When are research chems no longer considered research chems?

[grandbaby]

I don't know if this is useful, but From Erowid:

Chemicals marked on Erowid by our Research Chemical Symbol should be considered experimental chemicals. Although some people are willing to ingest these chemicals for their effects, it is not reasonable to assume that these chemicals are in any way 'safe' to use recreationally. Although all psychoactive use involves risk, this class of chemicals has undergone virtually no human or animal toxicity studies and there is little to no data on possible long term problems, addiction potential, allergic reactions, or acute overdoses.

Publication of information by Erowid about human use of these chemicals is not intended to endorse their non-laboratory use. It is important to remember that reactions to psychoactives vary dramatically from person to person. Extrapolating anything from any single person's experience with a chemical is inappropriate and may result in dangerous and possibly fatal abreactions.

Some reports of use may include extremely glowing "wow"-type experiences. Reports of this nature should not be misunderstood to suggest that they are common or typical of those who ingest the substance, or that the effects will be pleasant or desirable.

Users should consider carefully before choosing to work with these substances.

I would surmise that any chemical that emerges from outside the world of Big Pharm R&D would be considered a "Research Chemical." The way I see it, RCs are chems that have not had systematic toxicological or other studies in a controlled environment, with double-blind procedures & the bloody Skientific Method and all that. The "research" is done in the field. By people like my monkey and SWI[x].

LSD had many years of carefully controlled and government-sanctioned studies done on it before it leaked into the wider culture, and would probably not quite classify, then, (in my mind) as a "Research Chemical."

(Grey areas open up when thinking about, say, ethnobotanbicals that are relatively uncommon and are beginning to be used in ways other than they have been traditionally; say, as party drugs, or being smoked or extracted and snorted instead of consumed orally, or whatever... but let's not go there. Research Ethnobots?)

I would say that "research chemicals" stop being "research chemicals" only when governments take off their blinders, open up the world of psychoactive chems to legitimate & sanctioned & UNBIASED scientific experiment, allow LD50 and toxicology studies to be performed on them, allow the scientific community to establish consensus on safety and psychoactivity, and allow them to be used. Until then, members of the psychonautical community are the "researchers" -- and all evidence is anecdotal & underground.

(Ordinarily I'd rant on about how the above equates to a giant shrug on the part of government; it amounts to them saying "we don't care if you poison yourselves, you freaks" ... but I'll refrain.)

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