Urban legends about drugs

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Many urban legends about illegal drugs have been created and circulated among children and the general public. These are commonly repeated by organizations which oppose all illegal drug use, often causing the true effects and dangers of drugs to be misunderstood and less scrutinized. The most common subjects of such legends are LSD, cannabis, and MDMA. These urban legends include misinformation about adulterants or other black market issues, as well as alleged effects of the pure substances.

Urban legends about LSD

Some of the strangest urban legends told are those about lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), a potent psychedelic drug that gained popularity in several countries in the 1960s and 1970s, and experienced a brief resurgence in the mid to late 1990s before declining from 2000 onward. The drug's relation to the 1960s counterculture was likely part of the reason for such legends.

Bad LSD

A "bad trip" is easily caused by an expectation or fear of ill effects, which may later be blamed on "bad acid". This legend was made famous at the 1969 Woodstock festival, when concertgoers were warned to stay away from "the brown acid", which was supposed to be bad.[1] While contamination is a concern in many illegal drugs, the extremely high potency of LSD relative to other drugs means that LSD doses are tiny, making it difficult to introduce a significant amount of a dangerous contaminant in a normal dose, at least when sold as blotter paper.

Analogs of LSD have little to no effect, even at high doses.[2] Thus even these analogs are not a form of "bad acid".

One possible reason people believe that they had "bad acid" could be because they were simply sold a much higher dose than usual, which is not uncommon due to the inherent lack of quality control of illicit drugs. The higher the dose, the more likely the trip is to be a bad one as opposed to a good one.

However, there are now many research chemicals (DOB[3][4] 2C-I,[5][6] DOC,[6] DOI[7][8], etc.) that can be nearly indistinguishable from real LSD, and thus can be easily confused with "bad acid". Some of these are even potent enough for psychoactive doses to fit on blotter paper, and may occasionally be sold as LSD when the latter is scarce. The idea of adulterating blotter LSD with these chemicals, however, has no known basis in fact.

Blue star tattoos

One popular legend is the blue star tattoo legend. This legend frequently surfaces in American elementary and middle schools in the form of a flyer that has been photocopied through many generations, which is distributed to parents by concerned school officials. It has also become popular on Internet mailing lists and websites. This legend states that a temporary lick-and-stick tattoo soaked in LSD and made in the form of a blue star, or of popular children's cartoon characters, is being distributed to children in the area in order to get them addicted to LSD. The flyer lists an inaccurate description of the effects of LSD, some attribution (typically to a well-regarded hospital or a vaguely specified "adviser to the president"), and instructs parents to contact police if they come across the blue star tattoos. No actual cases of LSD distribution to children in this manner have ever been documented (also, LSD is not addictive[9] and unlikely to be enjoyed by an unwitting user so there is no motivation for a dealer to do this)[10].

Sungazing while tripping

A popular legend dating back to the 1960s heyday of psychedelic drugs, it has been claimed that several people took LSD and stared at the sun, going blind as a result. This myth appeared in 1967 on the cop show Dragnet, and twice in the mainstream news media. It turns out that the legend is unfounded; there are no confirmed cases of this happening.[11]

Man permanently thinks he is a glass of orange juice

Another common legend, again dating back to the 1960s, was that a man who took LSD went insane and permanently thought that he was a glass of orange juice. Alternate versions sometimes have the man think he's a glass of milk or a whole orange. This particular tale is now considered to be unfounded.[12] However, it is possible for an LSD (or other strong psychedelic) user to experience extended psychotic breaks after ingesting these chemicals. The majority of scientists now agree that the people who do experience this typically have a predisposition for mental illness.

Retention of LSD in spinal fluid

A legend which falsely instills a fear of a non-existent effect of LSD is that the body stores crystallized LSD in spinal fluid or in fat cells, which at some point dislodges and causes horrific flashbacks, perhaps years later.[13] Although the body does store some toxins in fat tissue, and residues of some drugs and toxins can be found in spinal fluid, LSD is not among these. LSD is metabolized by the liver, and has an elimination half-life of around 3–5 hours, and is insoluble in fats, being an alkaloid. This legend may have its foundation in the fact that chronic use can result in persistent psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD).[14] However, all of these conditions are now understood to be psychological phenomena and not due to drug residues.

