AL-LAD (N6-allyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide) is a semi-synthetic psychedelic lysergamide first synthesized by Andrew Hoffman and David E. Nichols at Purdue University in 1984 as part of a systematic investigation into structure-activity relationships among N6-substituted norlysergic acid diethylamides . The compound modifies LSD's structure by replacing the N6-methyl group with an allyl substituent, producing a psychedelic agent with a notablyshorter duration (6--8 hours versus 8--12 for LSD) and a qualitatively distinct effect profile.
Users consistently describe AL-LAD as more visual and less cognitively demanding than LSD. The experience tends to feature vivid geometric patterning, color enhancement, and fractal imagery while producing less of the introspective depth, thought loops, and emotional intensity characteristic of LSD. This profile makes it sometimes described as a "lighter" or more "recreational" lysergamide --- though it remains a fully psychedelic substance capable of producing profound perceptual alterations at sufficient doses.
AL-LAD appeared on the research chemical market around 2013 and attracted interest both from researchers studying lysergamide pharmacology and from individuals seeking shorter-duration psychedelic experiences. Like other novel lysergamides, it has no approved medical use and limited formal human pharmacological data, though preclinical characterization by Brandt et al. (2017) confirmed its behavioral profile is consistent with a classical serotonergic psychedelic .
References
Hoffman AJ, Nichols DE. Synthesis and LSD-like discriminative stimulus properties in a series of N(6)-alkyl norlysergic acid N,N-diethylamide derivatives. J Med Chem. 1985;28(9):1252-1255. Brandt SD, et al. Return of the lysergamides. Part II: Analytical and behavioural characterization of N6-allyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide (AL-LAD) and (2'S,4'S)-lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ). Drug Test Anal. 2017;9(1):62-79.
Safety at a Glance
High Risk- It is strongly recommended that one uses harm reduction practices when using this substance.
- Although no formal studies have been conducted, it is not unreasonable to assume that as with LSD itself, AL-not habi...
- Toxicity: The toxicity and long-term health effects of recreational AL-LAD use do not seem to have been studied in any scientif...
- Overdose risk: Overdose Profile There are no documented fatal overdoses attributed to AL-LAD in the published me...
If someone is in crisis, call 911 or Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Dosage
oral
Duration
oral
Total: 7 hrs – 10 hrsHow It Feels
The first thing you notice is the light. Within twenty minutes of ingestion, light sources seem to become more generous, spilling their illumination further into the room, catching on surfaces that would normally be unremarkable. A glass of water on the table begins to throw tiny rainbows. The grain of the wooden floor starts to drift and swim. AL-LAD wastes no time establishing its visual credentials.
The body feels clean and energized. There is a notable absence of the heavy body load that can accompany other lysergamides. Instead, a pleasant electric warmth courses through the limbs, and the skin becomes exquisitely sensitive to touch and temperature. Movement feels fluid and rewarding. The stomach remains calm. For many, this physical transparency is AL-LAD's most appealing quality: it lets the experience unfold without the gravitational pull of somatic distress.
At peak intensity, the visual display reaches extraordinary heights. Every surface becomes a screen for fractal geometry, tessellating and morphing in real time. Colors achieve a saturated intensity that seems to exceed the normal gamut of human vision, impossible greens, ultraviolet blues, reds that pulse with their own inner light. Tracers follow moving objects with calligraphic grace. Yet beneath this visual extravaganza, the mind remains remarkably clear. The deep existential questioning and ego dissolution that characterize LSD are largely absent. Thoughts are lucid, conversation is easy, and there is a persistent undertone of playfulness and delight. You are watching the most magnificent light show of your life and you have the mental clarity to appreciate every detail.
The curtain falls relatively early. By five to six hours the intensity has clearly waned, and by eight hours most people feel essentially baseline. The brevity is a relief for some and a disappointment for others. The afterglow is clean and bright, a lingering enhancement of color perception and a quiet sense of well-being that can persist into the following day. There is minimal cognitive fog, minimal physical depletion, just a memory of extraordinary beauty and the clear-eyed awareness to have witnessed it.
Subjective Effects
The effects listed below are based on the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal reports and personal analyses. They should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism. These effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects.
