PRO-LAD: The Forgotten LSD-Alternative

By now, most people have heard of LSD — but few people know there are actually several different types of LSD.

PRO-LAD is an LSD derivative that shares virtually identical effects and safety profile — but with a gentler nature and stronger body high.

Here, we’ll explore why this forgotten LSD alternative is so underrated on the market today. We’ll cover dosage information, what to expect, and what to do to stay safe with this gentle (but formidable) psychedelic.

What is PRO-LAD

PRO-LAD stands for 6-propyl-6-nor-lysergic acid diethylamide. It’s an analog of the more well-known psychedelic LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). Analogs are compounds that share similar but distinct chemical structures.

LAD is the acronym for the central skeleton that makes up the bulk of the PRO-LAD molecule. It’s also the skeleton for LSD and a host of other related lysergamide derivatives.

The acronym for LSD could also be LAD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), but the compound was invented in Switzerland by a chemist named Albert Hofmann. The German word for “acid” is saure, so the chemical was originally named lysergsäurediethylamide — hence the common name LSD instead of LAD.

PRO-LAD shares many of the same characteristics as LSD. It produces distortions in visual and auditory perception; it promotes a deep state of introspection and feelings of connectedness. In high doses, PRO-LAD can lead to ego-death experiences.

This psychedelic was first discovered in a Purdue University laboratory sometime in the mid-1980s by Dr. David E Nichols. He discovered several LSD analogs, including AL-LAD, ETH-LAD, and LSZ. These lysergamides were first highlighted in a paper published in 1984 [1].

PRO-LAD: Specs & Technical Details

Active Ingredient	6-Propyl-6-nor-lysergic acid diethylamide
Level of Risk	Low
Other Names	Unknown
Most Common Side Effects	Stomach Discomfort, Paranoia
Duration of Effects	6–8 Hours
Legality	Illegal in most countries

Guidelines for the Responsible Use of PRO-LAD

🐍 I understand why psychedelics should be treated with respect
⚖️ I’m familiar with the laws for PRO-LAD in my country & state
🍄 I’m familiar with and confident in the dose I’m taking (the dose range for PRO-LAD is 80–300 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 PRO-LAD
🏔 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 PRO-LAD can last between 6 and 8 hours.
🙅‍♀️ Know when to avoid lysergamides — don’t take ETH-LAD if you have underlying heart, neurological, or psychiatric disorders.

What’s the Dose of PRO-LAD?

PRO-LAD follows the same dosing recommendations as LSD, at around 50–200 mcg per dose. The threshold dose is reported to be around 40 mcg.

A threshold dose is the minimum amount of a substance needed to produce noticeable sensory effects.

Compared to LSD, PRO-LAD is slightly weaker overall. This means at the same dose; the PRO-LAD experience is going to be marginally milder.

Anecdotal reports of people who have tried a few of the lysergamide class of compounds also report slightly weaker effects from PRO-LAD compared to LSD, ETH-LAD, 1P-LSD, or LSZ. However, most people likely won’t be able to tell the difference between the effects of these closely related psychedelics.

Detailed dosage breakdown for PRO-LAD:

Microdose — 10 mcg
Threshold Dose — 30–50 mcg
Light Dose — 60–100 mcg
Standard Psychoactive Dose — 100–250 mcg
Heroic Dose — 300 mcg +

What Does PRO-LAD Feel Like?

All lysergamides produce a similar experience — characterized by an expansion of your current mental state, visual and auditory hallucinations, euphoria, introspective thoughts, and ego-dissolution.

PRO-LAD is no different and may produce all these effects. The outcome of the experience is largely influenced by your own thoughts and emotions. If you’re anxious when you start the trip, this feeling is going to expand substantially, and you’re likely going to have a difficult time with PRO-LAD.

However, if you go into the experience feeling happy, adventurous, and content — these feelings are going to expand even further.

This is why experienced psychonauts are constantly emphasizing a concept dubbed “set and setting.” This refers to the mindset and the environment you’re in when you engage in your trip.

