Mode of action of two common hallucinogenic drugs

The mode of action of mescaline and LSD are considered in this paper. Many speculations on this matter have been offered over the years, but none as yet accounts for everything. Such things as structure, metabolism, physiological effects, mental processes affected, and biochemical reactions related to these processes are examined for clues. From this examination it is evident that mescaline and LSD probably do not have the same mode of action, but that they may have some final common pathway. Some type of interference with serotonin by both mescaline and LSD seems to be involved in the mode of action. However, the relationship between biochemistry and mental processes are not well enough understood to identify exactly what biochemical interactions are responsible for hallucinogenic activity. It is possible that continued research with these agents will aid in a basic understanding of the mental processes they affect.