PCP (Phencyclidine)

PCP was originally tested as a surgical anesthetic in the 1950s. It is known as a dissociative anesthetic because it can make a person feel a sense of detachment, as if the mind is separated from the body. Use in humans was abandoned because many patients became agitated, delusional and irrational while recovering from their operations. PCP use was eventually limited to anesthetizing and tranquilizing large animals. PCP is now illegal. PCP sold on the street is made illegally in labs.

In its pure form, PCP is a white crystalline powder that has a bitter taste. It can be mixed with dyes and can be sold in a variety of tablets, capsules and coloured powder. PCP is easily synthesized; as a consequence, it is often passed off to street buyers as another drug such as methamphetamine, mescaline, LSD or THC (the active ingredient in cannabis).

It is normally snorted, smoked or ingested but it has also been injected. For smoking, it is often applied to a leafy material such as parsley, oregano or marijuana (in which case it is called 'super weed', 'supergrass', 'killerweed' or 'peaceweed'). The variety of street names PCP has reflects its bizarre and unpredictable effects.

The abbreviation PCP comes from the drug's chemical name l-(l-phenylcyclohexyl)-piperidine).

Also Known As: amoeba, angel dust, animal tranquillizer, Cadillac, CJ, crystal, crystal joint, cyclones, DOA (dead on arrival), dust, elephant tranquillizer, embalming fluid, goon, hog, horse tranquillizer, KJ, Lovely, love boat, mess, mist, peace pill, peace, ozone, rocket fuel, synthetic THC, scuffle, seams, sheet, snorts, super rods, surfer, synthetic marijuana, wack, zombie.

Category: Hallucinogens, Dissociative anesthetic

On this page:

• How Does PCP Affect the Body?
• Is PCP Addictive?

How Does PCP Affect the Body?

When smoked or snorted, PCP rapidly enters the bloodstream and then the brain. PCP is thought to exert its effects by altering the distribution of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain. Glutamate is involved in a person's perception of pain, responses to the environment, and memory. PCP also alters dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter often involved in the euphoria caused by many drugs of abuse.

Will PCP always produce the same effects?

The effects of PCP on a person are unpredictable. It is different for everyone. The way a person feels after taking PCP depends on many factors:

• age, body weight, and sex
• mood, expectations, and environment
• the amount of PCP consumed
• whether a person has eaten recently
• the amount of food in a person's stomach
• how often and for how long PCP has been used
• medical or psychiatric conditions
• use of other drugs, including non-prescription, prescription, and street drugs

Short-term Effects

The effects of PCP vary greatly - it is impossible to predict the behaviour of someone who has taken PCP. PCP can produce feelings of well-being and relaxation in users; but, it can also induce severe traumatic effects such as feelings of anxiety (common), fear, panic, agitation and paranoia.

Short-term use of PCP can produce many other effects:

• drowsiness
• impaired coordination
• blurred vision
• dizziness
• increased heart rate and blood pressure
• increased breathing rate
• sweating
• nausea and vomiting
• detachment from the environment and reality
• distortion of body perception (feelings of weightlessness/floating)
• distortion of time/ space
• numbness in the arms and legs
• visual and auditory delusions

In addition, a person could potentially experience:

• aggressive/ hostile/ violent behaviour
• incoherent or inability to speak
• drooling
• severe depression
• hallucinations

Overdoses are life-threatening. Intoxication with PCP can cause convulsions, coma, hyperthermia and death (usually because breathing stops). There are no antidotes for PCP intoxication; overdoses are treated with life support. Comas resulting from PCP may last 7-10 days.

People who have taken high doses of PCP often become severely disoriented and violent and may pose a danger to themselves and others. Suicides, homicides, self-mutilations and other results from extreme violent behaviour have been reported. Other deaths related to PCP have resulted from accidental drowning, motor vehicle accidents or leaps from high places.

PCP also has sedative effects therefore small doses of PCP in combination with central nervous system depressants such as alcohol or opioids can lead to coma.

Long-term Effects

Not a lot is known about long-term PCP use. Use of PCP over an extended period of time can lead to memory loss, difficulties speaking and thinking. These symptoms can last for a year or more after last use. Severe anxiety and depression are common and may continue indefinitely. Some users also report unpleasant flashbacks similar to those experienced with LSD.

Is PCP Addictive?

Risk of physical dependence to PCP has not been specifically studied and reports of physical dependence in humans are rare. People who use PCP regularly do not report physical withdrawal symptoms when they stop. However, PCP can be psychologically addictive. Some people who take PCP repeatedly feel the need to take it and the drug can take on an exaggerated importance in their lives.

Tolerance to the effects of PCP has not been clearly demonstrated. However, it is believed that tolerance can develop with long-term, regular use.