A likely origin of this myth is L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, whose own unverified research was alleged to show that LSD storage in body fat occurred. However, no peer-reviewed, independent scientific studies have ever replicated his findings. Due to LSD's known water solubility and short half-life, and thus biological implausibility, such findings are considered spurious by essentially all medical professionals today.[15]

Strychnine

Anti-drug educators frequently tell their students some variant on the theme of inevitable strychnine poisoning through LSD use, for example, that strychnine is commonly sold as a cheaper substitute for LSD by unscrupulous drug dealers; that strychnine is a byproduct of LSD synthesis; that the body produces strychnine as a result of LSD metabolism; or that strychnine is somehow necessary to bond LSD to blotter paper.[16] None of this is true.[17] These claims may even be believed and propagated by drug users themselves. In reality, most hallucinogens cause some degree of mental or physical discomfort after the "trip" is over. This is an indirect effect of the drug,[17] not strychnine or any other adulterant. Additionally, strychnine itself is one of the most bitter substances known. The bitter taste can be detected at 1 part per million, which is well below the toxic level.[17] Finally, the dangerous dose of strychnine is too high to be contained in a blotter square, even if the entire square were composed of the poison.[17]

Strychnine has indeed rarely been discovered mixed with LSD and other drugs in a few samples recovered by law enforcement agencies, but these were all found in murder or attempted murder investigations where someone was being specifically targeted for poisoning, and not associated with recreational LSD use.[17]

A related myth is that a new type of gang initiation requires the initiate to put a mixture of LSD and strychnine on the buttons of as many payphones as possible. This too, is debunked by the urban legends website Snopes.com.[18]

Legally insane

There is an urban legend that a person who has used LSD more than seven times (or ten times, depending on the version of this legend) is automatically declared legally insane. The same claim is often suggested with large doses, the difference being that the person is considered psychotic only for the duration of the trip. An extension of this legend is that a person who does LSD more than "X number of times" is permanently disqualified from the military as a result of being "legally insane," a version which was likely inspired by wishful thinking of drug-using draft dodgers in the 1960s. However, no such law exists, at least not in the United States.[19][20]

A version of this legend was repeated as fact on TV's Dragnet series in 1967, in an episode revolving around the use of LSD before it was made illegal. The script described a shipment containing "one pound of LSD [tabs], enough to turn the entire population of Los Angeles into dangerous psychotics" on the premise that one dose made a person legally insane due to the recurrence of completely unpredictable flashbacks throughout the user's life after a single dose.

"Bananadine" LSD

Main article: bananadine

The false claim states that it is possible to synthesize LSD or some similar hallucinogenic drug called "bananadine" from banana peels or other common household foods and chemicals. The actual synthesis of LSD usually requires advanced knowledge and experience in organic chemistry and requires both expensive laboratory equipment and expensive, carefully controlled precursor chemicals.

Originating from a recipe originally published as a hoax in the Berkeley Barb in March 1967[21], variants of this legend often circulate on the Internet and were popular on BBSs well before the widespread availability of Internet access through William Powell's "The Anarchist Cookbook". This book claimed "Musa Sapientum Bananadine" was a mild psychoactive drug found in banana peels. The slang terms "mellow yellow" and "saffron" (for the color of the peels) were borrowed from the 1966 Donovan song, "Mellow Yellow", perhaps because the phrase "electrical banana" is mentioned in one of the lines. According to The Rolling Stone Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, Donovan claimed he was actually referring to a banana-shaped vibrator. [citation needed] The song itself, despite its "psychedelic" feel, was written about Donovan's bout with hepatitis (which causes jaundice).[citation needed]

Baby in the Oven While Babysitter is on LSD

Drug-scare story dating to the 60s, unverifiable, of hippie babysitter girl putting baby in the oven and turkey in the bassinet. Debunked here on Snopes.com. This myth is parodied in The Simpsons episode "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson",[22] where the kids go on a school field trip to a "scared straight" wax museum at the local police station. One exhibit contains a wax dummy of a hippie woman eating a sandwich with a baby in it. Chief Wiggum says "That's right, she's got the munchies for a California Cheeseburger!"[23]

In March 2010, partial ostension of this legend may have occurred when a Kentucky man put his five week old baby in a microwave (without turning it on, and without any injury) while very drunk and high on marijuana that he believed was likely laced with PCP.[24] There have also been a few other (rare) cases of babies put into microwaves, that were not known to involve any drugs.[25][26] However, there have been no known cases of microwaving (or baking) babies involving LSD specifically, or any other psychedelic drug (including cannabis) alone.