It’s important to set an intention before you start the trip, do your research on the proper dose and expected outcome of the substance you’re using, and only engage in a psychedelic experience with people you trust and in an environment that’s comfortable and safe. If you follow our guide to responsible psychedelic use, you’re very likely to have a good experience with PRO-LAD.

Compared to other psychedelics, PRO-LAD has a high affinity for inducing a body high. You may feel like your fingers or limbs become numb, tingly, or light. It’s common to experience the sensation that you’re either floating or melting into a puddle on the ground. This is an effect more common in psilocybin and LSA — two related natural psychedelics found in magic mushrooms and morning glory vine, respectively, compared to other LSD derivatives.

The visual component of PRO-LAD is milder than LSD — but only slightly. It’s still a powerful experience capable of drastically altering the way you perceive the world around you.

Also see: Can Orange Juice Really Improve a Psychedelic Trip?

How Long Does PRO-LAD Last?

The effects of PRO-LAD can last anywhere from 6 to 8 hours — which is slightly longer than the duration of effects of magic mushrooms and slightly shorter than the duration of effects of LSD.

The onset for PRO-LAD takes about 45 minutes to an hour, which is standard for any of the lysergamide derivatives as well as ayahuasca, magic mushrooms, peyote, and most other orally-ingested psychedelics.

How to Take PRO-LAD

PRO-LAD is active at sub-milligram doses. It’s extremely potent as far as psychoactive substances go — which makes it difficult to measure the right dose in liquid form. A single drop of this stuff is well above the recommended dose.

For this reason, PRO-LAD comes in the form of blotters.

PRO-LAD Blotters

Blotters are small, 5 mm by 5 mm squares of a special absorptive paper that’s been dunked in liquid PRO-LAD and cut into small pieces. This is the best way to use high-potency substances and is the standard form you can expect to find all lysergic acid derivatives.

To take a blotter, simply place the paper in your mouth and hold it under your tongue for a few minutes before swallowing. Holding the blotter under your tongue allows the effects to come on more quickly through a process called sublingual absorption (absorption through the tiny capillaries underneath your tongue).

PRO-LAD Powder

Some vendors sell PRO-LAD as a powder, which is made by infusing a base powder with PRO-LAD. The dosages are then measured by weighing the powder.

To use the powder, you can either mix it with some water and stir it around or use it to fill your own capsules.

Be very careful when using PRO-LAD or any other psychedelic this way. It’s easy to use the wrong dose of this stuff if you don’t know what you’re doing.

PRO-LAD Tinctures

You can also sometimes find PRO-LAD in diluted liquid form (sometimes called a tincture or PRO-LAD microdosing drops). Manufacturers will dilute the compound with a carrier like alcohol or water to make it easier to dose.

This is a common form found for lysergamide derivatives and 4-AcO-DMT for use with microdosing because it’s much easier to use.

To take diluted PRO-LAD, follow the directions on the bottle to find the dose (it varies depending on the dilution) and either knock it back directly or add it to some juice or water. Never add this liquid to a hot beverage because it could deactivate the active ingredient.

How Does PRO-LAD Compare to Other Psychedelics?

The effects of PRO-LAD are very similar to LSD and psilocybin. The visual experience and mental clarity that come with the experience are most similar to LSD, but the effects on the body feel like psilocybin or 4-AcO-DMT.

In terms of potency, PRO-LAD is one of the milder members of the lysergamide group of compounds. It’s stronger than AL-LAD but weaker than LSD, LSZ, and ETH-LAD — but not by much. While most people who have tried these compounds tend to agree PRO-LAD feels less intense when used at the same dose, it’s marginal at best. Most people will barely be able to tell the difference between these compounds when used within the standard psychoactive dose range.

The main thing that makes this psychedelic feel different is the heightened sense of body load for an LSD derivative. LSD normally has very little impact on the body and a much stronger effect on cognition. The body load is comparable to magic mushrooms or 4-AcO-DMT — though with a distinct twist.

Is PRO-LAD Dangerous?

Nobody can say for sure that PRO-LAD is without risk because there has never been any formal research to explore its safety at high doses or over long-term use.

