In Vivo Effects of Illicit Hallucinogens on Human Lymphocyte Chromosomes

Fourteen subjects exposed to illicit lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and nine exposed to marihuana were compared to age-matched controls for effects upon lymphocyte chromosomes. Eight out of 1,284 in the group given LSD, or 0.76%, exhibited chromosomal abnormalities; seven out of 816, or 0.86%, in the group given marihuana; and eight out of 1,018, or 0.79%, in the control group. Cells were grown in medium unenriched with nucleotide precursors. Thus, our negative results mitigate against medium deficiency as contributing toward positive effects. Similarly, our results on individuals whose last dosage was within an hour or so of specimen procurement indicates that this factor may not explain conflicting results.