LSD causes genetic mutations

Beginning in 1967, studies raised concerns that LSD might produce genetic damage[27] or developmental abnormalities in fetuses. However, these initial reports were based on in vitro studies or were poorly controlled and have not been substantiated. In studies of chromosomal changes in human users and in monkeys, the balance of evidence suggests no increase in chromosomal damage. For example, white blood cells of people who had been given LSD in a clinical setting were examined for visible chromosomal abnormalities; overall, there appeared to be no lasting changes.[27] Several studies have been conducted using illicit LSD users and provide a less clear picture. Interpretation of this data is generally complicated by factors such as the unknown chemical composition of street LSD, concurrent use of other psychoactive drugs, and diseases such as hepatitis in the sampled populations. It seems possible that the small number of genetic abnormalities reported in users of street LSD is either coincidental or related to factors other than a toxic effect of pure LSD.[27] A 2008 medical review concluded, "The available data suggest that pure LSD does not cause chromosomal abnormalities, spontaneous abortions, or congenital malformations."[28]

Urban legends about cannabis

For further information about the toxicity of cannabis, see Tetrahydrocannabinol toxicity.

Many misleading urban legends about cannabis exist. Like LSD rumors, many were spread during the 1960s and 70's at the height of recreational drug use, and are believed to continuously circulate today. These widespread legends claim that it is easy to overdose on the smokeable variant of cannabis and that it is extremely dangerous and addictive when compared to alcohol and nicotine, when in fact alcohol and nicotine, the drugs that are claimed to be safer, are actually considered by many[29] to be hard drugs in comparison to cannabis. Furthermore, scaling up from animal studies, an average human would need to ingest over a kilogram of cannabis to die of an overdose.[30]

Withdrawal from heavy, chronic cannabis use does not usually exceed 3–4 days (though it may last as long as a month and a half in some), but it has the potential to be psychologically addictive, though this form of addiction tends to occur only after someone has been using the drug habitually.[31][32][33][34] Withdrawal symptoms are generally mild, opposite the effects of use - loss of appetite/anorexia, insomnia, feelings of uneasiness/anxiety, tension, stomach ache, headache and irritability all being common symptoms.[35] There are studies that show no actual increased risk of cancer from smoking marijuana, even when duration of use is expanded over several years (this could be because THC allows cells to die faster).[36] In fact, some studies indicate THC to have anticancer properties, with studies showing tumor reduction in mice.[37]

Memory loss or brain damage

Another claim by many anti-drug organizations is that marijuana smoking causes permanent memory loss and/or brain damage. While high there is short-term memory loss but long term, persistent memory loss has not been found conclusively in any rigorous, carefully controlled scientific study;[38] however, evidence of subtly altered brain structure in heavy users of marijuana does exist.[39] The difficulty of determining damage due to heavy or chronic marijuana use in youth or adults arises because of covariates related to heavy marijuana use, including alcohol use or other drug use, making causality difficult to prove. Additionally, the politics and legal issues surrounding marijuana make detailed research difficult, and long-term funding unlikely, except in very few cases.

The idea of brain damage from cannabis may have had its origins in, or was at least popularized by, the results of a few studies on monkeys and rodents in the 1970s.[40][41] However, the rodent studies involved 200 times the psychoactive dose of THC, and the monkey studies involved insufficient sample sizes and controls, and misidentification of "damage." In fact, the most (in)famous study finding evidence of brain damage involved forcing the monkeys to inhale huge amounts of cannabis smoke over several minutes straight, every day, causing potentially confounding oxygen deprivation and carbon monoxide poisoning.[42] More recent studies, however, failed to show any brain damage from cannabis in monkeys when better experimental techniques were utilized.[43]