With that said, there has yet to be a single case of someone “overdosing” on PRO-LAD to date. This compound, like LSD and its derivatives, appears to have an impressive safety profile — leaving no lasting physical effects once the substance wears off.

With that said, PRO-LAD does carry some risks just by virtue of being a psychoactive substance.

The potential risks of PRO-LAD include:

May trigger a psychotic episode in susceptible individuals
Can result in PTSD if used irresponsibly
Increases the risk of accidents or physical injury
“Fake” blotters may contain harmful adulterants

How to Test PRO-LAD With Test Kits

You should always test your substances with a reagent test kit before you use them. This is especially true with synthetic substances because there’s no way of knowing for sure what a powder or clear liquid contains. It’s a little different for a cactus or mushroom that can be identified, but synthetic drugs could be literally anything.

Testing substances with at-home reagent test kits aren’t going to tell you the dose or potency of something. These tests merely show you what compounds are present or not present.

For PRO-LAD, the main concern to test for is the presence of NBOMe substances. These compounds are the only substances that are psychoactive at doses below the sub-milligram dose. Anything else would require multiple blotter squares to have any effect. So unless you’re taking several blotters at a time, this isn’t as much of a concern.

Even PCP requires at least a milligram to reach the threshold dose, so you’d need to take around seven or more blotters to reach a low psychoactive dose.

Here’s how to test PRO-LAD in four simple steps:

Cut a small section of your blotter paper (a corner or sliver of the paper is enough), or remove a couple of grains of powder and place it on a clean surface
Drop one drop of the Ehrlich reagent and wait for it to change color — it should turn purple
Repeat the process using the Hofmann reagent (should have no reaction)
Repeat the process using the Marquis reagent (should turn pinkish-red)

Note: If you’re only going to run one test, do the Ehrlich reagent. This is going to tell you if the sample you have contains an indole-alkaloid (much higher safety profile) or something else (it could be NBOMe which is dangerous). This test won’t tell you which indole compound is in your sample (could be lysergamides, psilocybin, DMT, etc.), but these compounds are much safer than the alternative.

Is PRO-LAD Legal?

PRO-LAD remains virtually unknown to regulators outside the UK. The United Kingdom is the only country to have PRO-LAD specifically named on their prohibited substances list.

But this doesn’t mean PRO-LAD is legal outside the UK. Most countries, including the US, most of Europe, and Australia, all have laws that prohibit any compound that’s considered an analog or derivative of a listed prohibited substance. Since PRO-LAD is a derivative of LSD, it’s illegal by proxy in these places.

The only exception here is Canada, which has yet to adopt such laws. PRO-LAD is considered to be within a legal grey area in Canada and is far from being explicitly legal. You can find PRO-LAD available on various online research chemical suppliers in Canada, Mexico, Portugal, and other parts of the world that either don’t enforce psychedelic prohibition or have already moved to decriminalize these substances.

Note: Ordering PRO-LAD or other lysergamides from these companies is illegal. Just because they ship to your country doesn’t mean it’s legal. Do so at your own risk.

What Does the Future Look Like For PRO-LAD?

This psychedelic lysergamide has somehow gone unnoticed, even in psychedelic communities and online forums. Searching PRO-LAD into Reddit, for example, brings up lots of questions about what this compound is and very little in the way of trip reports or other information about it. It’s hard to find and manages to avoid being mentioned in conversations about LSD derivatives.

Despite its lack of popularity, PRO-LAD is one of the more desirable lysergamides. Its mild nature makes it an excellent candidate for people seeking psychedelic experiences.

As psychedelic restrictions continue to loosen and more people become interested in the world of psychedelics, PRO-LAD is likely going to become much more popular as it rides the wave of the more common psychedelics like LSD, DMT, and magic mushrooms.

References

Hoffman, A. J., & Nichols, D. E. (1985). Synthesis and LSD-like discriminative stimulus properties in a series of N (6)-alkyl norlysergic acid N, N-diethylamide derivatives. Journal of medicinal chemistry, 28(9), 1252-1255.

PRO-LAD: The Forgotten LSD-Alternative

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