Questions and Answers

» So Ketamine is a legal high then?

» I heard that Ketamine is just an animal tranquilizer withdrawn from use on people. Isn't that a sign that it's dangerous?

» Is Ketamine just another name for Angel Dust (PCP)?

» Is Ketamine addictive?

» Is it true that some ecstasy pills are really just K?

» Can you smoke Ketamine?

» Is it easy to overdose or die taking Ketamine?

» Can regular use hurt me?

» Will Ketamine show up on a urine drugs test?

» How can an anesthetic be so psychedelic?

» Is it true that you can only get the full Ketamine trip by injecting it rather than snorting it?

» What is the 'K-hole'?

» ask us a question

So Ketamine is a legal high then?

Not exactly. You can't buy it over the counter or just go and ask your doctor for a prescription. Ketamine is restricted to use in hospitals by the Medicines Act as a prescription only medicine.

Unauthorized supply is illegal and if you are apprehended by police with a wrap of 'Special K' powder you will have some explaining to do. You may be fined and even imprisoned if you have a sufficiently large amount of the drug that you are deemed to be supplying.

In the US, Ketamine is a schedule III drug. Possession and supply is illegal without prescription.

If you know the legal status of Ketamine in your country please email us with the details and source of the information.

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I heard that Ketamine is just an animal tranquilizer withdrawn from use on people. Isn't that a sign that it's dangerous?

Ketamine is not a tranquillizer. Ketamine is used in hospitals all around the world 'for the induction and maintenance of anaesthesia.' It's recommended for us on children and geriatrics because it is very safe and gentle anesthetic. However, all anesthetics are very powerful and potentially dangerous drugs, and using them recreationally is a whole different ballgame.

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Is Ketamine just another name for Angel Dust (PCP)?

Ketamine is very similar in its chemical make-up to PCP (Phencyclidine) but is shorter acting and less toxic. Both drugs were patented by the same pharmaceutical giant, Parke-Davis, for use as general anesthetics.

PCP stopped being used on people because of unpredictable side-effects, including psychotic behavior. Legal production of PCP has since been discontinued. Ketamine has no history of producing such psychotic side effects.

Is Ketamine addictive?

Ketamine does not appear to be physically addictive, but recent research and anecdotal reports do point to Ketamine being extremely habit-forming, especially for injecting users. See our section on addiction & tolerance for more details.

Is it true that some ecstasy pills are really just K?

This is indeed true. Although Ketamine is very different from Ecstasy, it can approximate some kind of trippy euphoria when taken orally at low doses and combined with a stimulant like ephedrine.

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Can you smoke Ketamine?

Smoking powdered Ketamine in a joint is not especially pleasant and will not noticeably speed up the onset of the Ketamine effect.

Is it easy to overdose or die taking Ketamine?

Ketamine deaths are extremely rare. You will pass out long before you could administer a lethal dose (4.5 grams and above). However, Ketamine is a powerful hallucinogen and large doses are not recommended for newcomers to psychedelic experiences.

Can regular use hurt me?

Ketamine is relative safe drug compared to other recreational substances. It has been used in medicine all over the world for over 20 years and its pharmacological, short term and long term effects are well known. But like any mind-altering drug, heavy and prolonged use of Ketamine can at the very worst destroy any sense of what is real and leave you uninterested in the relatively mundane, everyday world. Letting any drug take over your life is extremely dangerous.

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Will Ketamine show up on a urine drugs test?

Highly unlikely. Ketamine is not one of the substances tested for in drug tests. For more information on drug tests see our guide here

How can an anesthetic be so psychedelic?

This is because of the way Ketamine works on the brain. As it disconnects your brain from your body, the mind takes over with its imagination. Ketamine has been compared to a waking dream. Enthusiasts claim that when you no longer have the interference of everyday bodily sensations, you open up unused senses and spiritual insights. You can find some detailed explanations of brain effects here.

Is it true that you can only get the full Ketamine trip by injecting it rather than snorting it?

Afficionados claim that injection is the only way to feel the 'true' Ketamine high. In its pure form, Ketamine is produced commercially as a clear liquid for intramuscular (into a muscle) injections. It is designed to be injected by medical professionals, and we cannot stress strongly enough how dangerous any kind of self-administered injection is. Don't even try to inject K intravenously (into a vein), because you'll pass out before you finish the injection.

What is the 'K-hole'?

This describes the peak effect of a strong Ketamine trip when users' bodies are virtually paralyzed, while the sense of self feels removed from the body.

Do different brands of Ketamine have different effects?

Pharmaceutical liquid Ketamine is sold under various trade names, notably Ketalar, Ketaset, and Ketamine 500. Different brands can have different effects. For instance, Ketalar contains the preservative benzthonium chloride, which is an anticholinergic agent that counteracts the effects of the brain neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. It has its own psychoactive effects separate from Ketamine, mainly "delerium" at higher doses. Ketamine 500 contains the potentially neurotoxic substance, chlorobutanol, which has displayed harmful effects in some animal experiments. (1)

It is not known whether these preservatives survive the 'cooking' process when converting liquid K to powder.

» ask us a question

1. Ketamine: Dreams & Realities p.38 (original source: Malinovsky, JM, Servin, F, Cozian, A, Lepage, JY, Pinaud, M, Souron, R (1993) "Is Ketamine or its preservative responsible for neurotoxicity in the rabbit?" Anaesthesiology 77(2): 203-207

Ketamine Photos

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