Marijuana today is 10-20 times more potent than in the past

An oft-repeated legend is that today's cannabis is at least an order of magnitude stronger than in the past (and by implication much more dangerous). THC levels are allegedly 10, 20 or even 30 times higher than in the 1960s or 1970s. Although potency levels have risen in several countries (such as the US and UK), the actual increases have been much more modest (almost threefold from 1982 to 2007 in the US) and high-potency strains have always existed, as have various concentrated forms of cannabis.[44][45][46] Furthermore, potency of seized samples was not tested for before 1971, leaves vs. buds were not distinguished by testers at first, and samples from before the early 1980s (when testing and storage procedures were changed) were often degraded, making comparisons going that far back inaccurate. Non-representative sampling was also an issue.[47] Since most of the increase happened after 2000, this legend can be considered an example of ostension (people have been making such claims as far back as the 1970s).

A related claim, especially in the UK, is that the cannabidiol/THC ratio has gone way down over the past few decades, resulting in a new and presumably more dangerous form of cannabis that never existed before (since CBD is thought to attenuate some of the negative side effects of THC). While there is little to no reliable data before 2005 on such ratios in the UK, making comparisons to the past impossible, the US data going back to the 1970s shows little to no clear trend, and there have always been strains with extremely low ratios.[48] Ratios are also known to vary widely between strains and growing/harvesting methods.

Some versions of this legend claim the potency change is due to "genetic modification," a term which often evokes fear in the popular consciousness, but there is no hard evidence that anything other than selective breeding and enhanced growing techniques are behind the change.

Multi-day impairment

Another claim by anti-drug organizations about cannabis is that impairment due to smoking it lasts many days after using it, since THC is stored in the fat cells, leading to a low-grade haze long after the primary high is gone.[49] This myth is based primarily on anecdotal evidence and the known fact that urine drug tests remain positive for at least several days after using, and longer for regular users. But the drug tests measure non-psychoactive metabolites, not active THC.[50] And the blood levels of THC generally fall well below the psychoactive threshold within 2–4 hours of smoking (4-8 hours after oral use). Driving impairment generally lasts 2–6 hours after smoking, though unusually high doses may last longer.[51] A cannabis equivalent of a hangover may occur the morning after taking high doses, but even that ends much sooner than the legend suggests. While someone who smokes cannabis on Friday night would most likely fail a urine test on Monday morning, they would no longer actually be impaired by that point.[52][53]

"Flashbacks" due to release from fat cells

Similar to one of the most enduring myths about LSD, and also somewhat related to the legend described above, this legend claims that residual THC stored in fat cells gets released spontaneously into the bloodstream in enough quantities to get one high again long after the last use of cannabis, be it days, weeks, or even months later.[54] This legend is typically accompanied by anecdotal evidence of people who experience a "high" after doing exercise of some sort. While somewhat more biologically plausible than the discredited LSD legend due to the fat-solubility of THC, this phenomenon remains scientifically unproven. A 2009 study of rats that involved injecting them with large quantities of THC (equivalent to 5-10 joints per day in humans) each day for ten days straight, then subjecting them to simulated severe stress or food deprivation led to double the blood levels of THC-COOH two days after the last THC exposure compared to rats that were neither stressed nor deprived of food.[55] If such results occurred in humans, then it is theoretically possible for a chronic cannabis user to fail a drug test long after the usual detection time due to exercise, dieting, or severe stress shortly before the test--and several anecdotal reports of this exist. However, there is currently no hard evidence that enough active THC would be released to get one "high" or cause "flashbacks". One should also note that flashbacks from psychoactive drugs in general are now known to be psychological phenomena, and drug residues typically play no significant role in their occurrence and recurrence.