Physical Effects
Physical(23)
- Appetite suppression— A distinct decrease in hunger and desire to eat, ranging from reduced interest in food to complete d...
- Bodily control enhancement— Bodily control enhancement is the subjective feeling of improved physical precision, coordination, a...
- Body load— A diffuse, heavy physical discomfort involving tension, pressure, and malaise in the torso and limbs...
- Changes in felt bodily form— Changes in felt bodily form is the experience of one's body feeling as though it has altered its phy...
- Dehydration— A state of insufficient bodily hydration manifesting as persistent thirst, dry mouth, and physical d...
- Difficulty urinating— Difficulty urinating, also known as urinary retention, is the experience of being unable to easily p...
- Excessive yawning— Involuntary, repeated yawning that occurs far more frequently than normal and often without the usua...
- Increased blood pressure— Increased blood pressure (hypertension) is an elevation of arterial pressure above the normal 120/80...
- Increased bodily temperature— Increased bodily temperature (hyperthermia) is an elevation of core body temperature above the norma...
- Increased heart rate— A noticeable acceleration of heartbeat that can range from a subtle awareness of one's pulse to a fo...
- Increased libido— A marked enhancement of sexual desire, arousal, and sensitivity to erotic stimuli that can range fro...
- Increased salivation— Increased salivation (hypersalivation or sialorrhea) is the excessive production of saliva beyond wh...
- Laughter fits— Spontaneous, uncontrollable, and often prolonged episodes of intense laughter that erupt without any...
- Nausea— An uncomfortable sensation of queasiness and stomach discomfort that may or may not lead to vomiting...
- Perception of bodily lightness— Perception of bodily lightness is the subjective feeling that one's body has become dramatically lig...
- Physical euphoria— An intensely pleasurable bodily sensation that can manifest as waves of warmth, tingling electricity...
- Physical fatigue— Physical fatigue is a state of bodily exhaustion characterized by reduced energy, diminished capacit...
- Pupil dilation— A visible enlargement of the pupil diameter (mydriasis) that can range from subtle widening to drama...
- Sedation— A state of deep physical and mental calming that manifests as a progressive desire to remain still, ...
- Seizure— Uncontrolled brain electrical activity causing convulsions and loss of consciousness -- a life-threa...
- Stamina enhancement— Stamina enhancement is an increase in one's ability to sustain physical and mental exertion over ext...
- Stimulation— A state of heightened physical and mental energy characterized by increased wakefulness, elevated mo...
- Temperature regulation disruption— Impaired thermoregulation causing unpredictable fluctuations between feeling hot and cold, with risk...
Tactile(1)
- Tactile enhancement— The sense of touch becomes dramatically heightened, making physical contact feel intensely pleasurab...
Cognitive & Perceptual Effects
Visual(17)
- After images— A visual phenomenon in which a faint, ghostly imprint of a previously viewed image persists in the v...
- Colour enhancement— An intensification of the brightness, vividness, and saturation of colors in the external environmen...
- Colour shifting— The visual experience of colors on objects and surfaces cycling through continuous, fluid transforma...
- Depth perception distortions— Alterations in how the distance of objects within the visual field is perceived, causing layers of s...
- Diffraction— The experience of seeing rainbow-like spectrums of color and prismatic halos embedded within bright ...
- Drifting— The visual experience of perceiving stationary objects, textures, and surfaces as appearing to flow,...
- External hallucination— A visual hallucination that manifests within the external environment as though it were physically r...
- Geometry— The experience of perceiving complex, ever-shifting geometric patterns superimposed over the visual ...
- Internal hallucination— Vivid, detailed visual experiences perceived within an imagined mental landscape that can only be se...
- Pattern recognition enhancement— An increased ability and tendency to perceive meaningful patterns, faces, and images within ambiguou...
- Perspective hallucination— A hallucinatory phenomenon in which the observer's visual perspective shifts from the normal first-p...
- Scenery slicing— The visual field fractures into distinct, cleanly cut sections that slowly drift apart from their or...
- Settings, sceneries, and landscapes— The perceived environment in which hallucinatory experiences take place, ranging from recognizable l...
- Symmetrical texture repetition— Textures appear to mirror and tessellate across surfaces in intricate, self-similar symmetrical patt...
