with your family or community. The real advantage in accurately communicating information about ‘Research Chemicals’ is that it may help other researchers get accurate information or ‘compare notes’ with you about any findings or data you might have.

What Style to Post?
There are several different styles of posting and people may choose to use one particular style or some combination of styles. Some posts are told in a story/prosaic manner and describe events as in a novel. Some posts note specific times and document the chronology of their experience with a fair degree of precision. Some people choose to use a rating scale (such as the two in the appendices) to try and communicate the strength of effects or their overall assessment of the material. Some people include precise objective data such as blood pressure readings, pulse, body temperature, dose in mg./kg., etc. Lastly some people try to focus more on articulating the sensory alterations and the aesthetics of the experience in a phenomenological manner. No one of these styles is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and each serves to communicate different information about compounds. Some sort of hybrid report usually does a very good job of communicating the relevant objective and subjective data as well as ‘the story.’

What Data to Include?
Do include precise information about dosing, route(s) of administration, and how the dose(s) were taken (all at one time, spread out, etc.). Do include body mass. Do included information about general duration and level of intensity. Do include any information about current Rx medications or other psychoactive substances recently taken. Do include method of measurement for weighing your dose(s). Do note if you appear to have a generally different reaction to a compound or class of related compounds (sensitive to phenethylamines, a tryptamine ‘hardhead,’ vomit on everything, etc.). Do report how ‘good’ a material this material is for you. Do include information about the phenomenology and chronology of the compound. Try to keep all statements as true and precise as possible (i.e. “this compound felt very safe to me” NOT “this compound is completely safe”).

What NOT to Post?
Do not post where you acquired your compounds from. Do not post hype (“this is the best thing in the world… everyone should have to try it”), if a compound truly has beneficial properties/uses it will eventually become apparent from collective posts/data not just one person’s wonderful night with it. Do not post any exaggerations regarding the size or frequency of your dosing, you are not posting to sound bad ass or look cool to your internet buddies… you are posting to promote the free flow of accurate information to fellow researchers. Do not post any data about specific dates or places (“Dosed at 12PM” is fine “Took it last Tuesday in Central Park with my friend Jeff Jones” is a very bad idea).

What’s Up With SWIM?
Apparently this guy and his buddy ‘My Pet Hamster’ do all sorts of wild and crazy things. SWIM is presumed to be an acronym for Someone Who Isn’t Me. He and ‘Pet Hamsters’ appear to do most of the research in this field for some strange reason no one has yet figured out. This is odd considering that simply putting ‘SWIM’ in place of ‘I’ probably provides about as much legal protection to posters as 'Not For Human Consumption' did for the US based internet vendors that got busted. Then again maybe SWIM is just a very popular name for hamsters as say Rex is for dogs.

 

[illuminati boy]

Distributing

Distributing:


Inevitably the topic of sharing these compounds with others may come up. It is not something that should be lightly done. This is something you will ultimately have to decide for yourself as another part of your personal risk assessment. 5 Minimal guidelines are given below along with some food for thought.

While not recommended, anyone you give any ‘Research Chemicals’ to better minimally meet 5 criteria:
Criterion 1: Be a VERY trusted friend or research associate.
Criterion 2: Be a stable, mature, adult; mentally, physically, and in terms of actual age in years.
Criterion 3: Be as well informed as possible about the range of possible and expected effects/side-effects of any given chemical that one plans on ingesting.
Criterion 4: Be able to minimally measure with milligram (.001 gram) accuracy.
And last but certainly not least…
Criterion 5: Be someone who will not share any given chemical with anyone else unless they are thoroughly convinced that that person also meets criteria 1-4.

Concerns and liabilities you will want to weigh will include at least the following: How trustworthy / loyal are they? How mature are they? Are they prone to rash actions? Are they discrete? Do they have a problem ‘holding their drugs?’ How would you feel if anything unfortunate should happen to them as a result of them ingesting a compound you gave them? Are you willing to accept the legal liability that may be present in shifting from ‘personal research’ to ‘distribution?’ Will you be willing to dial emergency services should their lips start turning blue?

In addition to the above this item can not be understated… UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY ‘RESEARCH CHEMICAL’ BE PASSED OFF AS ANOTHER DRUG! ‘Research Chemicals’ ARE NOT “Legal LSD,” “A New Batch of LSD,” “Safer Ecstasy,” “Synthetic Mushrooms,” or “Herbal Anything.”

 

[illuminati boy]

Risk / Benefit Reevaluation

Risk / Benefit Reevaluation:


When investigating the so called ‘Research Chemicals,’ you must be willing to make periodic reevaluations about your own research and use of them. Has your research elicited positive experiences, made you a better person, contributed to human knowledge, or had some sort of positive benefit in the last year? Have you become more atavistic or given up other meaningful pursuits in the last year? Have the laws in your current country of residence changed? Has the enforcement of currently existing laws changed? Have new risks surfaced about chemicals that you are currently working with or have worked with in the past? Do you still feel that this type of investigation/hobby/research is an important endeavor worth the time, effort, and risks?