As for the anecdotes about exercise, they likely experienced a "runner's high" due to their bodies producing endorphins, which are endogenous opioid agonists.[56] In addition, some studies find that the body produces endocannabinoids such as anandamide as well during exercise, which may also explain such effects since they activate the same receptors as THC.[57][58]

Marijuana is a "gateway drug"

A long-standing myth against marijuana by many anti-drug groups is that its use eventually causes the user to seek a better high, or to "chase the first high", a term used to describe a drug addicts urge to achieve the same peak of euphoria they experienced on their first use. Hence, it has been called a gateway drug by some. However, studies in both the Netherlands, where the drug has been decriminalized for some time, and in the United States (in states where marijuana has been decriminalized) have shown that marijuana acts as a replacement for harder drugs (including cocaine and heroin) when it becomes easily and legally available. Emergency room visits (for harder drugs) decreased substantially in these locations following the decriminalization of marijuana.[59]

In 2002, researchers created a mathematical model simulating adolescent drug use. National rates of cannabis and hard drug use in the model matched survey data collected from representative samples of youths from across the United States; the model produced patterns of drug use and abuse. Andrew Morral, associate director of RAND's Public Safety and Justice unit and lead author of the study stated:[60]

We've shown that the marijuana gateway effect is not the best explanation for the link between marijuana use and the use of harder drugs ... An alternative, simpler and more compelling explanation accounts for the pattern of drug use you see in this country, without resort to any gateway effects. While the gateway theory has enjoyed popular acceptance, scientists have always had their doubts. Our study shows that these doubts are justified.

Reefer Madness

Originating in the 1930s, this myth was the basis for films like Reefer Madness, and used by Harry Anslinger of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics as justification for outlawing cannabis. The allegation was that even the calmest, most normal person could be transformed into a psychopathic killer or rapist solely from smoking a joint. No relationship has ever been proven linking such crimes to the acute intoxication of cannabis alone, and marijuana's psychological effects tend to be more associated with pacifism and inactivity than with aggression. For example, studies of the Jamaican working class showed no difference in the crime rates between users and non-users of cannabis.[61]

Confusion with Jimson weed

Historically, and possibly related to the above "Reefer Madness" legend, some people (particularly Americans) had confused cannabis with Jimson weed (Datura). Jimson weed, which grows wild in the United States and several other countries, is a potent deliriant which can cause true hallucinations and delusions that are believed by the user to be real, as opposed to the pseudohallucinations and perceptual distortions typically caused by cannabis.[62] Confusion could have resulted from the fact that Datura's common name contains the word "weed," which is also a slang term for cannabis, and the fact that both plants (as well as others) have been given the moniker "loco weed" in the first half of the 20th century. Aside from these superficial similarities, the two plants are not related and have very little to do with one another, and thus should not be confused. Jimson weed is highly toxic and can cause delirium, confusion, hallucinations, blurred vision, photophobia, dry mouth, urinary retention, hyperthermia, incoordination, hypertension, and rapid heartbeat among other effects. An overdose (or suspected overdose) on this substance is a medical emergency, as it can cause seizures, coma, or death by cardiac arrest.[63][64]

Marlboro Greens

One popular myth is that (at least in the USA) tobacco companies such as Philip Morris are eagerly waiting for cannabis to be legalized so they can sell it, and thus they have patented certain strains of cannabis and/or trademarked brands of cannabis (or cannabis/tobacco) cigarettes. The most common alleged brand is "Marlboro Greens."[65] This myth has absolutely no evidence to back it up. Images depicting such cigarettes on the Internet are manipulated.

Urban legends about MDMA (ecstasy)

The third most common illicit drug that that is the source of urban legends is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), better known as "ecstasy". In the United States, this substance was banned in 1985, and other countries followed suit as well. Among American youth, MDMA was most popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, peaking in 2001 and declining thereafter.[66] It was during this time of rather faddish use that numerous urban legends and misconceptions began to surface and be spread through the media, and not all of them necessarily originated from anti-drug organizations.

MDMA impurity

Much street MDMA is actually deliberately impure (as opposed to being mis-sold as pure, though that sometimes happens as well). While opinions vary on the allegation that ecstasy (MDMA) is often found on the street in an impure form, it is based on the fact that the majority of ecstasy pills tested in laboratories[67] contain a mixture of several compounds: amphetamines, caffeine, DXM, dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), or other stimulants, depressants, anesthetics, psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. It is believed these 'impurities' are actually added to enhance effect, and terms like "speedy" (contains amphetamines) and "dopey" (contains opiates) are often used to describe different concoctions. Therefore, this makes the urban legend correct, but misunderstood. Some pills don't even contain MDMA at all, however, and it is impossible to know for certain what one is getting since quality control is nonexistent for illegal drugs. In addition, while pill testing kits exist, they are not completely foolproof since some harmful adulterants will test negative.

