Illustrated by Ly Ngo.Between the emerging age of the research chemical, the established history of classic mind-altering substances, and our daily coffee binge, it can be difficult to safely navigate the world of drugs — legal and otherwise. To help us out, harm-reduction group Tripsit released an updated version of their drug-interaction chart this week, and we've included an abbreviated one here.
While Tripsit is a great place to get information on drugs, they make it clear they don't condone the careless combination of substances. So, using the available research, they've compiled as much as they can to educate you before you decide to drop that bean.
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A few interesting patterns emerge here. Of the drugs we've included on this list, opioids are the most deadly. The highly addictive opioid class of drugs includes obvious examples such as heroin, but also a fair amount of prescription painkillers such as codeine, Oxycontin, and Demerol. And, although many people view both alcohol and caffeine as mild, they have some surprisingly bad interactions with party drugs — making them great ways to ruin a night. So, if you’re at a rave, maybe pass on the rum and coke (or, you know, the illicit substances).
Also noteworthy is that benzodiazepenes (e.g., Valium and Xanax) seem to be a safe way to calm yourself down during a stressful MDMA, 'shrooms, or marijuana experience — however, benzos can be deadly when mixed with opiates or even alcohol, so think back to whether or not you had wine with dinner.
Good news for the hippies, though: Both cannabis and mushrooms are considered pretty safe when mixed with everything else on this chart.
Clearly, these are just a few of the many substances someone might be ingesting. So, if any of your drug-combo questions remain unanswered, check out the full list of drugs and how they interact on Tripsit's original chart here.