Preamble

I wrote a post about this event a while ago, but I’ve decided to repost it because I didn’t explain it in much detail. I’ll tell you a story about how this book almost got me busted. It’s a long story so don’t feel obligated to read it, but everything I post on this website is pretty much an essay, but I had this one written and on the back burner for a while.

The history lesson is more unnecessary. I wrote an essay about Alexander Shulgin for actual college, and it’s mostly for psychedelic science nerds or people who are interested. If you don’t care I’d just say skip to the more goblin like story. Some of the locations are censored due some of the subreddit’s auto mod rules on location.

TL;DR My humongous notorious drug cook book in my carry on almost lead to TSA finding my weed.

Part 1: Alexander Shulgin and PiKHAL/TiKHAL History Lesson

Part 2: The Story

It’s actually the worst book I could’ve brought on an airplane to get flagged. It was either PiHKAL or TiHKAL(Phenethylamines/Tryptamines I have known and loved) by psychopharmacologist Alexander Shulgin and his wife psychedelic Therapist Ann Shulgin. Now that I think about it, it was probably PiKHAL, because I remember the TSA guy looking at me weird after reading the subtitle “A Chemical Love Story,” as opposed to the much less suspicious “The Continuation.”

Alexander Shulgin and PiKHAL/TiKHAL History Lesson

To start with a history lesson and the backstory of the book, Alexander Shulgin, known as the godfather of psychedelics was a psychopharmacologist, a medical, bio, and organic chemist was a H0rvard dropout, and he finally got his degrees at Cal, UC B3rkeley after finishing his time in the Navy. He started his carrier in the 60s and invented the first biodegradable pesticide, Zectran while working at DOW chemical. This patent was extremely successful and gave him the career autonomy that would lead to his psychoactive inventions. It was also around this time he discovered mescaline which was so impactful to it began to lead his research more towards psychopharmacology, but couldn’t act on his desire due to the inability to do independent research.

He formed a great relationship with the DEA and hosted many pharmacology seminars about controlled substances with them. His relationship with the DEA became stronger when he authored the definitive law enforcement reference book, supplied samples of various compounds, and occasionally serving as an expert witness in court. He gained a DEA Schedule I license for an analytical laboratory, which allowed him to synthesize and possess any otherwise illegal drug. He then set up his own synthesis laboratory in his backyard.

He is the chemist who created the modern synthesis for MDMA, and also invented 2C-B, DOM(known as STP), and the functional analogue of psilocin 4-HO-MET(metocin) along with 230 documented psychoactive drugs. A lot are all used as research chemicals or commonly as recreational drugs today, though some are much more popular than others. He invented and synthesized many of these theoretical drugs, but some of which he resynthesized chemicals already discovered.

Fun fact: His “magical half dozen” or the chemicals that were most important to him (5/6 he synthesized himself) were mescaline, DOM, 2C-B, 2C-E, 2C-T-2, and 2C-T-7.

The book is two things the first is he describes how Shulgin would synthesize these chemicals, and if he thought they were safe enough, then proceed to have his group of psychonaut friends try them. The other side of the book is pretty much a step by step guide on how the synthesize these chemicals. SF’s DEA spokesperson said, “It is our opinion that those books are pretty much cookbooks on how to make illegal drugs. Agents tell me that in clandestine labs that they have raided, they have found copies of those books.“

A couple years later after the release of the first book he was severely fucked by the DEA, because like yeah writing a book about how you have all your friends try the research chemicals you cook up with your schedule 1 license, which includes step by step synthesis techniques will do that. But, he was never arrested, his laboratory was raided by the DEA, was fined $25,000 for accepting anonymous samples sent to him quality analysis, and of course was stripped of his coveted license.

So yeah, I think an extremely descriptive trip report book combined with a drug cookbook is a pretty bad choice for the airport and an even worse to be flagged.

The Story

So, enough history now to get into the actual story:

I actually forgot that was the book I brought and once they started to search my bag I was like “oh fuck.” But, it was mostly fine the only two things they asked me was “do you often fly with this book” which I responded “Nope, just reading it for the first time to kill some time,” and “What do you do for a living?” Which I responded “I study chemistry in college,” which in retrospect I definitely shouldn’t have answered with that in this context, but I was too anxious to lie. They simply flipped through all the pages of the book and my journal to make sure nothing was hidden it in.

They definitely didn’t pay that much attention to it, but they also definitely noticed the subtitle “A chemical love story,” because they looked at me kind of funny as I was dressed in a complete psychedelic button down, 70s corduroys, and platform doc martins, but hey it’s not illegal to dress a little funky, maybe a little suspicious though. But, the rest of the story might’ve been a little more illegal.

The book was one thing, it might’ve been weird, but it isn’t illegal, but the only thing I was thinking about when my bag was flagged was that I had a turn brand(great brand btw) THC pen, that has a California “CA!” marijuana symbol imprinted on the disposable. The pen was in my gopro travel case and my heart fucking dropped when they opened it. They poked in proded around, but it was black, small, and blended in enough with the black case, it was right under an accessory, and I could see it slightly sticking out with my own two eyes.

If they actually searched that throughly or removed anything I would’ve been doneso. Quite literally centimeters away from being (potentially) fucked, even though they usually don’t care about vapes, even if it’s weed. It’s actually a rule that you have to keep any vapes in your carry on so the lithium batteries don’t explode from the pressure in the cargo hold. They don’t really care if you’re flying domestically especially at the airport I was in. Honestly people fly with ounces and quarter pounds all the time. They definitely would’ve been suspicious though, because it was hidden and to top it all off I was flying to a state that was illegal at the time, and I also didn’t have my medical card.

I also brought a full sized bottle of miralax that they ran an analysis on to see if I was bringing a fuck ton of fent or some other disguised powder of the sorts. I also had two prescription bottles one with Vyvanse, the other with Adderall. They rechecked my ID to see if it was my prescription, which it was so no big deal.

So, to reflect upon my experience, looking back on it, if I were to be caught with it, it would’ve been better if I hadn’t hidden it because it would’ve been far less suspicious. The biggest reflection looking back is if I would have flown with acid at the time that book would’ve been EXACTLY where I would’ve put it. I had flown with acid before and put it in the pages of my journal, which could’ve easily flung right out of it when they flipped through the pages.

So, yes that’s my story about how my copy of Alexander and Ann Shuglin’s notorious research chemical cookbook, almost got TSA to find my weed, with the included history lesson. Would it have been a problem? Who knows we’re not in that multiverse. If you take anything away from this, don’t bring a huge book on your carry on, don’t keep any drugs in said huge book, ESPECIALLY if you have drugs or anything illegal you don’t want to be found in your bag, and ESPECIALLY if that book is a drug cookbook.

Peace everyone, be safe.