Holes in the brain

Another common legend that surfaced around the year 2000 was that ecstasy can put holes in the brain, akin to Swiss cheese, which are presumed to be permanent. Actually, no known drug is capable of creating physical holes in the brain, though some substances (i.e. neurotoxins) can still do significant damage.[68] The possible neurotoxicity of MDMA is still not entirely known, and may very well exist, but several studies on the matter have been discredited as flawed by independent researchers.[69]

The concept of "holes" most likely comes from a misinterpretation of SPECT (and other) scans which show the levels of activity (or lack thereof) in certain areas of the brain, by measuring glucose usage, blood flow, and other proxies for activity. Such scans do not, however, show the physical structure of the brain. This misconception was likely popularized by an episode of MTV's True Life, "I'm on Ecstasy" (2000), which featured a former poly-drug user (including heavy use of MDMA) whose brain scan showed several areas of greatly diminished activity.[70]

MDMA causes Parkinson's disease

Another legend, often mentioned together with the "holes in the brain" myth discussed above, is that MDMA causes Parkinson's disease, possibly with even one night of exposure. This was largely based on an animal study that found neurotoxicity to dopaminergic neurons after administering the drug to monkeys. However, the study has been retracted by the researchers who conducted it due to the fact that they had accidentally given methamphetamine instead of MDMA to the animals, given the similar chemical names (MDMA stands for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine).[71] Ironically, it is now being investigated as a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease.[72][73]

MDMA drains spinal fluid

This myth, which is spurious, appears to be derived from research in 1994 in which serotonin breakdown products were measured in the spinal fluid of ecstasy users. However, it was the researchers, not the drug, that drained the fluid (for the purpose of testing).[74][75] Nonetheless, this legend (and related ones about it damaging one's spinal cord and/or spinal column, which is also false) was popularized by Eminem's 2000 song "Drug Ballad."[76] This is a great example of the "telephone game" in action, which often happens with many urban legends over time.

Urban legends about methamphetamine

Though initially there were not very many urban legends about methamphetamine ("speed", "crank", "crystal meth", "ice"), the "meth epidemic" of the late 1990s and early 2000s (especially in the USA) led to quite a few new legends.

Lung damage from recrystallization

Perhaps the best-known of the meth legends refers to people who heat/melt and then inhale crystal methamphetamine smoke. The legend states that the drug, once inhaled, will re-crystallize in large amounts inside the lungs, damaging them in the process. This is a false claim as street 'crystal' meth is usually in the form of methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is highly soluble in water and instantly gets absorbed into the user's blood stream via the alveoli.

However, intravenous methylphenidate (Ritalin) use results in a type of lung damage commonly known as "Ritalin Lung". Methylphenidate tablets are crushed and dissolved into solution for IV injection. The tablets contain talc and other particulates which can deposit in the lung (talcosis) and result in severe emphysema affecting all the lobes of the lung.[77] The "Ritalin Lung" effect could be a possible source of how rumors about methamphetamine damaging the lungs could have surfaced.

Strawberry Quick

Another meth legend is that dealers are selling colored and flavored meth resembling candy (often with names like "Strawberry Quick") to entice children to buy it. It was first reported in 2007 in the western United States, and children were allegedly ingesting it thinking it was candy, and ending up in the ER. While it is true that some dealers are adding coloring to their products, according to Snopes.com there is no hard evidence as of October 2008 that they are adding flavorings, handing it out in schoolyards, or that children are mistaking it for candy.[78]

Urban legends about heroin

Cotton fever

Cotton fever is a high fever supposedly caused by injecting cotton fibers into the blood stream when shooting up heroin. Cotton is sometimes used as a crude filter for particulate matter prior to IV injection. Other commonly blamed substances include dirt if Mexican heroin was injected, or fiberglass if a cigarette filter was used (cigarette filters do not contain fiberglass)[79]. In general, cotton fever refers to a fever that users believe is caused by inanimate particulate matter injected into the blood stream. In reality, the particulate matter causing cotton fever is bacteria from lack of sterile technique. Most cases of cotton fever resolve as the body clears the infection. Users will often seek medical attention when cotton fever persists. Persistent cotton fever is often infective endocarditis. Although endotoxin shed by the bacteria Enterobacter agglomerans, which colonizes cotton plants, has been implicated as the cause of cotton fever[80], most clinical cases demonstrate blood cultures positive for skin and fecal bacteria.

