MetaChat - Drug study

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12 December 2010

Drug study My sister just took part in a study where they gave her the equivalent of a dose of magic mushrooms. I would be scared! Would you do it?→[More:]
It was run by a hospital and came with lots of training and 2 staff to spend the whole day with her while she took it, which is comforting I guess.

post by: rmless2 at: 23:25 | 37 comments

I don't think I would do it, though. I am pretty scared of drugs in general and I would be worried about freaking out and not making the experience be able to end. I might be more likely to take part in a study of something that only lasted like half an hour or something.

posted by rmless2 12 December | 23:27

For the right amount of money, I'd do it. For something like this, I'd want...... $1,000.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 12 December | 23:29

What sort of training do they give you for getting shit-faced?

I think I'd want $1,000 as well.

posted by dg 12 December | 23:35

Nope, wouldn't happen, ever.

posted by Melismata 12 December | 23:44

I would do it, if it were supervised and one of the not-generally-assumed-to-cause-flashbacks drugs. Seems like it would actually be a neat way to experiment in legal, safe way.

posted by occhiblu 12 December | 23:47

I know shrooms aren't generally that awful, but still, I'd be worried about being that .01 of 1% that reacts badly and maybe has effects in the long term. But whatever; supervised trial and all that - many of us have bad experiences just from drinking. Or stress. Or weed. Or being overtired. Glad she's a goer; all will be fine! What on earth are they studying?

posted by Miko 12 December | 23:48

I would. Sounds like fun.

posted by Hugh Janus 12 December | 23:55

The funny thing is: they don't need to give $1000. They seriously only need to give, like $50. Because they'll get plenty of people at that rate. If even that.

I did some studies in college, for the moolah. Johnson & Johnson was located in town - a college town, and not for nothing. The ones I did were nothing major - a sunscreen test, about waterproofing, which involved putting on sunscreen and sitting in a hot tub. I got $75 for that. Not too shabby for sitting in a hot tub. Something else entailed drawing blood plasma, but that was just 2 hours of watching a movie, for $125. I have a feeling if you were offering a drug trip, it wouldn't even be necessary to go that high.

posted by Miko 13 December | 00:02

Yeah- there was no money attached to the study.
They counseled her once a week for the whole semester and did a dry run of what it would be like in the hospital- they had her lie down, listen to music etc. It is also connected to meditation somehow- they had her choose a mantra and meditate every day to prepare. She wanted to learn how to meditate anyway so this was appealing to her.

She did it on Friday- said it was intense but a good experience and only mildly scary in parts. She is totally fine now. The only side effect that I can tell is that when she talks about it she says the stereotypical things that hippies say (she is not and never had been like that before) like "it just puts everything in perspective and you can see that there is so much more meaning out there." She said that the parts where they took her to the bathroom and she got to walk around were the most fun and trippy.

posted by rmless2 13 December | 00:25

when she talks about it she says the stereotypical things that hippies say (she is not and never had been like that before) like "it just puts everything in perspective and you can see that there is so much more meaning out there."

I've heard that a lot of times. I do think that hallicinatory drugs give a bit of a shortcut to the right brain, which can perceive that stuff.

posted by Miko 13 December | 00:50

I would totally do it, except shrooms tend to raise my blood pressure to rather dangerous levels.

posted by Ardiril 13 December | 02:06

Legally? Why yes. Yes I would.

posted by notquitemaryann 13 December | 03:07

Back in the day magic mushrooms were freely available in Japan due to some odd legal loophole (since closed). They weren't that scary although they tasted really bad.

