LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE

BULLETIN INTELLIGENCE

U. S. D E P A R T M E N T O F J U S T I C E

Abuse

National-level drug prevalence studies indicate 

that past year rates of LSD use are higher among 

twelfth grade students than any other age group. 

Monitoring the Future (MTF) data for 2003 reveal 

that the rate of past year use for LSD among 

twelfth graders (1.9%) was higher than rates of use 

among eighth graders (1.3%), tenth graders (1.7%), 

college students (1.4%), or young adults (1.2%).

MTF data reveal that past year rates of LSD use 

among males typically are much higher than rates of 

use among females. MTF data reveal that the past 

year LSD use rate among young adults was 2.2 

percent for males and 1.3 percent for females and 

among college students was 2.8 percent for males 

and 1.6 percent for females in 2002—the latest year 

for which such data are available. MTF 2003 data 

indicate that among eighth graders, past year rates 

of LSD use were 1.4 percent for males compared 

with 1.1 percent for females. Among tenth graders, 

past year rates of LSD use were 1.9 percent and 1.6 

percent for males and females, respectively. Among 

twelfth graders, past year rates of LSD use were 2.5 

percent for males versus 1.2 percent for females. 

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data 

indicate that Caucasian males make up the predominant LSD user group entering hospital emergency 

departments for LSD-induced symptoms. DAWN 

data for 2002, the most recent year for which such 

data are available, reveal that 75.2 percent (670 of 

891) of emergency department (ED) mentions for 

LSD were attributed to Caucasian patients, and 

87.1 percent (776 of 891) of LSD ED mentions 

were attributed to male patients. 

Data regarding past year rates of LSD use 

among college students, young adults, and eighth, 

tenth, and twelfth graders indicate sharp decreases 

since 1999, particularly among tenth and twelfth 

graders. (See Table 1 on page 2.)

DAWN data indicate that the number of ED 

mentions for LSD decreased as the past year rates 

of LSD use decreased. DAWN data reveal that the 

estimated number of ED mentions for LSD 

decreased sharply from 5,126 in 1999 to 2,821 in 

2001, to 891 in 2002, the most recent year for 

which such data are available. 

LSD Trafficking and Abuse

Product No. 2004-L0424-026 SEPTEMBER 2004

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, is a powerful 

hallucinogen that alters a user’s mood, thoughts, and perceptions and can induce delusions and visual 

hallucinations that distort the user’s sense of time and identity. Older adolescents, particularly Caucasian 

males, are the predominant users of LSD. LSD trafficking and abuse have long been a concern to law 

enforcement and public health agencies because of the drug’s powerful effects; however, national-level data 

indicate that LSD availability is decreasing and rates of use for LSD have decreased sharply to very low levels. 
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LSD Trafficking and Abuse

2 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE

Availability

Anecdotal law enforcement reporting regarding 

LSD availability is mixed. Reporting from federal, 

state, and local law enforcement agencies indicates 

that LSD remains available to varying degrees in 

most metropolitan areas and that availability is very 

limited in rural areas. Only the DEA Denver Field 

Division and five High Intensity Drug Trafficking 

Areas (HIDTAs)—Gulf Coast, Houston, Midwest, 

North Texas, and South Texas—report increasing 

LSD availability in their areas. Four DEA Field 

Divisions—Newark, New York, Seattle, and St. 

Louis—and four HIDTAs—Nevada, New England, 

Philadelphia/Camden, and Southeast Michigan—

report limited availability.

Notwithstanding the somewhat mixed anecdotal 

reporting from law enforcement agencies regarding 

LSD availability, the National Drug Intelligence 

Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey 

(NDTS) 2004 data indicate low and decreasing LSD 

availability. NDTS 2004 data reveal that 17 percent 

of state and local law enforcement respondents 

nationwide describe LSD availability as high or 

moderate, a slight decrease from 18.9 in 2003. Most 

state and local respondents (66.1%) report low availability in 2004, nearly unchanged from 66 percent in 

2003. Moreover, 13.8 percent of respondents report 

that the drug is not available in their areas, up from 

11.9 percent in 2003.

Consistent with NDTS data that indicate 

decreasing LSD availability, the number of LSDrelated arrests, investigations, indictments, and seizures decreased sharply since 2000. For example, 

the number of arrests reported by DEA for LSDrelated offenses decreased from 162 in 2000, to 94 

in 2001, to 26 in 2002, to 19 in 2003. The number 

of LSD-related investigations initiated by DEA 

also decreased from 85 in 2000, to 40 in 2001, to 

14 in 2002, to 13 in 2003. Similarly, the number of 

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force 

(OCDETF) LSD-related investigations decreased 

from 25 in fiscal year (FY) 2001, to 11 in FY2002, 

to 6 in FY2003.The number of LSD-related 

LSD Use

LSD is taken orally and has a slightly bitter 

taste. Users apply “hits” of liquid LSD to their 

tongues from small breath freshener bottles or 

place gelatin squares, sugar cubes, or small 

pieces of blotter paper that contain liquid LSD 

on their tongues. LSD also is sometimes 

available in tablet form. 

LSD users seek the drug’s powerful hallucinogenic properties. The effects associated with 

LSD use are unpredictable and depend upon 

the amount taken, the surroundings in which the 

drug is used, and the user’s personality, mood, 

and expectations. According to the Drug 

Enforcement Administration (DEA), the average 

effective oral dose ranges from 20 to 80 micrograms. During the first hour after ingestion, the 

user may experience visual changes and 

extreme changes in mood. In the hallucinatory 

state, the user may suffer impaired depth and 

time perception, accompanied by distorted perception of the size and shape of objects, movements, color, and sound. LSD is not considered 

an addictive drug; however, users may develop 

a tolerance to the drug and must consume progressively larger doses in order to experience 

the hallucinogenic effects.

Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.

Table 1. Percentage of Annual LSD Use

by Age Group, 1999–2003

Age 

Group 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

College 

Students 5.4 4.3 4.0 2.1 1.4

Young 

Adults 4.0 3.7 3.4 1.8 1.2

Eighth 

Graders 2.4 2.4 2.2 1.5 1.3

Tenth 

Graders 6.0 5.1 4.1 2.6 1.7

Twelfth 

Graders 8.1 6.6 6.6 3.5 1.9

Source: Monitoring the Future.
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE

National Drug Intelligence Center

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE 3

OCDETF indictments decreased from 15 in 

FY2001, to 12 in FY2002, to 2 in FY2003. According to DEA System to Retrieve Information From 

Drug Evidence (STRIDE) data, the number of 

seized LSD samples submitted for testing 

decreased from 24,460,969 dosage units in 2000, to 

93,973 dosage units in 2001, to 1,624 dosage units 

in 2002, and remained relatively stable at 1,646.6 

dosage units in 2003. 

Production

LSD is manufactured from lysergic acid, which 

is synthesized from ergotamine tartrate—a fungus 

that grows on rye and other grains. LSD producers 

use several production methods; however, all methods require significant laboratory experience and 

chemical knowledge. LSD production is a lengthy 

and complex process; it typically takes 2 to 3 days to 

produce 1 to 4 ounces of crystal LSD, which is then 

converted to liquid by dissolving it in a solvent. 

Most LSD available in the United States is produced in northern California and the Pacific Northwest by a relatively small network of experienced 

chemists; however, independent dealers throughout 

the country produce the drug in limited quantities. 

Seizures of domestic LSD laboratories are rare. 

DEA El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) National 

Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System (NCLSS) 

data show only one reported LSD laboratory seizure in Kansas in 2000, one in Missouri in 2002, 

and one in California in 2003. The laboratory in 

Kansas, located in a former missile silo, produced 

an estimated 94 million dosage units and was 

DEA’s largest LSD laboratory seizure. 

Transportation 

and Distribution

Transportation and wholesale distribution of LSD 

is controlled by the limited number of producers of 

the drug, who supply midlevel distributors in all 

regions of the country. LSD is transported to 

midlevel distributors primarily by private vehicles 

and mail services. Local independent dealers, 

usually Caucasian males in their late teens or early 

twenties, are the principal retail distributors of 

LSD. However, the Milwaukee HIDTA indicates 

that some local independent LSD dealers are 

Mexican nationals, and the DEA Philadelphia Field 

Division identifies members of outlaw motorcycle 

gangs as retail distributors of LSD. Sales of the 

drug most often take place at colleges, high 

schools, nightclubs, and raves. LSD is distributed 

in crystal, tablet, and liquid forms and sells for $1 

to $15 per dosage unit. Liquid LSD is often packaged in small bottles designed to hold breath freshener. LSD also is applied to gelatin squares, sugar 

cubes, and blotter paper. 

Attempt to Produce LSD in Seattle

On February 5, 2004, agents from DEA with assistance from the Seattle Police Department arrested an 

individual and seized chemicals and glassware necessary to manufacture LSD from his residence. The 

suspect was arrested while away from his residence allegedly negotiating a purchase of ergotamine 

tartrate, an LSD precursor, via telephone from a source in Vietnam. After arresting the subject, DEA 

agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence resulting in the seizure of approximately 30 

liters of chemicals including ether, chloroform, nitrogen, anhydrous ammonia, and bromide. Law 

enforcement officials also seized computers, glassware, a vacuum pump, a distillation unit, a manual 

explaining how to manufacture LSD, receipts for chemical and glassware purchases, and approximately 

500 OxyContin tablets. According to DEA officials, the suspect was charged with attempted manufacture 

of LSD and attempted possession of ergotamine tartrate. The King County Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Fire 

Department, and Seattle Medic-1 Unit participated in this investigation. 

Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.
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LSD Trafficking and Abuse

4 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE

Outlook

LSD use will likely remain limited. MTF data 

reveal that past year use of LSD among adolescents, 

college students, and young adults has decreased 

since 1999 and that the level of disapproval of the 

drug remains very high, particularly among twelfth 

graders and adults. For example, MTF 2003 data 

reveal 94.4 percent of twelfth graders disapprove of 

regular LSD use, versus 77.6 percent of tenth graders and 63.5 percent of eighth graders. MTF 2002 

data indicate that disapproval rates of regular LSD 

use are higher than 95 percent for adults aged 19 to 

22 (96.9%), 23 to 26 (97.9%), and 27 to 30 (98.0%).
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE

National Drug Intelligence Center

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE—LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE 5

Sources

Executive Office of the President

Office of National Drug Control Policy

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

Gulf Coast

Houston

Midwest

Milwaukee

Nevada

New England

North Texas

Philadelphia/Camden

Southeast Michigan

South Texas

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Monitoring the Future

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Office of Applied Studies

Drug Abuse Warning Network

U.S. Department of Justice

Drug Enforcement Administration

Denver Field Division

El Paso Intelligence Center

National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System

Newark Field Division

New York Field Division

Philadelphia Field Division

Seattle Field Division

St. Louis Field Division

System to Retrieve Information From Drug Evidence

Office of the Deputy Attorney General

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
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National Drug Intelligence Center

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LSD Trafficking and Abuse

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