DOSE:		oral	Tryptophan - 5-HTP	(capsule)
		smoked	Cannabis	(plant material)

BODY WEIGHT:

135 lb

[Erowid Note: Would the author of this report please contact sage@erowid.org. We have a question about the report.]

Upon hearing of a possible synergy between 5-HTP, a serotonin precursor, and marijuana, I obtained a bottle of the above mentioned suppliment from a local grocery store in the vitamin section.

100mg of 5-HTP was given to a friend, and he was instructed to put this substance in a 00 size gelcap. He then filled a second gelcap with sugar. He marked the gelcaps with a #1 and a #2, taking note of which number gelcap contained the 5-HTP.

A second friend recieved the gelcaps, and was not told which gelcap contained the 5-HTP. His job was to randomly administer to myself the gelcaps. I would swallow the pills with eyes closed, so as not to accidently distinguish between the appearance of the sugar and the 5-HTP however subtle.

3 sessions were to take place, each occouring 1 week after the previous. I abstained from all marijuana use for 1 week before beginning the study, and I haden't used any other drugs for at least 6 months, excluding nicotine and caffeine, which were present throughout the studies. The marijuana was in the form of 3 medium-small joints, all originating from the same bag. The buds were finely chopped, mixed, and weighed into 3 equal piles, and rolled.

Control session-

The first joint was smoked. Nothing much to note, moderate quality marijuana, the usual effects. The Marijuana is definatly not laced with anything, and is the same as what I am used to.

session #1-

(later determined to be the 5-HTP session)

0:00 - Gelcap ingested on empty stomach.

0:30 - No alteration is noticed from the gelcap. At this time the marijuana is smoked. I definatly feel different than with just the marijuana. Perhaps placebo, perhaps not.

0:35 - Now I'm sure I feel different. The high is faster, and more psycadelic compared to a normal marijuana high. I feel almost speedy, and euphoric. Very similar to some of my first pot experiences. If this is a sugar pill, I have to invest in some sugar.

1:00 - I still feel very 'up.' Interesting, the high has mellowed a little, but the main effects havent really declined that much.

3:00 - 3 hours into the experience, and I'm definatly near baseline. The duration of the high seems to not have been affected by the pill I took.

conclusion - I believe this was the 5-HTP session, but I could always be wrong. Marijuana was definatly enhanced by whatever was in that pill.

session #2-

(later determined to be the placebo session)

0:00 - Gelcap ingested on an empty stomache.

0:30 - No alteration noticed from the gelcap. At this time the marijuana is smoked. I feel a little different than with just marijuana. Maybe I was wrong about the last session being 5-HTP.

0:35 - Now I feel just the regular marijuana high. Nothing really different. No speedy feeling, no euphoria other than the expected from pot, nothing.

1:00 - I'm convinced this is a placebo. I don't feel any different than with the control study.

3:00 - Near baseline


Summary-

It seems that preloading with 5-HTP does have a marked and definate effect on the pharmacology of marijuana. The placebo and control sessions were nearly identical, while the 5-HTP session was marked by an enhanced high. The enhancement took the form of increased euphoria, more intense high, and speedier, less tired/sleepy, mental state. 5-HTP is readily available from vitamin and grocery stores, and is not extremely expensive. It provides a unique and interesting synergy with marijuana, and definatly warrants future exploration.

No more wars, drug or otherwise.

Exp Year: 2001	ExpID: 12676
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 10, 2003	Views: 51,783
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Tryptophan - 5-HTP (196), Cannabis (1) : Combinations (3), Small Group (2-9) (17)