- Tracers— Moving objects leave visible trails of varying length and opacity behind them, similar to long-expos...
- Transformations— Objects and scenery undergo perceived visual metamorphosis, smoothly shapeshifting into other recogn...
- Visual acuity enhancement— Vision becomes sharper and more defined than normal, as though a slightly blurry lens has been broug...
Cognitive(22)
- Analysis enhancement— A perceived improvement in one's ability to logically deconstruct concepts, recognize patterns, and ...
- Anxiety— Intense feelings of apprehension, worry, and dread that can range from a subtle background unease to...
- Cognitive euphoria— A cognitive and emotional state of intense well-being, elation, happiness, and joy that manifests as...
- Conceptual thinking— A shift in the nature of thought from verbal, linear sentence structures to intuitive, non-linguisti...
- Confusion— An impairment of abstract thinking marked by a persistent inability to grasp or comprehend concepts ...
- Deja vu— Intense, often prolonged sensation of having already experienced the current moment, common with psy...
- Delusion— A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is held with unshakeable certainty and is impervious to con...
- Depression— A persistent state of low mood, emotional numbness, hopelessness, and diminished interest or pleasur...
- Focus enhancement— An enhanced ability to direct and sustain attention on a single task or stimulus with unusual clarit...
- Immersion enhancement— A heightened capacity to become fully absorbed and engrossed in external media such as music, films,...
- Increased sense of humor— A general amplification of one's sensitivity to finding things humorous and amusing, often causing p...
- Mania— Abnormally elevated mood, energy, and activity with impulsive behavior and grandiosity, associated w...
- Memory suppression— A dose-dependent inhibition of one's ability to access and utilize short-term and long-term memory, ...
- Motivation enhancement— A heightened sense of drive, ambition, and willingness to accomplish tasks, making productive effort...
- Novelty enhancement— A feeling of increased fascination, awe, and childlike wonder attributed to everyday concepts, objec...
- Panic attack— A panic attack is a discrete episode of acute, overwhelming fear or terror that arises suddenly and ...
- Paranoia— Irrational suspicion and belief that others are watching, plotting against, or intending harm toward...
- Psychosis— Psychosis is a serious psychiatric state involving a fundamental break from consensus reality — char...
- Thought acceleration— The experience of thoughts occurring at a dramatically increased rate, as if the mind has been shift...
- Thought loops— Becoming trapped in a repeating cycle of thoughts, actions, and emotions that loops every few second...
- Time distortion— Subjective perception of time becomes dramatically altered — minutes may feel like hours, or hours p...
- Wakefulness— An increased ability to stay awake and alert without the desire to sleep. Distinct from stimulation ...
Auditory(4)
- Auditory distortion— Auditory distortion is the experience of sounds becoming warped, pitch-shifted, flanged, or otherwis...
- Auditory enhancement— Auditory enhancement is a heightened sensitivity and appreciation of sound in which music, voices, a...
- Auditory hallucination— Auditory hallucination is the perception of sounds that have no external source — hearing music, voi...
- Auditory misinterpretation— Auditory misinterpretation is the brief, spontaneous misidentification of real sounds as entirely di...
Multi-sensory(3)
- Machinescapes— Machinescapes are complex multisensory hallucinations involving the perception of enormous mechanica...
- Scenarios and plots— Scenarios and plots are the narrative structures that emerge within hallucinatory states — coherent ...
- Synaesthesia— Stimulation of one sense triggers involuntary experiences in another — seeing sounds as colors, tast...
Transpersonal(6)
- Ego death— A profound dissolution of the sense of self in which personal identity, memories, and the boundary b...
- Existential self-realization— A sudden, visceral realization of the profound significance and improbability of one's own existence...
- Perception of eternalism— The experience that all moments across the timeline of existence are equally real and simultaneously...
- Perception of interdependent opposites— Perception of interdependent opposites is the profound, felt realization that reality is structured ...
- Perception of self-design— Perception of self-design is the powerful and often paradoxical feeling that one has personally auth...
- Unity and interconnectedness— A profound sense that identity extends beyond the self to encompass other people, nature, or all of ...