 

[illuminati boy]

Some Required Reading

Some Required Reading:


PiHKAL Phenethylamines I Have Known And Loved
By Alexander & Ann Shulgin.
This book is a ‘must have’ if you are seriously considering any sort of involvement with any ‘Research Chemicals.’ While the last half of the book is available on the net below, it is really worth purchasing the whole book.
http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal.shtml

TiHKAL Tryptamines I Have Known And Loved
By Alexander & Ann Shulgin.
Also a ‘must have’ in its entirety. The last half of this book is available online as well.
http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/tihkal/tihkal.shtml

Trips: how hallucinogens work in your brain
By Cheryl Pellerin
©1998
This book gives a simple, but readable introduction on hallucinogen psychopharmacology. It is quite basic, but a good start for those who may not have had a good grounding in psychopharmacology.

Essential Psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific Basis and Practical Applications 2nd ed.
By Stephen M. Stahl M.D., Ph.D.
©2000
If you are seriously considering getting involved in any type of serious or amateur psychopharmacological research and you do not have a solid chemistry, pharmacy, or medical background; you really need to read this book cover-to-cover until you understand it. While it is not a ‘cake walk’ it is quite understandable by the lay reader. Even if you are a medical professional, or have a strong pharmacology or chemistry background you can still probably benefit from reading this book.

??Psychedelic Index??
By Dr. Alexander Shulgin??
2006??
Reportedly Dr. Shulgin will be coming out with a ‘Merck Style’ Index that will list over 1,000 different compounds that either are psychoactive, probably are psychoactive, or have been tested and found not to be psychoactive. It will be a must have if and when it is published. It is currently expected in 2006. A few pages from this have already leaked out and may be available on the web.

 

[illuminati boy]

Some Additional Resources

Some Additional Resources:


At least the following places on the web are good resources:

Erowid.org
http://www.erowid.org/
Lycaeum.org
http://www.lycaeum.org/
BlueLight’s Big & Dandy Thread Index
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=141741
Maps.org
http://www.maps.org/

You may want to at least occasionally search any journals that cover experimental chemistry or pharmacology from time to time.

 

[illuminati boy]

Discussion

Discussion:


At least the following forums discuss ‘Research Chemicals’ with some degree of regular frequency:

Lycaeum.org’s Visionary Chemicals Forum
http://forums.lycaeum.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=3
BlueLight’s Psychedelic Drugs Forum
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=48&ts=43af1752
BlueLight’s Advanced Drug Discussion Forum
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=155&ts=43af1752
Hip Forums Synthetic Drugs Forum
http://www.hipforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=126
Drugs Forum's Research Chemicals discussion
http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21

 

[illuminati boy]

Appendix A: Shulgin Rating Scale.

Appendix A: Shulgin Rating Scale.



Shulgin Rating Scale

PLUS / MINUS (+/-)
The level of effectiveness of a drug that indicates a threshold action. If a higher dosage produces a greater response, then the plus/minus (+/-) was valid. If a higher dosage produces nothing, then this was a false positive.

PLUS ONE (+)
The drug is quite certainly active. The chronology can be determined with some accuracy, but the nature of the drug's effects are not yet apparent.

PLUS TWO (++)
Both the chronology and the nature of the action of a drug are unmistakably apparent. But you still have some choice as to whether you will accept the adventure, or rather just continue with your ordinary day's plans (if you are an experienced researcher, that is). The effects can be allowed a predominant role, or they may be repressed and made secondary to other chosen activities.

PLUS THREE (+++)
Not only are the chronology and the nature of a drug's action quite clear, but ignoring its action is no longer an option. The subject is totally engaged in the experience, for better or worse.

PLUS FOUR (++++)
A rare and precious transcendental state, which has been called a 'peak experience', a 'religious experience,' 'divine transformation,' a 'state of Samadhi' and many other names in other cultures. It is not connected to the +1, +2, and +3 of the measuring of a drug's intensity. It is a state of bliss, a participation mystique, a connectedness with both the interior and exterior universes, which has come about after the ingestion of a psychedelic drug, but which is not necessarily repeatable with a subsequent ingestion of that same drug. If a drug (or technique or process) were ever to be discovered which would consistently produce a plus four experience in all human beings, it is conceivable that it would signal the ultimate evolution, and perhaps the end of, the human experiment.

 

[illuminati boy]

Appendix B: DOSRS Rating Scale.

Appendix B: DOSRS Rating Scale.


DOSRS Rating Scale.

One thing that might help in making subjective comparisons about various Research Chemicals would be to rate them in contrast to one’s overall drug experience. Below is a scale that was recently created. It is designed to help one communicate their overall subjective rating of a materials worth. If say LSD were ones absolute ‘favorite’ or deemed to be the ‘best’ it would rate an A+. If say 5-MeO-AMT put one in the hospital it would rate an F. If for someone Methylone (MDMCAT) was worthwhile but not one of thier favorites it would rate a B. If everyone were to put such a rating next to any compounds they discussed, as well as a description of the positive, negative, and neutral effects of each agent it might help better communicate overall effects.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DOSRS (Drug Overall Subjective Rating Scale) (pronounced “doser’s”).

