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Toad Venom As A Drug (Toad Licking; Etc.)

M

MagusPerde

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How 'bout all them people that were lickin' frogs a while back? Anyone remember that? That was freakin' awesome. I mean I always lick frogs anyway, too bad I don't have any of the good stuff around here.
 
Them were cane toads, they wuz.

Embedded link is dead. The MIA web article can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/2004102.../en/drugs/rare_and_exotic_drugs/toadlick.html

For archival purposes, here's the text from the MIA webpage ...
Toad Licking: The Latest High​

NOTICE: TO ALL CONCERNED Certain text files and messages contained on this site deal with activities and devices which would be in violation of various Federal, State, and local laws if actually carried out or constructed. The webmasters of this site do not advocate the breaking of any law. Our text files and message bases are for informational purposes only. We recommend that you contact your local law enforcement officials before undertaking any project based upon any information obtained from this or any other web site. We do not guarantee that any of the information contained on this system is correct, workable, or factual. We are not responsible for, nor do we assume any liability for, damages resulting from the use of any information on this site.

Licking toads will not give you warts or produce a fairy prince, but it might get you high. It isn't exactly an epidemic, but the Drug Enforcement Administration says toad licking is the latest way to hallucinate. "It sounds like a fairy tale gone wrong, doesn't it?" said Robert K. Sager, chief of the DEA's laboratory in San Francisco. "Now, I don't think this is going to be a great problem because people don't go around licking toads as a habit." The culprit: the Cane toad. "They're beautiful toads," Sager Said. "People like them." The Cane toad, which can grow to the size of a dinner plate, produces a toxin called bufotenine, which the toad secretes to ward off predators. When licked raw. or cooked, the toxin acts as a hallucinogen. In the Southwest recently, several dogs have died after eating Cane toads, and the DEA has had bufotenine turn up at its research labs from time to time after drug arrests. In Washoe County, the prospect of gonzo toad lickers in our midst produced a few chuckles in the offices of the county's Consolidated Narcotics Unit.

"We're not aware of any toad-licking problems," said Sparks police Lt. Tim Gonyo, who heads the unit. "As far as we're aware of, toad-licking has not hit Washoe County." Local pet store operators reacted with astonishment. "That's pretty gross," said Michele Robinette, manager of Reno's Pets Unlimited. "That's a new one, and we've heard a lot of strange things around here." Robinette said she knew of no area pet stores that peddle the mind-altering amphibian. The green and red toads produce the same toxin found in amanita mushrooms, cohoba seeds and other plants. Indians in South America have used the toxin for its hallucinogenic qualities for years in religious ceremonies, and some tribes have used it in blowguns to kill dinner. Bufotenine is considered a controlled, dangerous substance and is therefore illegal.

However, it is not against the law to own a Cane toad. a favorite of aquarium afficionados. "If you had a toad. we would have to prove you were licking it on purpose, or you had given it to someone to lick on purpose," Sager explained. The Cane toad has come into some renown in Australia. where four people died last year after partaking of its marbled flesh. (Depending on the size of the toad and the concentrations of toxin consumed. bufotenine can be fatal). The toad was imported to Australia from Hawaii in 1935 to kill the Greyback beetle, which was destroying sugar-can@ in Queensland. The toad adapted beautifully, multiplied in the millions and ate everything - except for the beetle. Last fall, officials in Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, announced an elaborate plan to eradicate the poisonous toads, which today pose a major threat to the continent's fauna and wildlife. In recent years, toad licking has become popular in the Australian outback, prompting Queensland's government to classify the toad slime as an illegal substance under its Drug Misuse Act. "That's how this whole cycle started - a lack of dope in the Australian outback," Sager said. "There, they are killing the toads, drying the skins and making tea. Yummy, huh?"
 
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Thanks, Leaferne, that article's great. My favorite quote: "If you had a toad, we would have to prove you were licking it on purpose, or you had given it to someone to lick on purpose."

