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National Drug Intelligence Center New Mexico Drug Threat Assessment April 2002 Other Dangerous DrugsThe other dangerous drugs (ODDs) category includes club drugs (stimulants, sedatives, and hallucinogens), psilocybin, and diverted pharmaceuticals. Currently, the threat posed by ODDs to New Mexico is minimal. Club drugs seized or purchased by law enforcement personnel in New Mexico include MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). Increases in the availability and use of these club drugs have been noted by New Mexico law enforcement officials; however, the user population remains limited. The use of psilocybin and some diverted pharmaceuticals is also of concern to law enforcement authorities. Club DrugsMDMA, also called ecstasy, Adam, XTC, E, or X, is a synthetic psychoactive drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties. MDMA was patented in Germany in 1914 and sometimes was given to psychiatric patients to assist in psychotherapy. This practice was never approved by the American Psychological Association or the Food and Drug Administration. Users say MDMA, sometimes called the hug drug, makes them feel good. However, the drug may cause psychological difficulties similar to those associated with methamphetamine and cocaine abuse including confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia. The physical effects include muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, blurred vision, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. MDMA taken in high doses can be extremely dangerous. It can cause a marked increase in body temperature leading to muscle breakdown and kidney and cardiovascular system failure. MDMA use may lead to heart attack, stroke, and seizures as reported in some fatal cases at raves. Recent research links MDMA to long-term, possibly permanent, damage to parts of the brain that are critical to thought and memory. There also is evidence that individuals who develop a rash after using MDMA may suffer severe liver damage or other serious side effects. The availability of MDMA in New Mexico has increased near college campuses, in urban areas, and in some locations near the border. Law enforcement officials in urban areas of the state report that MDMA is increasingly available. The DEA Albuquerque District Office reports that an MDMA tablet sells for $11 at the wholesale level and $25 at the retail level. Caucasian males generally distribute MDMA at raves, dance clubs, and nightclubs, where young people tend to gather.
LSD is available and abused in the state. It is a hallucinogen that induces abnormalities in sensory perception. It is odorless, colorless, and has a slightly bitter taste. LSD is sold in tablet, capsule, and liquid form. Common street names are acid, boomers, or yellow sunshines. Effects are evident 30 to 90 minutes after taking the drug, with many users experiencing long-term disorders called flashbacks. LSD is available but generally limited to college campuses and suburban middle and high schools throughout New Mexico. Its popularity as a club drug has increased slightly, but overall use remains stable. Laboratory analysis reveals potencies to be approximately 60 micrograms per dose, much less than 200 to 300 micrograms commonly reported during the 1960s and early 1970s. The DEA Albuquerque District Office reports that the drug is in short supply and high demand, with a wholesale price of $250 per 100 dosage units.
PsilocybinPsilocybin, also known as cubes, liberty caps, magic mushrooms, mushies, mushrooms, psilocybes, and shrooms, is the psychoactive ingredient found in certain mushrooms, notably, two Mexican species--Psilocybe mexicana and Stropharia cubensis. Hallucinogenic mushrooms used in religious ceremonies by the Indians of Mexico were considered sacred and were called "God's flesh" by the Aztecs. In the 1950s the active ingredients psilocin and psilocybin were isolated from the Mexican mushrooms. Psilocin and psilocybin produce effects similar to those produced by LSD. The chemicals take effect within 20 to 30 minutes of ingestion and last about 6 hours, depending on dosage. The physical effects of psilocybin appear within 20 minutes of ingestion and can include nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, yawning, drowsiness, tearing, facial flushing, enlarged pupils, sweating, and lack of coordination. Other physical effects include dizziness, diarrhea, dry mouth, and restlessness. The psychological and physical effects of the drug include changes to auditory, visual, and tactile senses. Colors reportedly appear brighter and users report a crossing of the senses; for example, "seeing a sound" and "hearing a color." Psilocybin mushrooms, though limited, are available in some areas of New Mexico. Law enforcement authorities in Albuquerque and Las Cruces report that psilocybin mushrooms are abused in their jurisdictions. The DEA Albuquerque District Office reports that psilocybin mushrooms from California are available for approximately $900 per pound.
Diverted PharmaceuticalsPharmaceutical diversion and abuse are concerns in New Mexico, although not to the same extent as other illicit drugs. Prescription fraud by abusers, illegal sales by pharmacists, and indiscriminate prescribing by practitioners occur in the Albuquerque area. Law enforcement personnel in Albuquerque report that pharmaceuticals, particularly oxycodone (Percocet) and hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab) products, are being diverted, distributed, and abused in their jurisdiction. Other diverted and abused pharmaceuticals in New Mexico include Darvocet, Dilaudid, Soma, Valium, and Xanax.
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