The world of new drugs and drug fads move quicker than anyone can keep up with. In fact, if you even tried to understand what ‘the kids’ are taking these days, you’d probably end up both confused and intoxicated quite quickly.
There used to be a time where cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy was all anyone spoke about. However, nowadays, the world of drugs has opened up excessively. The likes of GHB, M-CAT, ketamine, mushrooms, acid, crystal meth and unlimited others are all being taken around the world. Each drug has its own story and its own positives and negatives. So what about Ket, K, or Ketamine? The horse tranquillizer that many people have decided to take, despite not being horses. What is it and what does it do? Let’s delve into the world of ket.
Ketamine is a drug with a very interesting history and reputation, but, like many other mind-altering compounds, it does have a place in both the worlds of the therapeutics and recreation. To learn more about cannabis and psychedelics, make sure to subscribe to The Delta 8 Weekly Newsletter for more articles like this one, as well as exclusive deals Delta 8, Delta 10 THC, THCV, THC-O, THCP, HHC and even on legal Delta-9 THC!
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine, like most drugs, has many different names: ket, wonk, donkey dust, K, Klein and many others. There are unlimited names for most drugs as often all it takes is for someone to invent a new one whilst they’re high, and usually it will stick. Ketamine, or often shortened to just ‘ket’, is an anesthetic that is used by both doctors and veterinarians. The reason why most people refer to ket as ‘horse tranquillizer’ is because it technically is. However, ketamine is also used as anesthetic for most animals. The reason why it is especially popular with horses is because doctors find ketamine to be a helpful way to deal with larger animals.
Most people would say that all drugs have to sit in one of two categories: uppers and downers. Whilst ecstasy would be described as a stimulant or upper, alcohol would be considered a depressant or downer. Ketamine is part of the latter category: the downers. That is because it is literally anaesthetizing the user. Whilst there are also feelings of euphoria, the overarching feeling is weighty and thus it is a depressant, not a stimulant. But what does this drug look like?
What Does It Look Like?
Although Ketamine can be used as a clear fluid by those in the medic world, on the streets – Ketamine is most commonly found as a white powder. It looks very similar to cocaine, but don’t be fooled, they are very different drugs. They are also very different in their potencies. In fact, if you were to take a line of ketamine with a cocaine amount, you’d most definitely be surprised by the strength. It wouldn’t be a good idea, that’s for sure. Ketamine is most commonly sniffed either through a note, or by using a key. Due to its strength, it is often ‘keyed’ because the amount you can place on a key and sniff is usually enough.
Although Ketamine can resemble cocaine, it’s important to remember that they both smell and taste different. For those who are well versed in the worlds of drugs, the differences are pretty obvious. Plus, cocaine can sometimes be sold in rocks, which means you have to crush it first. Ketamine will never be sold in rocks, always in fine powder. However, the similarity between the two substances is definitely something to keep an eye on. Getting the two mixed up will most likely lead to something not very nice. In fact, it could lead to the infamous ‘K-Hole’. Don’t worry… we’ll get on to that later.
The History of Ketamine
The history of Ketamine is a surprisingly interesting one. In 1956, a drug called Phencyclidine was found to be a very good anesthetic for monkeys. It was so useful that doctors then began using it on humans. However, there was a problem. The problem was that those using this drug were beginning to experience side effects. With an ideal anesthetic, the patient will wake up and feel normal after. However, with Phencyclidine, patients were waking up with loss of sensations in their limbs and other senses. This was of course an issue. In conclusion, Phencyclidine was considered to be a bad anesthetic, despite the initial successes. It was then that Dr. Calvin Lee Stevens decided to mess about with the substance, with the aim of synthesizing a better alternative. One without the bugs, but with the positives. Reset Ketamine speaks about what happened next:
“The compounds he synthesized were sent to pharmacological testing in animals, and one compound in particular was found to be a successful, short-acting anesthetic. Selected for human testing, it was titled CI-581 and is what we now call ketamine. Ketamine was named because of the ketone and the amine group in its chemical structure”
After the creation of this new substance, Ketamine took off and was used for a variety of different things. Obviously it was used as an anesthetic on all types of animals and humans. But not only this, Ketamine was found to have euphoric and antidepressant qualities. In fact, Ketamine was used on injured soldiers during the Vietnam War. This is because it was known to help with short-term pain. In addition, Ketamine was being used in small doses to deal with mental health issues like schizophrenia and depression. The use of this drug in dealing with mental issues was seen was a huge breakthrough. However, like all substances, there was of course the recreational side. People were finding ways of making Ketamine and selling it on the black market. This is perhaps where Ketamine gets a negative reputation from.
