LSZ (Lysergic Acid Dimethylazetidide): Stronger Than LSD
LSZ (AKA Lambda) was first discovered in a lab at Purdue University in the mid-1980s. Now it’s going mainstream.
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is just one of several prominent psychedelics in the larger lysergamide family of substances. It’s the most well-known, by far, but it isn’t the strongest nor the longest-lasting member of its group.
Another compound, known as LSZ (lysergic acid dimethylazetidide), is even stronger and longer-lasting than the infamous LSD.
Here, we’ll explore the effects of LSZ and what makes it different from LSD. We’ll touch on the dose, how this psychedelic feels, and why we believe LSZ could be a promising candidate for use in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
What is LSZ?
LSZ stands for lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide — it’s an analog of the more well-known psychedelic LSD.
Analogs are compounds that share very similar chemical structures with a few subtle differences.
LSZ produces virtually the same experience as LSD. The differences are very subtle, and most psychonauts wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if given a blind test.
With that said, the consensus is that LSZ is slightly more potent and longer-lasting than LSD. The come-up is slower but reaches a higher peak before coming down around the same pace as LSD.
This psychedelic is just one of many in the lysergamide class of compounds, each of which offers similar effects but with its own flavor in terms of visual and auditory hallucinations or affinity for inducing introspective or ego-death experiences. LSZ is near the top of this list, offering reliably potent effects that often lead to a deeply mystical experience.
LSZ was first discovered by Dr. David E. Nichols and his team at Purdue University in the mid-1980s, along with ETH-LAD, AL-LAD, PRO-LAD, and others.
LSZ: Specs & Technical Details
| Active Ingredient | Lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide |
| Level of Risk | Low |
| Other Names | Diazedine, Lambda |
| Most Common Side-Effects | Anxiety, paranoia |
| Duration of Effects | 7–11 Hours |
| Legality | Illegal in most countries |
Guidelines for the Responsible Use of LSZ
- ✋🏽 I understand why psychedelics should be treated with respect
- ⚖️ I’m familiar with the laws for LSZ in my country & state
- 📝 I’m familiar with and confident in the dose I’m taking (dose range for LSZ is 80–200 mcg)
- 🧪 I’ve tested a sample of the substance I’m using with a drug testing kit
- 💊 I’m not mixing any medications or other substances with LSZ
- 🏕️ I’m in a safe & comfortable environment with people I trust
- 🤖 One of the members of my group is responsible and sober (AKA a trip sitter)
- ⏳ I have nothing important scheduled for after the trip
- 🧠 I’m in a sound & healthy state of mind
- 📚 I’m familiar with the four pillars of responsible psychedelic use — set, setting, sitter, & substance.
- ⏳ Know the timeline — the effects of LSZ can last between 7 and 11 hours.
- 🙅♀️ Know when to avoid lysergamides — don’t take LSZ if you have underlying heart, neurological, or psychiatric disorders.
What’s The Dose of LSZ?
The dose of LSZ is very similar to LSD. Many people who have used this substance suggest it’s slightly more potent than LSD when taken at the same dose — but this remains up for debate. In general, you can follow the same dosage protocol for LSZ as you would for LSD (80–200 mcg).
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the doses for LSZ:
- Microdose — 10–15 mcg
- Threshold Dose — 20 mcg
- Light Dose — 50–100 mcg
- Standard Psychoactive Dose — 100–250 mcg
- Heroic Dose — 300 mcg
What Does LSZ Feel Like?
The LSZ experience is similar to all the lysergamide family, including LSD. It’s considered a psychological amplifier, which essentially means it inflates your mental state when you start the trip. This can be both good and bad, depending on your mindset and the setting you’re in (set and setting).
Compared to most of the lysergamide class, LSZ emphasizes less the visual hallucination component and more the emotional or philosophical side. This is a very “deep thinking” psychedelic. Users often report life-changing realizations after taking this psychedelic, and the tone of the conversation on LSZ is much more philosophical than it is with other psychedelics.
It works by interacting with the 5-HT2A receptors, which are involved with the suppression of the default mode network (DMN). This is a common mechanism of action among many psychedelics.
This compound can also lead to ego-death experiences or ontological shock if used in high doses.
How Long Does LSZ Last?
The jury is out regarding the duration of effects on this stuff. From personal experience, LSZ is longer-lasting than LSD (though only slightly).
The expected duration of effects is between 7 and 11 hours from start to finish. In comparison, LSD lasts somewhere between 6 and 10 hours.
There are lots of user reports online that suggest LSZ actually has a shorter duration of effects than LSD — but even in this case, it’s only slightly.
There are three isomers of LSZ, one of which (S,S) is significantly stronger than the other two. This difference in potency among the isomers of LSZ could explain the different reports regarding the potency and duration of effects for this compound.
The total duration of effects is comparable to LSD at around 8 hours on average. It usually takes about an hour for the effects to appear first. The effects peak around hour three, last two hours, and then start dropping off.
How to Take LSZ
LSZ is primarily sold in the form of blotter squares. These consist of small (5 mm by 5 mm) paper squares that have been dipped in LSZ.
To take blotters, place one square in your mouth, and hold it under your tongue for about 10 or 20 minutes before swallowing.