Pharmacology
Mechanism of Action
AL-LAD exerts its psychedelic effects primarily through partial agonism at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, the principal molecular target mediating the hallucinogenic effects of classical psychedelics. Radioligand binding studies conducted by Hoffman and Nichols using rat frontal cortex membrane preparations demonstrated that AL-LAD binds with high affinity to 5-HT2A sites:Ki = 8.1 nM at [3H]ketanserin-labeled binding sites andKi = 3.4 nM at [125I]-R-DOI-labeled sites . These values place AL-LAD in the same affinity range as LSD itself, consistent with the compound's potent psychedelic effects.
Behavioral Pharmacology
In drug discrimination studies --- the gold-standard preclinical model for assessing hallucinogenic potential --- rats trained to discriminate LSD from saline generalized completely to AL-LAD, confirming shared pharmacological activity at the receptor level . More recent characterization by Brandt et al. (2017) using the head-twitch response (HTR) assay in C57BL/6J mice showed that AL-LAD produces a dose-dependent, inverted-U-shaped response curve with maximal effects at 200 microg/kg, nearly identical in shape to the LSD dose-response curve . The calculatedED50 = 174.9 nmol/kg was slightly higher than that of LSD (ED50 = 132.8 nmol/kg), suggesting AL-LAD is marginally less potent on a molar basis.
Receptor Selectivity
Like LSD, AL-LAD likely interacts with multiple serotonin receptor subtypes (5-HT2B, 5-HT2C, 5-HT1A) as well as dopamine receptors, though comprehensive selectivity profiling specific to AL-LAD has not been published. The structural modification at N6 (allyl vs. methyl) preserves the critical pharmacophore elements required for 5-HT2A binding while potentially altering downstream signaling bias --- a hypothesis consistent with the qualitatively different subjective experience (more visual, less cognitive) reported by users.
Structure-Activity Relationship Context
Nichols' systematic work on N6-substituted norlysergic acid derivatives demonstrated that small alkyl and alkenyl groups at this position are well-tolerated and can modulate both binding affinity and functional efficacy at 5-HT2A. The allyl group in AL-LAD introduces a modest increase in lipophilicity and a planar pi-system that may influence receptor binding geometry .
References
Hoffman AJ, Nichols DE. Synthesis and LSD-like discriminative stimulus properties in a series of N(6)-alkyl norlysergic acid N,N-diethylamide derivatives. J Med Chem. 1985;28(9):1252-1255. Brandt SD, et al. Return of the lysergamides. Part II: Analytical and behavioural characterization of AL-LAD and LSZ. Drug Test Anal. 2017;9(1):62-79. Nichols DE. Structure-activity relationships of serotonin 5-HT2A agonists. WIREs Membr Transp Signal. 2012;1(5):559-579.
Detection Methods
Urine Detection
AL-LAD and its metabolites are not targeted by standard immunoassay-based urine drug screens. Because lysergamides are active at microgram doses, the absolute quantity of drug and metabolite present in biological samples is extremely low, making detection inherently difficult. Specialized urine assays using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can identify lysergamide metabolites within approximately 24 to 72 hours after ingestion, though this window is shorter than most other drug classes due to rapid metabolism and renal clearance.
Blood and Serum Detection
Blood detection windows for AL-LAD are narrow. Plasma concentrations peak within 1 to 3 hours of oral administration and fall below detectable thresholds within 6 to 12 hours for most analytical methods. LC-MS/MS can extend this window modestly, but serum testing for lysergamides is rarely performed outside of forensic or research contexts due to the specialized equipment required and the very low concentrations involved.
Standard Drug Panel Inclusion
AL-LAD is NOT included on standard 5-panel, 10-panel, or 12-panel drug screens. These panels test for amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine metabolites, opiates, and PCP (with extended panels adding benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and similar classes). Lysergamides do not cross-react with any of these immunoassay targets. Detection requires a specific request for lysergamide testing, which is uncommon in workplace, probationary, or emergency department screening.
Confirmatory Methods
When lysergamide use is specifically suspected, confirmatory testing relies on LC-MS/MS or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). LC-MS/MS is the preferred method due to its superior sensitivity at picogram-per-milliliter concentrations. Immunoassay-based LSD-specific screens exist but suffer from high false-negative rates with novel lysergamide analogs, as antibody cross-reactivity varies between compounds.
