It was believed that it acted as a growth hormone stimulant. In the 1980's it was still being sold in health food stores. This drug is easy to produce and it is often manufactured in homes with recipes and ingredients found and purchased on the Internet. At low doses, GHB can relieve anxiety and produce relaxation. However, as the dose increases, the sedative effects may result in sleep and eventual coma or death.
Drowsiness occurs rather quickly rendering the victim helpless and vulnerable.
A dose of four to eight grams induces a very deep sleep, usually within 15 minutes. The sleep is so deep that the user may appear to be in a coma as it is impossible to wake the person. This may last from three to four hours. Since the drug is cleared from the body relatively quickly, it is sometimes difficult to detect in emergency rooms and other treatment facilities. GHB is available on the street in both powder and liquid forms, with liquid being the most common.