So what would that get you? Toad possession with intent to lick? Wow. Incidentally, I stepped on a slug barefoot the other night. Are there any slugs you can lick for a high?
 
Originally posted by Leaferne
Them were cane toads, they wuz.
Click to expand...

The whole toad drug issue is pretty clouded.

The venom of Bufo alvarius (the Colorado river toad) contains 5-methoxy-DMT, a substance that is known to be psychedelically active. It is not active orally, only by smoking, snorting or injection.

The venom of all other Bufo species contains bufotenine, a substance that has not been proved to be psychedelic, though some people believe that it is. Again, it cannot reach the brain via the oral route, so it would have to be smoked, snorted or injected.

Additionally, there are various compounds in toad venom that are highly irritating to the mucous membranes- this is the property that protects the toads from predation. If you lick a toad, you are more likely to end up with a severe burning sensation in your mouth and nose than you are to get high.
 
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A new study finds that a psychedelic found in toad venom may help people struggling with depression or anxiety.

Research conducted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine shows the fast-acting psychedelic, 5-MeO-DMT (it currently lacks a marketable household name), helped relieve symptoms in about 80 percent of the 362 study participants who tried it in a group setting. The authors believe the short duration of psychedelic effects make it a more favorable therapy for patients.

5-MeO-DMT is found in the venom of the Bufo alvarius toad (also known as The Colorado River toad), as well as in some plants, but scientists have been able to produce it synthetically. Prior research by Davis has shown the substance has a low risk for health and legal consequences.

https://www.studyfinds.org/psychedelic-toad-venom-helps-relieve-depression-anxiety/

I can remember stories about toad-licking as far back as the Seventies. Didn't the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers try it?

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
A new study finds that a psychedelic found in toad venom may help people struggling with depression or anxiety.

Research conducted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine shows the fast-acting psychedelic, 5-MeO-DMT (it currently lacks a marketable household name), helped relieve symptoms in about 80 percent of the 362 study participants who tried it in a group setting. The authors believe the short duration of psychedelic effects make it a more favorable therapy for patients.

5-MeO-DMT is found in the venom of the Bufo alvarius toad (also known as The Colorado River toad), as well as in some plants, but scientists have been able to produce it synthetically. Prior research by Davis has shown the substance has a low risk for health and legal consequences.

https://www.studyfinds.org/psychedelic-toad-venom-helps-relieve-depression-anxiety/

I can remember stories about toad-licking as far back as the Seventies. Didn't the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers try it?

maximus otter
Click to expand...

I hope the NHS and HSE will provide these toads to the needy.
 
Here's what seems to be the first attempt at a study to determine possible beneficial effects from toad goo / toad dust.

The study has flaws, but it's probably sufficient to demonstrate further (and better organized) research is warranted.
Snorting Powdered Toad Secretions Just Once Is Linked to Feeling Happier For a Month

In the last few years, evidence has been emerging that several psychedelics seem to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Now scientists have tested a new compound - and early trials indicate that it, too, has potential.

As with many other psychedelics, this one comes from nature, too. Specifically, we're talking 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), secreted by the Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius).

Among a small group of people, researchers led by Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that inhaling dried-and-powdered toad secretions resulted in increased life satisfaction, better mindfulness, and a decrease in psychopathological symptoms for the duration of the four-week-long study.

According to the team, this result shows more research is needed into the potential beneficial effects of 5-MeO-DMT. ...

"Interestingly, those respondents who reported a psychiatric disorder mentioned that 5-MeO-DMT had helped them reduce their symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress, or effectively deal with alcoholism and drug abuse."

Users, the researchers noted, have reported that toad goo produces a more intense psychedelic effect than plant- or fungus-based psychedelics. ...

To investigate this stronger effect, the team set out to conduct an observational study of the potential antidepressant properties the toad psychedelic might have.

Forty-two participants from around the world completed baseline tests before inhaling a vapour of dried toad dust, and then did the tests again within 24 hours of the inhalation.