Reagent Testing (Harm Reduction)
For harm reduction identification, the Ehrlich reagent is the primary tool for AL-LAD. A small sample placed on the reagent should produce a purple to violet color change, indicating the presence of an indole moiety characteristic of lysergamides. The Hofmann reagent provides a confirmatory blue to purple reaction. Importantly, the Marquis reagent shows no reaction or a faint olive discoloration with lysergamides, which helps distinguish them from other compound classes. A positive Ehrlich result does not confirm the specific lysergamide identity but does rule out NBOMe and NBOH compounds, which show no Ehrlich reaction. Using both Ehrlich and Hofmann reagents together provides greater confidence in lysergamide identification.
Interactions
| Substance | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 3-FMA | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 4-MMC | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| 8-Chlorotheophylline | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| Adrafinil | Caution | Increases anxiety, cardiovascular stress, and psychological intensity |
| Anandamide | Caution | Cannabis can unpredictably intensify psychedelic effects and increase anxiety |
| Cannabis | Uncertain | — |
| 1,3-Butanediol | Low Risk & Synergy | Cross-tolerance exists; effects compound |
| 25E-NBOH | Low Risk & Synergy | Cross-tolerance exists; effects compound |
| 2C-T | Low Risk & Synergy | Cross-tolerance exists; effects compound |
| 2C-T-2 | Low Risk & Synergy | Cross-tolerance exists; effects compound |
History
The history of AL-LAD is intertwined with the broader story of psychedelic research, which has oscillated between periods of intense scientific interest and strict prohibition.
Like many psychedelic compounds, AL-LAD was either synthesized in a laboratory setting or identified as a naturally occurring psychoactive substance through ethnobotanical research. The mid-20th century saw an explosion of interest in psychedelic compounds, with researchers exploring their potential applications in psychotherapy, creativity enhancement, and the study of consciousness.
The political and cultural backlash of the late 1960s and early 1970s led to the criminalization of most psychedelic substances, effectively halting legitimate research for decades. The resurgence of psychedelic research beginning in the 2000s — often called the "psychedelic renaissance" — has renewed scientific interest in this class of compounds, with clinical trials exploring applications in treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, end-of-life anxiety, and addiction.
AL-LAD exists within this broader pharmacological and cultural context, with its specific history shaped by its date of discovery, legal status, availability, and unique pharmacological profile.
Harm Reduction
It is strongly recommended that one uses harm reduction practices when using this substance.
Although no formal studies have been conducted, it is not unreasonable to assume that as with LSD itself, AL-not habit-forming and that the desire to use it can actually decrease with use.
Tolerance to the effects of AL-almost immediately after ingestion. After that,5-714 days to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). AL-LAD presents cross-tolerance with Cross-all psychedelics, meaning that after the use of AL-LAD all psychedelics will have a reduced effect.
- Overdose
The LD50 of AL-LAD is unknown. Adverse psychological reactions are common especially at higher dosages. Some of these include anxiety, delusions, panic attacks and more rarely seizures. Medical attention is usually only needed if suspected of severe psychotic episodes or “fake acid” (such as 25i-NBOMe or DOB). Administration of benzodiazepines or antipsychotics can help to relieve the negative cognitive effects of AL-LAD.
AL-LAD is currently a gray area compound within many parts of the world. This means that it is not known to be specifically illegal within most countries, but people may still be charged for its possession under certain circumstances such as under analog laws and with the intent to sell or consume.
- Austria: AL-LAD is technically not illegal but it may fall in the NPSG (Neue-Psychoaktive-Substanzen-Gesetz Österreich) as an analogue of LSD.
- Denmark: As of August 25, 2015, AL-LAD is specifically named on the list of illegal substances.
- Germany: AL-LAD is controlled under the NpSG (New Psychoactive Substances Act) as of July 18, 2019. Production and import with the aim to place it on the market, administration to an
Toxicity & Safety
The toxicity and long-term health effects of recreational AL-LAD use do not seem to have been studied in any scientific context and the exact toxic dose is unknown. This is because AL-LAD is a research chemical with very little history of human usage.
