Hallucinogens: Core Concepts

This course is part of our Core Concepts Series, which reviews potentially impairing drug classes from three scientific perspectives: Pharmacology, Forensic Toxicology, and Clinical Toxicology. A future supplemental series will add law enforcement and DRE perspectives for each drug class as well.

Hallucinogens encompass a variety of natural and synthetic substances with diverse chemical characteristics. The term “hallucinogen” has been used somewhat broadly in society to encompass a large collection of psychoactive drugs, but this course focuses on those acting primarily through serotonergic or anticholinergic pathways – consistent with the classification used in the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program.

The use of hallucinogenic drugs dates back thousands of years, but in the last century their use by people driving cars or performing other high-risk tasks has become increasingly problematic. This course will explore the breadth of hallucinogenic substances commonly abused in modern culture, their mechanisms of action, important principles in forensic investigation of hallucinogen impairment, clinical effects, and other related topics.