Then, 24 of those participants completed a final round of testing four weeks later. Of those 24, most reported feeling better about their life, more mindful, and less depressed, anxious and stressed even four weeks after that single dose. And the stronger their psychedelic experience, the more pronounced were the prolonged effects.

It is important to note that this is not necessarily indicative of the whole gamut of experiences, the researchers said, since nearly half of the participants who completed the 24-hour survey did not return for the final tests.

"Their reasons for not completing the assessments are unknown but potentially could be driven by disappointments that emerged over the experience," they write in their paper. ...

"It is unknown whether the experience from inhaling vapour from dried toad secretion containing 5-MeO-DMT fulfilled the expectations and motivations of all participants."

It's also possible to have a bad trip on 5-MeO-DMT, leading to feelings of increased anxiety and paranoia, the researchers noted. So it's possible that the participants who did not return may have had a bad experience.

Thus, if only the people who had a good experience completed the assessments, that could have introduced a selection bias into the results, since there was no control group. Additionally, the doses were eyeballed rather than strictly weighed, adding another limitation to the study.

"The present findings can therefore only be taken as a preliminary indication of the impact of inhaling vapour from dried toad secretion containing 5-MeO-DMT on mental health parameters," the team writes.

The researchers do emphasise that the study was done to determine if further research into the potential therapeutic benefits of 5-MeO-DMT is worth pursuing.
Click to expand...
FULL STORY: https://www.sciencealert.com/snorti...once-can-make-people-feel-happier-for-a-month
 
EnolaGaia said:
Here's what seems to be the first attempt at a study to determine possible beneficial effects from toad goo / toad dust.

The study has flaws, but it's probably sufficient to demonstrate further (and better organized) research is warranted.

FULL STORY: https://www.sciencealert.com/snorti...once-can-make-people-feel-happier-for-a-month
Click to expand...

On the face of it interesting, but I'm surprised they didn't follow up to find out why more than half didn't do it again. They don't seem to have been contacted after the first experience, from the report. It's not very effective as research if you only follow one line. Did they have a bad trip? Did it kill them? OK unlikely, but you'd want to know..

I'm wondering where did it take place - presumably in a medical facility of some kind. There would surely have to be medical types around to keep an eye on them in case things went pear shaped. Strong psychedelics are not to be taken lightly & people can have different reactions to them. According to the report, toad goo has a more powerful psychedelic effect than plant or fungus-based ones.
That includes such substances as LSD (from ergot fungus), mescaline (from the peyote cactus), psilocybin (from mushrooms) and ayahuasca (from a vine).
Click to expand...
It's not very scientific to do a drug test then only take the results from less than half the participants. Maybe it had a good effect on all of them & they were happy to stick with that, but again, you'd want to know.
 
hunck said:
On the face of it interesting, but I'm surprised they didn't follow up to find out why more than half didn't do it again. They don't seem to have been contacted after the first experience, from the report. It's not very effective as research if you only follow one line. Did they have a bad trip? Did it kill them? OK unlikely, but you'd want to know..
Click to expand...

Oh, I agree .... The researchers themselves acknowledged these issues ...

The published report can be accessed at:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-019-05236-w

... should you wish to delve into the details.

There was no repetition in administration of the psychoactive agent. There was a single exposure, combined with a test battery consisting of multiple data collection / ranking components. Participants were supposed to complete the test battery at 3 points: prior to the test, 24 hours after the test, and circa 4 weeks after the test. Of the 75 participants overall only 42 completed the T+24h battery, and only 24 completed the T+4week battery.

The two post-session follow-up batteries were apparently conducted via online means rather than in-person. It's not clear how readily the researchers could contact participants following the initial session.

