Weirdest Ways People Get High
From snake venom to nutmeg, the strangest ways people have looked to get stoned.
I should preface this article by explaining that I have never used drugs and am not promoting any of the methods described herein. This article is the result of me watching too many Vice videos and being simultaneously fascinated and horrified about the lengths people will go to for a fix.
1. Snake Venom
Grover et al. looked at the effects of snake venom on a 33-year-old male. The subject had a history of substance use for the past 15 years. By the age of 25 the subject started taking opioids and became highly dependent over the next year. The subject learned from his friends about the intoxicating effects of snake venom which could also act as a substitute to opioids. The patient subjected himself to the snake bite over the top of his tongue.
The snake bite was associated with jerky movements of the body, blurring of vision, and unresponsiveness, i.e. “blackout” as per the patient for 1 h. However, after waking up he experienced a heightened arousal and sense of well-being, which lasted for 3–4 weeks, which according to the patient was more intense than the state of high experienced till that time with any dose of alcohol or opioids. During these 3–4 weeks, he did not have any craving for alcohol and opioids and did not consume the same. After 3–4 weeks, the sense of well-being started to decline, he started to remain irritable, lethargic and started having craving for drugs. Following this, he again went for a snake bite. He again had a similar experience lasting for 3–4 weeks. After this, he started indulging in the snake bite every 3–4 weeks, so as to experience the sense of well-being and high associated with the snake bite.
It is thought that the alpha-neurotoxin found in cobra venom is known to act on nicotinic acetyl choline receptors (nAChRs). These possibly act through the acetylcholine receptors and can substitute morphine and mitigate opioid withdrawal.
2. Cough Syrup
Certain cough syrups contain a substance called dextromethorphan (DXM) which replaces codeine in cough medicines. At very high doses, it can mimic the effects of illegal drugs like PCP and ketamine. What surprised me most about using cough syrup to get high was the popularity of this drug. Zimbabwe is at risk of losing its youth to cough syrup, as the addiction epidemic has already engulfed what the experts estimate could be over half the country’s young people. BronCleer is the most popular cough syrup brand used and whilst being banned in Zimbabwe it is illegally imported from South Africa. It is sold on every street corner, in bars, schoolyards and on busses for as little as $3 a bottle. Despite the growing problem, Zimbabwe’s government has not yet opened rehabilitation clinics, meaning addicts are often sent to prison or psychiatric wards.
3. Nutmeg
Although generally known as a simple cooking spice common in autumn seasonal dishes, nutmeg actually contains trace amounts of myristicin when reduced to an essential oil form.
The first claims of nutmeg “intoxication” date back to the 1500s, after a pregnant woman had eaten more than 10 nutmeg nuts. It wasn’t until the 19th century that researchers began to investigate the effects of myristicin from nutmeg on the CNS. It takes quite a large dose to produce any noticeable effects, but those effects can include powerful hallucinations, similar to taking LSD, and can last several days.
In addition to the short-term effects of nutmeg intoxication, there are much more dangerous risks of consuming too much of this spice. In some cases, toxic doses of myristicin have caused organ failure. In other cases, nutmeg overdose has been linked to death when used in combination with other drugs.
4. Reindeer Urine
Reindeer urine contains psychoactive properties due to Fly Agaric mushrooms, a common diet staple of wild reindeer. Reindeer go to great lengths to seek out these mushrooms and eating the fungi makes them behave drunkenly, run about aimlessly and make strange noises. Head twitching is also common.
Fly Agaric mushrooms have psychoactive effects when eaten raw but also cause nausea and vomiting. Koryak peoples of Siberia discovered that passing through a reindeer’s urinary system removed these negative side effects while retaining the psychoactive effects.
5. iDosing
As odd as it may sound, some people have learned to get high using sound.
Commonly called iDosing, hearing some sound patterns at specific frequencies can have mind-altering effects. The music aims to simulate various mental states through the use of binaural beats, some of it named after recreational drugs. I-Doser tracks are usually 30–40 minutes long and administered with a program called I-Doser. The file format containing the encoded sounds ends in .drg which only the I-Doser program can run.
Generally speaking, this may be the safest form of substance abuse included on this list and has been subjected to much scepticism.