The body of anecdotal reports suggests that there are no negative health effects attributed to simply trying the substance by itself at low to moderate doses and using it very sparingly (but nothing can be completely guaranteed). Independent research should always be done to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe before consumption.
As with other psychedelic substances, there are relatively few physical side effects that have been reported associated with acute AL-LAD exposure. Although no formal studies have been conducted, it is likely that as with LSD itself, AL-LAD is able to be considered non-addictive, with an extremely low toxicity relative to dose. It is also likely that as with LSD, there are little to no negative physical, cognitive, psychiatric or other toxic consequences associated with acute AL-LAD exposure.
However, as with LSD and psychedelics in general, it is possible that AL-LAD can act as a potential trigger for those with underlying psychiatric conditions. Those with a personal or family history of mental illness are generally advised not to use this substance, particularly outside of a supervised medical setting.
It is strongly recommended that one uses harm reduction practices when using this substance.
Tolerance and addiction potential
Although no formal studies have been conducted, it is not unreasonable to assume that as with LSD itself, AL-LAD is not habit-forming and that the desire to use it can actually decrease with use.
Tolerance to the effects of AL-LAD is built almost immediately after ingestion. After that, it takes about 5-7 days for the tolerance to be reduced to half and 14 days to be back at baseline (in the absence of further consumption). AL-LAD presents cross-tolerance with all psychedelics, meaning that after the use of AL-LAD all psychedelics will have a reduced effect.
Overdose
The LD50 of AL-LAD is unknown. Adverse psychological reactions are common especially at higher dosages. Some of these include anxiety, delusions, panic attacks and more rarely seizures. Medical attention is usually only needed if suspected of severe psychotic episodes or “fake acid” (such as 25i-NBOMe or DOB). Administration of benzodiazepines or antipsychotics can help to relieve the negative cognitive effects of AL-LAD.
Dangerous interactions
Warning: Many psychoactive substances that are reasonably safe to use on their own can suddenly become dangerous and even life-threatening when combined with certain other substances. The following list provides some known dangerous interactions (although it is not guaranteed to include all of them).
Always conduct independent research (e.g. Google, DuckDuckGo, PubMed) to ensure that a combination of two or more substances is safe to consume. Some of the listed interactions have been sourced from TripSit.
Lithium - Lithium is commonly prescribed for the treatment of bipolar disorder. There is a large body of anecdotal evidence that suggests taking it with psychedelics significantly increases the risk of psychosis and seizures. As a result, this combination is strictly discouraged.
Cannabis - Cannabis may have an unexpectedly strong and unpredictable synergy with the effects of AL-LAD. Caution is advised with this combination as it can significantly increase the risk of adverse psychological reactions like anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, and psychosis. Users are advised to start off with only a fraction of their normal cannabis dose and take long breaks between hits to avoid unintentional overdose.
Stimulants - Stimulants like amphetamine, cocaine or methylphenidate affect many parts of the brain and alter dopaminergic function. This combination can increase the risk of anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, and thought loops. This interaction may also result in an elevated risk of mania and psychosis.
Tramadol - Tramadol is well-documented to lower the seizure threshold and psychedelics may act to trigger seizures in susceptible individuals.
Addiction Potential
Not physically addictive. Like other serotonergic psychedelics, AL-LAD produces rapid tolerance that self-limits compulsive use. No withdrawal syndrome. Cross-tolerance develops with LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and other serotonergic psychedelics. Very low abuse liability.
Overdose Information
Overdose Profile
There are no documented fatal overdoses attributed to AL-LAD in the published medical or forensic toxicology literature. This is consistent with the broader safety profile of classical lysergamides, which as a class exhibit anextremely high therapeutic index --- meaning the ratio between an effective dose and a lethal dose is very large.
Physiological Risk
LSD, the most extensively studied lysergamide, has an estimated LD50 in humans that is orders of magnitude above typical recreational doses. While AL-LAD-specific LD50 data has not been determined (due to its status as a research chemical without formal clinical trials), its close structural and pharmacological relationship to LSD suggests a similarly wide margin of safety with respect to acute physiological toxicity .