Ket: How Does It Make You Feel?
Now you understand the history of Ketamine, what it is, and what it might be used for, the question still remains: what does it feel like? Ketamine is a hugely popular drug both in the medic world and recreationally. When used recreationally, ketamine lasts around 30-60 minutes, and takes about 10 minutes to kick in.
Positive Effects
- The feeling of euphoria
- Positive dissociation
- Slows down time
- Allows you to concentrate
- Physical pains subside
- Mental pains subside
- Funny and elaborate thoughts
Negative Effects
- Agitation
- Panic attacks
- Short-term or long-term memory loss
- Negative dissociation
- Can become addictive
- Can feel depressed without it
- You can feel invincible, which could lead to harming yourself
- K-holing
The K-Hole
Anyone who knows about ketamine will have heard of the infamous ‘k-hole’. Now some people enjoy the k-hole, whilst others fear it. It’s sort of like the ‘whitey’ in the world of cannabis. A k-hole occurs when someone takes too much Ketamine. Due to the strength of Ketamine powder, it’s very easy to take too much or become unaware of how much you’ve taken due to anesthetic feeling of the drug. Therefore, k-holes are actually a lot more common than you’d think. The feeling of a k-hole is peculiar. All of those feelings of being outside your body, unable to move freely, and feeling slow, all become extremely strong and sort of paralyze you. It usually feels like it’s lasting hours, when actually it only lasts 30 or so minutes. Ultimately, It isn’t a very pleasant feeling. However, if you’ve got someone around you that you can trust then you should be fine.
Is Ketamine Legal?
Ketamine, much like the majority of drugs, is used in medicines and in doctor’s practices but is illegal to use recreationally. In the UK, it is a Class B drug, which is the same as cannabis. In the US, ketamine is also illegal and is a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
According to the DEA, Ketamine is illegal because it has the potential for abuse. But, on the positive side, in 2019 the…
“FDA approved…Ketamine nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression”
This is a potential positive. Whilst Ketamine is illegal in most major countries, research is definitely being done into how it can be used to help people with mental conditions.
Ket: My Own Experiences
I always like to include my own experiences of the drugs I write about in this series, just so it doesn’t sound like someone who hasn’t himself had his own dealings with Ketamine. I always hate reading about drugs on websites where I know, quite clearly, that that person has never touched a drop in their life. So what do I think about Ketamine?
Well, university was when I had my first dealings with Ketamine; or ‘Ket’ as everyone called it. I was drunk at a very un-cool club night and someone gave me a bag full of white powder and told me to go take a ‘key’ of it. At the time, I didn’t actually know what a ‘key’ was. I imagined you just placed as much powder on a key as you could. I also didn’t want to risk asking and seeming inexperienced. Oh the wonders of peer pressure! So I snuck into the bathroom, got out the baggy, got out my key, and put the key inside. I placed, what I thought, was the right amount of Ket onto the key (which ended up being far far too much) and tried my best to snort it up my nose. I then went back on the dance floor, unaware that my nose now had a huge amount of white powder quite blatantly stuck to it.
For about 30 minutes I felt nothing, and continued to drink and dance with my friends. However, as the minutes went past, I began to feel heavier. I felt amazing. The music slowed down, I slowed down, everyone slowed down. My limbs began to feel like warm pillows and all the negative thoughts in my head left me. It wasn’t the same euphoric feeling of ecstasy, but I still felt good.
However, after a while I realized I’d obviously taken too much. Time didn’t just go slow, it basically stopped. That’s when I remember thinking ‘I’m gonna die’. Which, to be fair, was a classic thought I had when I took most drugs at that age. I then don’t really remember much. It felt like I was stuck in time for hours, but it later turned out to only be about 20 minutes. I just remember sort of regaining consciousness outside in the smoking area, with my friend chatting to me about the price of plastic bags. A very odd experience. I then continued my night and just had very elaborate, comical thoughts. It was definitely a mixed first experience. Although I will add, that now I know how much Ketamine to have, I do find it a very amusing drug; and one with the least negative sides.
What’s Your Opinion?
So, what do you think? Do you think Ketamine is a drug that deserves more research and consideration? Or is its recreational abuse proof that it should be regulated forever? As always, we want to know what you think, drop us a line in the comment section below. Make sure to keep up to date with the rest of the articles in this series as we go through all of the most popular street drugs. Until next time.
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