Marijuana
MDMA/Ecstacy
Heroin/PCP
Random Drug Related
Drugs for Medical Treatment
100
True/False - George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannibus and were both known to be prolific smokers of marijuana
What is False Though both men were growers of marijuana, there is no evidence they used it to smoke though there IS evidence they were growing for the hemp that can be produced.
100
True/False - MDMA use has been known to result in holes in the brain as seen on MTV's True Life where one person's SPECT scans reflected a brain that looked like swiss cheese.
What is False. Actually, no known drug is capable of creating physical holes in the human brain, though some substances (e.g., neurotoxins) can still do significant damage.
100
True/False - As of May 2010, there were 14 deaths attributed to Anthrax that had been purposefully added to heroin for street sales.
What is False. Since December 2009, there have been reports of street heroin contaminated with anthrax, a deadly bacterium used as a biological weapon, in the UK and Germany. Such a contaminant is not only extremely deadly, but it is generally undetectable until it is too late. As of May 2010, there have been 14 reported deaths associated with anthrax contamination in the UK (mostly Scotland) and one in Germany, and the "bad batch" may still be in circulation in Scotland. Strange as it sounds, this "legend" is in fact true, but it is not thought to be deliberate.
100
True/False - There is a legend that originates in the 70's that smugglers used the bodies of babies to smuggle drugs into the U.S.
What is True. This legend, dating back to the early 1970s and first appearing on the Internet in 1996, claims that drug traffickers are smuggling illegal drugs (typically cocaine) in hollowed-out dead babies to avoid detection. Allegedly, tourists' babies are kidnapped, killed, cut open, filled with drugs, and sewn shut so the contraband can be more readily sneaked over the border. However, according to U.S. Customs and other law enforcement agencies, there are no verifiable reports of this ever happening, and thus this myth is unfounded. While smugglers have been known to be quite creative in devising new methods to get their wares across national borders undetected, this is not one of them.
100
True/False - Heroin is being used as a pain treatment for some cancer patients.
What is False Some advocates of heroin legalization argue that it should be available as an alternative opioid because some patients respond better to one opioid than another. That is true. However, we already have a variety of opioids commercially available in this country. If a patient does not respond to morphine as expected, it would be more logical to use a chemically different opioid (e.g., hydromorphone, methadone) than a morphine product [such as heroin]. Therefore, the argument for heroin is not logical.
200
True/False - People who smoke marijuana are no more likely to develop cancer than non-smokers.
What is True. A common misconception is that smoking one joint is like smoking an entire pack of cigarettes however the largest study of its kind by the University of California - Los Angeles found that people who smoke marijuana are no more likely to develop lung cancer or head and neck cancers than non-smokers.
200
True/False - MDMA is being studied as a possible treatment for Parkinson's Disease.
What is True. Another legend, often mentioned together with the "holes in the brain" myth discussed above, is that MDMA causes Parkinson's disease, possibly with even one night of exposure. This was partially based on an animal study that found neurotoxicity to dopaminergic neurons after administering the drug to monkeys. However, the study has been retracted by the researchers who conducted it because they had accidentally given methamphetamine instead of MDMA to the animals, given the similar chemical names (MDMA stands for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Ironically, it is now being investigated as a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease.
200
True/False - "Cheese" or "Tylenol with Smack" is a heroin-based recreational drug that came to the attention of the media inside and outside the United States after a string of deaths among adolescents in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, between 2005 and 2007.
What is True (sort of). It seems likely that the concept was originally created as a joke, and after seizures of low purity heroin cut with paracetamol (acetaminophen) "validated" the claims, the DEA issued a warning. Although the source of the original hoax is gone, newspapers and media outlets continue to reference each other with no mention of any primary sources, perpetuating the myth of cheese as "starter heroin" for children.
200
True/False - Drug laced suckers and candy were found in 2004.
What is True. According to the U.S. DEA, suckers containing THC and/or PCP have been found and confiscated in Chicago in the spring of 2004. They also report that in 2003 and 2004 some psilocybin mushroom chocolate candies were seized near Amarillo, Texas, and that hollowed-out lollipops filled with heroin have been seized in New York City.
200
True/False - GHB or the date rape drug is a legitimate treatment for Narcolepsy/Cataplexy (a sleeping disorder where one cannot control their ability to stay awake).
What is True. In some people with narcolepsy, the condition can also cause a sudden loss of muscle control and weakness, known as cataplexy, which is usually triggered by emotions such as amusement, anger, or excitement. Clinical trials showed Xyrem can reduce the number of these cataplectic attacks when taken at bedtime and again 2 1/2 to 4 hours after falling asleep.
300
True/False - Marijuana killed Bruce Lee.
What is False A number of rumours surfaced surrounding the cause of action film star Bruce Lee's death in 1973, one of which was that he had been killed by the consumption of cannabis. Lee died of a cerebral edema several hours after taking the painkiller and muscle relaxant equagesic.