The researchers acknowledged the limited and potentially biased outcomes obtained owing to decreasing response / reporting at the second and third data collection points.


hunck said:
I'm wondering where did it take place - presumably in a medical facility of some kind. There would surely have to be medical types around to keep an eye on them in case things went pear shaped. Strong psychedelics are not to be taken lightly & people can have different reactions to them. According to the report, toad goo has a more powerful psychedelic effect than plant or fungus-based ones.
It's not very scientific to do a drug test then only take the results from less than half the participants. Maybe it had a good effect on all of them & they were happy to stick with that, but again, you'd want to know.
Click to expand...

Facilitators conducted the first (baseline; drug administration) session. The initial test sessions were conducted in 3 countries (Netherlands, Spain, and the Czech Republic).
 
hunck said:
... Did they have a bad trip? Did it kill them? OK unlikely, but you'd want to know. ...
Click to expand...

Not unlikely at all ... In this case from Spain the first application (in a private, not a clinical, setting) proved fatal.
Spanish porn star who 'killed fashion photographer by giving him poisonous hallucinogenic toad venom during shamanic ritual' is charged with manslaughter

A Spanish porn star has been charged with manslaughter after a fashion photographer died from inhaling psychedelic toad vapour.

Nacho Vidal, 47, could be considered responsible for the death of Jose Luis Abad after administering the Colorado River Toad venom at his house in Enguera, Valencia, in July 2019, a judge has said.

It is thought that Vidal, who has starred in more than 600 adult films, provided the substance as part of a shaman ceremony to help Abad cure his cocaine addiction. ...

In a video, recorded on Abad's mobile phone, he can be seen inhaling the crystallised venom for 20 seconds before he begins to sob and contort his arms and legs ...

Two others ring bells and beat tambourines but Abad's face and chest began turning blue. ...
Click to expand...
FULL STORY: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...tographer-died-home-inhaling-toad-vapour.html
 
The smoking of a powerful hallucinogenic toad venom in short retreats, a practice known as “speed-toading,” is exploding in the Caribbean tourist hub of Tulum, where it’s now a sought-after New Age healing tool.

smoking_toad_by_cgbandit-d5nr1fe-1962289344.jpg


Bufo alvarius, which contains the fast-acting psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT—regarded by many as the world’s most powerful psychoactive substance—and often referred to simply as bufo, is touted by some of its purveyors as a miracle cure for the ills of the modern world and mental health issues.

Emerging research suggests it reliably brings about mystical experiences, reduces depression, and relieves anxiety. But a significant minority of users report serious mental health difficulties after smoking the so-called “God molecule.”
“I was falling into nothing. I was doing flips. My arms and legs were going in different directions, dancing crazily. I was laughing hysterically because I was so happy, all while floating above my physical body. It was literally the best feeling ever,” recalled 23-year-old former pharmaceutical factory worker “Charlotte”.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5...king-toad-venom-in-mexicos-hipster-town-tulum

maximus otter
 
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Octavio Rettig is likely a charlatan cult leader.

The Pied Piper of Psychedelic Toads​

Octavio Rettig, an underground practitioner of 5-MeO-DMT, a hallucinogenic substance derived from Sonoran Desert toads, claims that he has revived a lost Mesoamerican ritual.

In 2013, a charismatic Mexican doctor took the stage at Burning Man, in Nevada, to give a tedx talk on what he called “the ultimate experience.” The doctor’s name was Octavio Rettig, and he would soon become known by his first name alone, like some pop diva or soccer star. He told the crowd that, years earlier, he had overcome a crack addiction by using a powerful psychedelic substance produced by toads in the Sonoran Desert. Afterward, he shared “toad medicine” with a tribal community in northern Mexico, where the rise of narco-trafficking had brought on a methamphetamine crisis. Through this work, he came to believe that smoking toad, as the practice is called, was an ancient Mesoamerican ritual—a “unique toadal language,” shared by Mayans and Aztecs—that had been stamped out during the colonial era. He announced that he’d restored a lost tradition, and that he had a duty to share it with others. “Sooner or later, everyone in the world will have this experience,” he told an interviewer after the talk. ...

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/28/the-pied-piper-of-psychedelic-toads
 
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