LSD Trips Linger Long

People can't end an LSD trip fast, even when the drug leaves the bloodstream, in spite of the fact that it has a half-life of 30 minutes. In 2017, researchers showed that an LSD molecule gets stuck inside a brain serotonin receptor at an angle, and a loop on the receptor folds over like a lid. That lid traps the molecule, slowing its exit and keeping the receptor active. The mechanism explains why the hallucinogenic effects can persist for up to 18 hours despite the drug's short presence in circulation.

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