ABSTRACT
The drugs described in this chapter-phencyclidine (PCP), ketamine, γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), dextromethorphan (DXM), Salvia divinorum, and propofol-are hallucinogens. All save Salvia are N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) channel blockers (Jordan et al., 2006). In vitro evidence suggests that none of them binds to the D2 dopamine receptor, as do stimulant drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine. While the psychological profiles produced by their use appear to be grossly similar, Salvia is a pure κ blocker that operates via a completely different mechanism than other hallucinogens. Propofol is an agonist at γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A receptors, occasionally exerting hallucinogenic effects, depending on dosage. DXM is a cough remedy that shares many of the hallucinogenic properties of other NMDA blockers, but only when used to excess.
