Products containing LSA (such as Hawaiian Baby Woodrose and Morning Glory seeds) can be found in our LSA seeds category.
What is LSA?
LSA (Lysergic Acid Amide) is a naturally occurring psychedelic found in many plants, with a potency 1/10 to 1/30th that of LSD. It has some similarities in effect to LSD, but is generally considered much less stimulating and can be sedating in larger doses.The most common plants in which it is found are morning glory (Ipomoea violacea), of which the seeds are consumed and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds. Like many psychoactives, these plants have a history of spiritual/religious use among Indian tribes in South America and have they entered the Western world first as a somewhat obscure psychoactive.
History of LSA
The seeds of several types of tropical lianas have been used by the Indians in Mexico in their rituals for a long time. One of the first Spaniards who observed those rituals wrote in his book: "…and when the priests want to communicate with their gods and to receive their message they eat from this plant, from which they later get into delirium. Throughout the whole time, they see thousands of visions and divine hallucinations…"
Because of this total negative attitude of the Spaniards towards those rituals, through the last centuries, they were kept in secret; many of the scientists even began to doubt the stories of the first missioners. The mysterious lianas were found by ethnobotanist Dr Richard Schultes in 1941; it seems that the Zapotec Indians, living in one of the Mexican states still use them for that purpose.
In 1959 Richard Schultes sent samples of a cultivated Mexican morning glory, Turbina corymbosa, to Albert Hoffman, the discoverer of LSD. In 1960, Don Thomes MacDougall reported that seeds of another morning glory, Ipomoea violacea were used as sacraments by certain Zapotecs, sometimes with the Turbina corymbosa seeds and sometimes not. This morning glory species is the one with familiar varieties in America of which not all are “active”. In the end, LSA turned out to exist also in the edible Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds (Argyreia nervosa).
Chemistry
In 1960, Hoffman analyzed the Turbina corymbosa seeds and said they contained ergot-like alkaloids. This was hard for people to believe since previously such chemicals had only been found in the rye fungus Claviceps purpurea (ergot). But Hoffman was right; the seeds contained d-lysergic acid amide. This differs from LSD only in that it has an NH2 where LSD has an N(C2H5)2, but LSD is some 50 to 100 times as potent. The morning glory Turbina corymbosa's seeds also have other psychoactive alkaloids in them: d-isolysergic acid amide, chanoclavine, elymoclavine, and lysergol.
Effects - Tripping on LSA
LSA is taken in orally and after 20 minutes it causes a dream-like state during which the consciousness of the person is completely preserved. In a little bit larger doses these symptoms may get stronger and after an hour the user usually falls asleep. As a matter of fact, LSA causes the typical for LSD visual effects very rarely, except if it is not taken in very large doses.
Onset: 2 hours or so to peak
Duration: 10 - 14 hours
Normal after effects: up to 24
Usage
1 Morning glory seed has about 0.01mg LSA.
1 Hawaiian baby woodrose seed has about 0.25mg LSA.
A common dose varies from 0.5 to 1.5 mg, a strong dose holds 1.5 to 4 mg. Do not use more than 4 mg.
For preparation and methods of consumption, see our Morning Glory and Hawaiian Baby Woodrose pages.
Warnings
Ergometrine has strong uterus-stimulating properties so it's a really bad idea for pregnant women to eat these seeds. Also, these seeds are supposed to be bad for people with liver problems (e.g. jaundice, hepatitis).
Do not combine LSA containing seeds with MAOIs. Both increase blood pressure and the rate at which the heart pumps, and combined it would be dangerous.
And, as with all psychoactive substances do not use any if there is a history or the potential of mental illness unless it has been shown to improve your condition or attitude. Do not use these substances if you are on psychotropic pharmaceuticals or other types of drugs until the research has been done on the possible interactions.
Substitutes
LSA has been seen as a natural substitute for LSD, which is semi-synthetic, stronger and produces heavier hallucinations. LSD is the best known and most researched psychedelic. It is the standard against which all other psychedelics are compared. It is active at extremely low doses and is most commonly available on blotter or in liquid form.
Storage
Both kinds of seeds may lose potency with age and temperature of storage.