Anthrax-tainted heroin

Since December 2009, there have been reports of street heroin contaminated with anthrax, a deadly bacterium used as a biological weapon, in the UK and Germany.[81] Such a contaminant is not only extremely deadly, but it is generally undetectable until it is too late. As of May 2010, there have been 14 reported deaths associated with anthrax contamination in the UK (mostly Scotland) and one in Germany, and the "bad batch" may still be in circulation in Scotland. Strange as it sounds, this "legend" is in fact true, but it is not thought to be deliberate.[82] No other countries have been reported to be affected.

Urban legends about cocaine

Rotting flesh from adulterant

An increasingly common cocaine adulterant is levamisole, a veterinary de-worming agent that is known to be toxic to humans, and can reportedly cause the outer layer of skin to die, as well as cause agranulocytosis (a lack of white blood cells). Some experts believe that as much as 80% of cocaine on the street contains it, at least in the United States, though it is unclear exactly why it is used. Though levamisole is arguably a very odd choice of a cutting agent for drugs, this "legend" is nonetheless true.[83]

Urban legends about PCP

Embalming fluid

A commonly held misconception is that phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust) is the same as (or is synthesized from) embalming fluid. In truth the PCP molecule has no relation to embalming fluid, though the latter is often used as a slang name for the former due to the feelings of dissociation.[84] Some people, believing this myth, have actually attempted to smoke cigarettes or cannabis dipped in real embalming fluid (i.e. formaldehyde), which is highly toxic. Conversely, some users of PCP-laced cannabis believe (and are often told) that it contains embalming fluid proper and not PCP, or that the slang term "dust" really means embalming fluid proper. Sometimes, the two substances are even mixed together, in a further ostension of this legend. [85][86] Such concoctions are often called "fry", "wet", "illy", "sherm", "water-water", "amp," dust(ed)", "super weed", "killer weed", "(hy)dro", or other names.

Rodney King was on PCP

The Rodney King police beating case in Los Angeles was a source of much controversy and outrage, as well as urban legends. Due to King resisting arrest and several officers being needed to subdue him, he was assumed to be on PCP at the time since the drug is notorious for inciting violent and unpredictable behavior coupled with an inability to feel pain (often misinterpreted as "superhuman" strength). However, toxicology results show that the only drug in his system was alcohol.[87]

Cannibalism

Another legend about PCP is that some people who have taken it have engaged in cannibalism and other bizarre acts of violence, and this one is unfortunately true. In 2002, for example, rapper Big Lurch did in fact do exactly that while under the influence of this substance, killing an acquaintance and eating her lung.[88][89] This incident then inspired an episode of the television crime drama CSI. Though relatively rare, extreme and bizarre violence such as this does in fact occur on occasion among PCP users.[90]

Urban legends about psychedelic mushrooms

Mushrooms contain LSD

Psilocybin mushrooms, the primary type of psychedelic mushrooms, naturally contain psilocybin, a tryptamine psychedelic. That is the active principle of the mushrooms, not LSD, and it is unnecessary to add anything to them. Occasionally, however, dealers may sell common, non-psychoactive mushrooms laced with LSD, particularly in areas where LSD is cheaper and/or more plentiful than real psilocybin mushrooms.[91]

Inspiration for Super Mario powerup

One legend that is popular among both the drug and video gaming subcultures is that the mushroom powerup in Super Mario games is actually based on psychedelic mushrooms. However, there is zero evidence to back up that claim. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Super Mario series, it was inspired by Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, a story in which eating specific mushrooms cause one to change size. In fact, Miyamoto decided to call it a "Super Mushroom" instead of a "Magic Mushroom" in part to avoid the likely association with the psychedelic variety, which often goes by the latter nickname.[92][93]

Urban legends about drug testing

Main article: Drug testing

The increasingly common practice of drug testing, especially urinalysis, has led to an increase in the number of drug users looking for ways to beat the tests, and has spawned a number of urban legends as a result. One should note that the only scientifically proven method for certainly passing a test is time, apart from not consuming any substances at all that are likely to be tested for. However, this does not stop users from getting creative in their attempts to somehow shorten the detection times and/or mask the contents of their fluid specimens, with varying degrees of success or lack thereof.