The primary risks of AL-LAD overconsumption are psychological rather than physical:
- Overwhelming perceptual distortion and loss of contact with reality
- Acute anxiety, panic, or paranoia ("bad trip")
- Temporary psychotic-like states including delusions, confusion, and disorganized behavior
- Risky behavior resulting from impaired judgment during intense effects
Management
Individuals experiencing a difficult AL-LAD experience should be placed in a calm, low-stimulation environment with reassurance from a trusted companion. In clinical settings, benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam, lorazepam) are the standard intervention for severe psychedelic-induced agitation or anxiety. Antipsychotics with 5-HT2A antagonist activity (e.g., olanzapine) can also terminate the psychedelic state .
References
Passie T, et al. The pharmacology of lysergic acid diethylamide: a review. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2008;14(4):295-314. Nichols DE. Psychedelics. Pharmacol Rev. 2016;68(2):264-355.
Tolerance
| Full | almost immediately after ingestion |
| Half | 5-7 days |
| Zero | 14 days |
Cross-tolerances
Legal Status
Regulatory Status
AL-LAD is not individually listed in the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), placing it in a legal grey area in many jurisdictions. Its legal status depends on whether national legislation specifically names it, captures it under structural-class provisions, or applies analogue laws.
United States
AL-LAD is not explicitly scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act. However, theFederal Analogue Act (21 U.S.C. section 813) may apply because AL-LAD is structurally and pharmacologically substantially similar to LSD (Schedule I). Prosecution requires demonstrating intent for human consumption. No published federal court decisions have specifically adjudicated AL-LAD under this provision .
United Kingdom
AL-LAD was placed under Class A control via theMisuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2015, which specifically scheduled several LSD-related compounds including AL-LAD, LSZ, and ETH-LAD. This followed a recommendation by theAdvisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) . Additionally, thePsychoactive Substances Act 2016 provides a blanket production and supply prohibition.
European Union
- Germany: Controlled under theNpSG (Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz) via structural-class provisions targeting lysergamide derivatives.
- Sweden: Classified as a controlled narcotic substance since 2015.
- Denmark: Specifically scheduled.
- Latvia: Controlled under NPS legislation.
- Switzerland: Specifically scheduled.
Other Jurisdictions
- Canada: Not specifically listed, but potentially prosecutable under analogue provisions of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
- Australia: Captured under Schedule 9 of the Poisons Standard as an LSD analogue.
- Japan: Controlled as a designated substance since 2015.
References
21 U.S.C. section 813 --- Federal Analogue Act. UK Home Office. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2015. Statutory Instrument 2015 No. 1503.
Experience Reports (6)
Tips (10)
Psychedelic tolerance builds rapidly. Wait at least 1-2 weeks between uses of AL-LAD for full tolerance reset. Taking the same dose the next day would require roughly double the amount for comparable effects.
Start with a low dose of AL-LAD if it is your first time. You can always take more next time but you cannot take less once ingested. The difference between a comfortable and an overwhelming experience can be surprisingly small.
150ug of AL-LAD is an excellent starting dose for most people. It provides strong visuals and euphoria comparable to 100ug of LSD but with a noticeably shorter duration of around 6-8 hours and a lighter headspace.
AL-LAD is known for being one of the most visual lysergamides relative to its headspace depth. Expect strong geometric patterns, color enhancement, and breathing surfaces even at moderate doses, without the intense thought loops of LSD.
Do not jump straight to 300ug of AL-LAD even if you are experienced with LSD. While AL-LAD is considered more recreational, high doses can still produce overwhelming experiences. Start at 150ug and work up.
AL-LAD combined with 6-APB is widely reported as an exceptional combination. Typical timing is to take the 6-APB first and add the AL-LAD 1-2 hours later once the empathogenic effects are established.
Community Discussions (4)
See Also
Same Class
References (5)
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety — Griffiths et al. Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)paper
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging — Carhart-Harris et al. PNAS (2016)paper
- PubChem: AL-LAD
PubChem compound page for AL-LAD (CID: 15227511)
pubchem - AL-LAD - TripSit Factsheet
TripSit factsheet for AL-LAD
tripsit - AL-LAD - Wikipedia
Wikipedia article on AL-LAD
wikipedia