300
True/False - Much street MDMA is actually deliberately impure which usually results in a drop in efficacy.
What is False. It is believed these 'impurities' are actually added to enhance effect, and terms like "speedy" (contains amphetamines) and "dopey" (contains opiates) are often used to describe different concoctions. Therefore, this makes the urban legend correct, but misunderstood. Some pills don't even contain MDMA at all, however, and in most places it is impossible to know for certain what one is getting since quality control is nonexistent for illegal drugs.
300
True/False - Cotton fever is a high fever supposedly caused by injecting cotton fibers into the blood stream when shooting up heroin. Cotton is sometimes used as a crude filter for particulate matter prior to IV injection.
What is False. In general, cotton fever refers to a fever that users believe is caused by inanimate particulate matter injected into the blood stream. In reality, the particulate matter causing cotton fever is bacteria from lack of sterile technique. Most cases of cotton fever resolve as the body clears the infection.
300
True/False - Taking large doses of Niacin (B3) will "burn out" evidence of drug use in your system and is a great way to try to avoid detection in urinalysis.
What is False. This legend has been around for at least a decade. Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is speciously claimed by some to "burn it out" of one's system when taken at high doses (250–500 mg per day). While some Internet (and other) sources often claim that it works wonders, there is zero scientific evidence that it even works at all. Very high doses can also cause adverse side effects.
300
True/False - THC, the chemical derived from Marijuana is a legitimate treatment for Glaucoma.
What is True (sort of). While THC DOES decrease intraocular pressure, smoking marijuana would NOT provide the same benefit. It is simply the chemical THC that shows such results.
400
True/False - The potency of marijuana has increased 2-3 times what it was from 1982 to 2007.
What is True. An oft-repeated legend is that today's cannabis is at least an order of magnitude stronger than in the past (and by implication much more dangerous). THC levels are allegedly 10, 20 or even 30 times higher than in the 1960s or 1970s. Although potency levels have risen in several countries (such as the US and UK), the actual increases have been much more modest.
400
True/False - MDMA drains spinal fluid (as spoken about in Eminem's 2000 songs "Drug Ballad" and "The Kids."
What is False This myth appears to be derived from research in 1994 in which serotonin breakdown products were measured in the spinal fluid of ecstasy users. However, it was the researchers, not the drug, who drained the fluid (for the purpose of testing).
400
True/False - Though people claim Rodney King was on PCP, he actually only tested postive for Marijuana and Cocaine.
What is False Rodney King only tested positive for Marijuana and ALCOHOL.
400
True/False - Poppy Seeds can cause false positives on drug tests for Marijuana.
What is False. Though they CAN cause false positives for opiates. This legend has been around for at least a decade. Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is speciously claimed by some to "burn it out" of one's system when taken at high doses (250–500 mg per day). While some Internet (and other) sources often claim that it works wonders, there is zero scientific evidence that it even works at all. Very high doses can also cause adverse side effects.
400
True/False - Marijuana is a useful treatment for AIDS patients.
What is False Studies show that marijuana actually damages one's immune system and makes one more susceptible to colds, viruses, and influenza.
500
True/False - Smoking marijuana has been known to cause both short and long term memory loss.
What is False. While under the influence of cannabis, there is short-term memory loss but long term, persistent memory loss has not been found conclusively in any rigorous, carefully controlled scientific study.
500
True/False - MDMA is the third most common illicit drug.
What is True? The third most common illicit drug that is the source of urban legends is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), better known as "ecstasy". In the United States, this substance was banned in 1985, and other countries followed suit as well. Among American youth, MDMA was most popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, peaking in 2001 and declining thereafter.
500
True/False - PCP doesn't actually give someone superhuman strength.
What is True. while PCP commonly results in psychotic symptoms (to one degree or another) coupled with inability to feel pain, thereby making users feel invincible and appear to have "superhuman" strength, it does not typically make the user significantly stronger in reality than they otherwise would be. The exception is when a user experiences excited delirium, a severe and life-threatening reaction that occasionally results from use of PCP as well as various stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines. Excited delirium has also been reported to occur without any drug use, and the increased strength that results is most likely caused by a massive increase in adrenaline.
500
True/False - Ibuprofen causes false positives for THC.
What is False. While this was true in the past, newer versions of the EMIT bioassay are much less sensitive to ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.), and this has become relatively uncommon as of 1998, at least in the United States. However, abnormally high doses of ibuprofen can still potentially cause a false positive in not only THC but other drugs such as barbiturates. Nonetheless, this no longer works as an alibi for THC since GC/MS can now distinguish between the two.
500
True/False - Desoxyn (methamphetamine) is an approved treatment for Anorexia/Bulimia.
What is False. Desoxyn IS however, an FDA-approved treatment for obesity and ADD/ADHD.
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