Drinking vinegar will help you pass

This legend is one of the oldest ones in the history of drug testing, and is only partly true. Consumption of vinegar will lower the pH (i.e. increased acidity) of the blood and urine, and drugs that contain amine groups (such as amphetamines) will be cleared out somewhat faster as their water solubility increases due to protonation. Also, the reduced pH can potentially throw off the pH-sensitive enzymes in a particular type of bioassay (EMIT) often (but not always) used as the initial screening test, even for non-amine-containing drugs such as THC. However, vinegar is not necessary to do so, as there are other things (such as high doses of vitamin C) that can do the same thing, but without the almost inevitable diarrhea and vomiting that vinegar can produce after consuming large quantities. Also, the effects of urine acidification on detection times (for any substance) are modest at best, often practically insignificant, and drinking vinegar is thus not very reliable as a standalone measure for beating a drug test.[94]

High doses of niacin will help you pass

This legend has been around for at least a decade. Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is speciously claimed by some to "burn it out" of one's system when taken at high doses (250-500 mg per day). While some Internet (and other) sources often claim that it works wonders, there is zero scientific evidence that it even works at all.[95] Very high doses can also cause adverse side effects.[96]

This legend may have been (inadvertently) inspired by Narconon, a Scientology-based drug rehabilitation program that uses exercise, saunas, and high doses of niacin (and other vitamins) to detox. It is also part of L. Ron Hubbard's general Purification Rundown, which can supposedly remove pollutants as well as drug residues. However, there are currently no peer-reviewed scientific studies to back these methods up.[97]

Secondhand exposure will cause you to fail

This legend is technically true but highly misleading. According to a U.S. Army study, the amount of secondhand cannabis smoke needed to cause a false positive result (failure) is quite large indeed, and would require being sealed in an unventilated car or small room filled with marijuana smokers for several hours.[98] Hair testing, however, is a different matter, particularly with passive exposure to crack/cocaine, which can deposit onto hair and be readily incorporated into it.[99] Though for cannabis, typically only metabolites (produced by the body and thus not found in smoke) are tested rather than THC, so failure is unlikely to result from non-extreme passive exposure.[100][101]

Ibuprofen causes false positives for THC

While this was true in the past, newer versions of the EMIT bioassay are much less sensitive to ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.), and this has become relatively uncommon as of 1998, at least in the United States. However, abnormally high doses of ibuprofen can still potentially cause a false positive in some cases. Nonetheless, this no longer works as an alibi for THC since GC/MS can now distinguish between the two.[102]

Poppy seeds cause false positives for opiates

This rather humorous legend has been featured in several movies and television shows, such as Seinfeld, and contains a "grain" of truth. Poppy seeds do contain trace amounts of morphine, but it would require about 100 poppy seed bagels to reach enough to cause a positive (failed) test result at normal cutoffs. Poppy seed-filled pastries (such as hamantashen), on the other hand, do in fact contain enough to potentially cause a false positive, even when a fairly high cutoff is used.[103]

An episode of MythBusters tested this legend out, and found that as little as three poppy-seed bagels was enough to cause a positive result for the remainder of the day they were eaten (though participants tested clean the following day).[104] The results of this experiment are inconclusive, however, because a test was used with an opiate cutoff level of 300 ng/mL instead of the current SAMHSA recommended cutoff level used in the NIDA 5 test, which was raised from 300 ng/mL to 2,000 ng/mL in 1998 in order to avoid such false positives from poppy seeds.[105]

In addition, one thing poppy seeds do not do is serve as an alibi for heroin: a unique metabolite (6-monoacetylmorphine) is produced from heroin use that is never produced from consuming any other substance, let alone poppy seeds. Modern tests can thus readily tease out whether it was heroin or not, should someone try to claim they merely ate poppy seeds.[106]

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