ABSTRACT: The DOSRS (Drug Overall Subjective Rating Scale) is a new, compact, way to rate the overall subjective effects of a chemical agent that one has ingested. Specifically the DOSRS is a scale to rate one’s overall subjective value assessment of an ingested material (i.e. how much one ‘liked it’).

Here is presented the DOSRS (Drug Overall Subjective Rating Scale, pronounced “doser’s”) 7-value assessment. It is an item designed to convey one’s overall subjective rating of a chemical agent that one has ingested. While there are currently several accepted scales that can roughly quantify overall level of drug effect, no scale in regular use relates the subject’s overall personal judgment of a material’s worth.
Two employments of the DOSRS are possible. It can be used to rate a 1-time experience of a chemical agent in comparison to ones life-experiences and preferences or it can be used as a retrospective summary of multiple ingestions of a given compound.

METHOD: After having ingested a chemical compound and completely returned to ‘baseline’ from the acute effects of an agent, an individual selects the one of the 7 items that best represents his/her overall assessment of the material (either for a single ingestion or for one’s overall experiences with the agent). The scale is as follows:

OVERALL RATING OF THE DRUG (Choose Only One):
A+ (Best Chemical Ever Ingested, absolute favorite)
A (Very Good, one of my favorites, would recommend to others)
B (Worthwhile Material, likely would do it again)
C (Nothing Special, might do it again)
D (Disliked, likely would not do it again)
E (Very Bad Side-Effects &/or No Worthwhile Effects, would tell others to avoid)
F (Severe Adverse Reaction, hospitalization, seizure, HPPD, etc.)

The scale can be used as a single score (A+, A, B, C, D, E, F,) to communicate one’s personal valuation of the agent to others, or it can be converted to numerical data and summed with other reports to give an average of the subjective scores.
To convert to a numerical score, the following values are assigned: A+ = 6, A = 5, B = 4, C = 3, D = 2, E = 1, & F = 0. So for instance, the average of a report of “A” (5) and a report of “C” (3) would be: 4, giving one an average rating of “B.”

DISCUSSION: While several scales exist to roughly quantify the overall level of effect of a specific drug ingestion (Shulgin Rating Scale, The Level System of Graeme Carl, etc.), they do not necessarily convey how well one ‘liked’ the drug experience overall. Using the Shulgin Rating Scale as an example: one could have a +++ experience that is truly grueling and draining or one could have a +++ experience that is truly pleasurable and rewarding. In either case the +++ only denotes the intensity of a specific experience, not ones subjective evaluation of the material's worth. Also, as with the specific scales mentioned above, most scales are generally geared toward quantifying the effects of a specific ingestion/experience. The DOSRS allows for a better way to quantify overall rating retrospectively as well.

LEGAL: To the best of this writer’s knowledge at this time, this is a unique scale developed by this writer, with input and assistance of gloggawogga from Bluelight. It is free to use by all so long as they do not claim authorship or charge anyone else to use it.
Illuminati Boy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok with the big words aside… One hopes people might be able to use this scale to give a rough approximation of their view of a chemical compound to others. If someone says compound X is an A material or B material etc. people have a general idea what that means. It should allow for a better way to compare and contrast 2 different compounds. It is not intended to replace the Shulgin scale, which is a common way of rating particular experiences / intensity of effects. It is a way to communicate one’s overall assessment of the agent after 1 or more trials. So take as an example 2C-B. One could have had some +, ++, & +++ experiences with the material. 2C-B is not “+ material” or “++ material,” those are only ways to describe the intensity of effect for a particular encounter with the agent. Now one might call 2C-B “A+ material” and another may call it “C material,” but in either case it gives a more comprehensive picture how one values the material overall.

 

[illuminati boy]

Need Your Input, Ideas, & Feedback.

Happy Holidays Everybody!

Here is a present for the PD Bluelighters. It is an early Beta version of a “Safer Research Chemical User’s Guide.” I am sure there are about a million things that can be added, subtracted, amended, addended, and redacted and I am looking for your input! No cow is sacred here, but I think it is off to a pretty good start. Feel free to start tearing some wrapping paper and posting comments.

I B

 

[J. Alfred Prufrock]

Damn, I bet that took a lot of thought to write. It reads like a manual for conducting amateur research. Was that your intent?

 

[Blowmonkey]

Awesome guide, IB. This one should definitely go in the FAQ forum when finished, way better then what we've got now, that old one just refers to murples RC FAQ on erowid, pretty tacky.

The only thing I wanna comment on is:

What’s Up With SWIM? Apparently this guy and his buddy ‘My Pet Hamster’ do all sorts of wild and crazy things. SWIM is presumed to be an acronym for Someone Who Isn’t Me. He and Pet Hamsters appear to do most of the research in this field for some strange reason no one has yet figured out.

Add something along the lines of: "SWIM is also a useless acronym, using it will not secure your safety, all it does is annoy people"..

And a minor suggestion, put the questions starting a new paragraph in bold, reads a bit easier.

 

[illuminati boy]

^^ Was working on the easier reading part while you posted... as for our ole pal SWIM... Will have to pust something like "SWIM provides a poster about as much protection as 'Not For Human Consumption' did for RAC."

I B