Alternatively, you can place blotters in some water or another drink (not hot) and let them sit for 10 minutes so the active ingredients can diffuse into the liquid. You can then drink it to ingest the LSZ.
The reason LSZ and other lysergamides come in blotter paper form is because the dose of these substances is so low, a single drop of the pure liquid is going to be more than the standard psychoactive dosage recommendations call for. A full milligram of LSZ is nearly ten times the recommended dose. By using blotter squares, the dose can be controlled much more easily.
How Strong is LSZ Compared To Other Psychedelics?
LSZ is one of the most powerful psychedelics in the world. This is an award shared by virtually all lysergamides. However, LSZ is even considered powerful within its own class.
The most potent lysergamide is ETH-LAD (of the popular options), with LSZ in second place. It’s stronger than LSD, 1P-LSD, AL-LAD, PRO-LAD, and AL-52 when used at the same dose.
Outside of the potency, LSZ has a few other key differences:
- Emotional effects — LSZ has a strong emphasis on the emotional experience, often producing vivid feelings of love and connection, laughter, and also sadness.
- Less visual intensity — Compared to other members of the lysergamide class, the visual experience isn’t quite as intense (but this is relative, don’t underestimate this substance)
- Sedative — LSZ can be mildly sedating or relaxing, but not nearly as much as LSA. The experience can feel more lucid during the later stages of the trip.
Is LSZ Safe?
There are no clinical studies yet available to confirm that LSZ has the same low level of risk as LSD. However, there have never been any reports of severe side effects of deaths associated with its use.
LSZ, like all lysergamide psychedelics, have a surprisingly little physical impact. They rarely result in any direct physical actions apart from the changes that result from the psychological effects of the substance. For example, when we’re undergoing a strong psychedelic experience like ego-death, our heart rate, and blood pressure spike — but this isn’t caused by the effects of the substance itself. The exception to this rule would be ETH-LAD — which can cause stomach upset, nausea, and increased urination.
There are few, if any, physical effects caused by LSZ.
LSZ Adulteration: “Fake LSZ”
The main concern with all synthetic drugs is adulteration with dangerous chemicals. Because of their prohibited status, it’s common for manufacturers to use potentially harmful alternatives and sell them under the guise of LSZ. The most common problematic substance for LSZ and other lysergamides is a substance called NMOBe. This is because few other compounds are active at sub-milligram doses.
You should always test a sample of your LSZ blotters before you use them.
Use the Ehrlich reagent to ensure the sample you’re using contains an indole moiety — if the liquid changes purple, it means you have a sample that contains any one of the lysergamide class of substances, DMT, or psilocybin — all of which have comparable safety profiles.
If your reagent doesn’t change color, you have something else altogether and should avoid using these substances under any circumstance.
Is LSZ Legal?
LSZ is illegal in most parts of the world, but not directly. This compound is illegal because of how similar the chemical structure is to LSD.
Before 2013, drug manufacturers would produce an analog that was different from substances on the prohibited substance list. Regulators would then find out about the substance when it started showing up on the market and take steps to ban it. By the time the ban was in place, the manufacturers already had another molecule that was just different enough to avoid the new law.
Regulators and drug-makers played this game of cat and mouse for years until countries established analog laws or new psychoactive substances (NPS) laws. According to these laws, any substance considered an analog or derivative of a known prohibited substance is classified as illegal until manually removed from the list.
Most countries have some form of this law, and most countries ban LSD. Therefore, according to the analog act or NPS laws, all LSD-analogues, including LSZ, are illegal by proxy.
There’s some argument to be made here that could put LSZ in a “legal grey area” — but at the end of the day, the DEA and FDA are very likely to interpret LSZ as being illegal and could take action against anybody caught in possession of this substance.
The only real exception to NPS and analog laws is Canada, which for whatever reason, doesn’t have an analog act and has taken no steps to ban psychedelic substances like LSZ. Here, LSZ does indeed live in a legal grey area, and there are both retail and online shops openly selling this substance that have yet to be shut down.
Final Thoughts: What’s The Future of LSZ?
LSZ is one of the more obscure psychedelics on the market today. Most people haven’t heard of it yet, and Google trend data only shows a slight increase in interest over the past couple of years.
LSZ will likely become much more popular in the future as interest continues to develop around the use of psychedelic substances. As more countries and individual states pass laws to decriminalize or legalize psychedelics, more people may seek out some of the niche psychedelics like LSD to explore its unique effects.
The emotional experience of this substance also makes it a potential candidate for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy as a tool for exploring deep personal truths and turmoil to bring them to the surface where they can be integrated.
References
- EMCDDA, E. (2014). EMCDDA–Europol 2011 Annual report on the implementation of Council Decision 2005/387/JHA. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
- Brandt, S. D., Kavanagh, P. V., Westphal, F., Elliott, S. P., Wallach, J., Colestock, T., … & Halberstadt, A. L. (2017). Return of the lysergamides. Part II: analytical and behavioural characterization of N6‐allyl‐6‐nor lysergic acid diethylamide (AL‐LAD) and (2’S, 4’S)‐lysergic acid 2, 4‐dimethylazetidide (LSZ). Drug testing and analysis, 9(1), 38-50.