I remember my friend and I drinking them in miso soup to try and hide the flavour, and then going out. We didn't care much about what was going on but we had a pretty hilarious time together. We fell into a convenience store trying to act normal and laid back and then got freaked out at this man on the train picking his nose. After a while I threw up - as I always do with anything involving drugs (even prescription) - and the next best bit of the evening was when we were home having cups of tea.

posted by gomichild 13 December | 03:35

I quite enjoy shrooms and I've experimented with a variety of other substances in my life, so I'd certainly try something new under controlled circumstances. I'm glad your sister had a decent experience... although I'd hardly call discovering a different perspective on life a "side-effect," however cheesy it may sound!

posted by mykescipark 13 December | 04:10

The only side effect that I can tell is that when she talks about it she says the stereotypical things that hippies say

That would be an awesome side effect to hear read in a drug commercial.

posted by mullacc 13 December | 04:15

How awesome! I kinda miss my inspirations for painting.
She got it for free!
I still paint, but it's different now.

posted by lilywing13 13 December | 04:21

My experiences with trip drugs were about 50% fun times and 50% oh-fuck-please-make-it-end, so I tend to pass on them now.

I'd be more scared of the environment than the drug; hanging out with two sober strangers in a clinical setting may not be the recipe for a good trip.

posted by fleacircus 13 December | 04:52

Yes, yes I would.

posted by BoringPostcards 13 December | 05:45

I wonder if they'd take me given my drug history.

And I'd only do it if I trusted those I'd be with.

On preview:

I'd be more scared of the environment than the drug; hanging out with two sober strangers in a clinical setting may not be the recipe for a good trip.

posted by Obscure Reference 13 December | 08:02

I think I'd like this. If I'm gonna experiment with drugs, I'd rather be in a totally safe place to do it.

posted by TrishaLynn 13 December | 08:25

I totally would.

posted by gaspode 13 December | 09:37

Legal trip? Sure. I generally stay away from hallucinogens based on my personal history of depression, but in a controlled setting, I'd give it a shot.

posted by Eideteker 13 December | 10:34

No, I only want to do shrooms with my friends in the woods. I'm not doing it in a hospital, what a drag.

posted by mygothlaundry 13 December | 10:47

If it is a nice environment, yeah. . .In the past, have had lots of shroomies. . .probably the best illicit drug I have ever consumed.

posted by danf 13 December | 10:58

Yeah, I'm feeling like a chump, because I'm always PAYING to do it...the notion of doing it FOR pay? DEAL!

posted by richat 13 December | 11:38

Nope. I do not like to be out of my own control.

posted by amro 13 December | 11:47

Yup.

posted by jonmc 13 December | 11:47

No thanks. I have enough issues trusting my brain already.

posted by apoch 13 December | 11:57

I believe what rmless calls a "side effect" is the actual purpose of the experiment. Too see if it is safe/helpful for people with severe anxiety, depression, etc. They are careful about the setting because it can make all the difference in how the person experiences the drug.

posted by serena 13 December | 12:10

Yes. Unless I instinctively, irrationally disliked the supervising researchers upon meeting them, I would do this.

posted by Elsa 13 December | 12:19

I have mushrooms in my freezer right now [long time ago gift from someone who thought they'd be a better gift than maybe they were] and have been waiting until I had a big chunk of blank time to do them which I never seem to have. I'd totally do this.

posted by jessamyn 13 December | 12:22

If Jessamyn would be there, I would double do it!

posted by Elsa 13 December | 12:24

I'd make special time to do it.

posted by ethylene 13 December | 13:44

I'm not doing it in a hospital, what a drag.

I'm with MGL. I think a sterile place full of strangers would be kinda scary. Mecha meetup in the woods! Jessamyn's holding!

posted by jrossi4r 13 December | 13:44

I would totally be in, especially if this "drug trial" was hosted by Jessamyn in some nice wooded setting (what music? WHAT MUSIC?). You don't even need to pay me the thousand smackers. Just give me a Snickers bar or some feta cheese to get the nasty buggers down.
Don't forget the playdough and madlibs, y'all.

posted by msali 13 December | 14:44

Just give me a Snickers bar or some feta cheese to get the nasty buggers down.

I blend them into smoothies. Drink it up and you're on your way, with a nice serving of vitamins ;-)

posted by mykescipark 13 December | 15:36

I would not take part in any kind of medical test. A few years ago in the UK some people nearly died in a drug trial, one guy was really badly damaged.

posted by Senyar 13 December | 16:48

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