# So why shouldn't I eat the brown acid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835 "2002-07-19T16:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/1 "2002-07-19T16:58:10Z")
You always hear about the brown acid at Woodstock, “Don’t eat the brown acid!” What I’ve never heard is, what was wrong with the brown acid? Was it simply giving people bad trips? And was that just from the power of suggestion, with all the warnings going around about the brown acid? Or was there something really wrong with the brown acid? Was it poorly made? Was it dangerous in any way, or even poisonous? Did anybody here eat the brown acid? Whatever happened to those who did eat the brown acid? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/2 "2002-07-19T17:28:09Z")
I had a green pyramid that had waay too much strichnine once. Gave me a killer stomach ache when I was coming down. With the amount of stuff that was floating around that place, why not make another choice? I don’t know if there was any thing up with the brown acid, but what better audience could you have to obsess about something seemingly minor? They just as well could have said “don’t stare at the brown pocket lint” (I once found myself staring at pocket lint for what must have been around 5 minutes) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/3 "2002-07-19T17:39:16Z")
I think it was the brown Kool-Aid they were being warned about. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/4 "2002-07-19T19:13:39Z")
Because, in the words of the stage announcer (possibly Bill Graham), the brown acid was “not specifically too good.” Jeez, doesn’t anyone else have the soundtrack? 🙂 I took it to mean that it was poorly manufactured and led to bad trips and/or was mildly poisonous. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/5 "2002-07-19T20:34:09Z")
Some folks ate the brown acid with no ill effects. Two theories cover this. 1. There were at least two batches of “brown” acid circulating and only one was tainted. 2. Due to the intense psychological component of any given “trip” the someone having a bad trip blamed the acid rather than his own psyche and next thing you know it’s all over the place that the brown acid is bad. This announcement affects others who are susceptible to suggestion and on the brown stuff and then reports start coming en-masse that the brown acid is bad. There is a lot to support both theories. Almost certainly there were more than one batch of acid circulating and brown had to be a common blotter color or pillform. OTOH according to at least one report the Hog Farm’s first aid tent didn’t really get jammed up with bad trips until after the announcement was made. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/6 "2002-07-20T02:05:21Z")
I dont think it was bill graham saying it. it might have been chip monch. it was the guy with the long hair pony tail and beard, IIRC ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/7 "2002-07-20T02:06:48Z")
chip MONCK. this is my second correction of posts in one night. i am getting tired. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/8 "2002-07-20T02:59:55Z")
I avoid eating brown acid for the same reason I avoid eating yellow snow. ---
**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/9 "2002-07-20T17:55:38Z")
Most likely they were just referring to the fact that it was bunk. They didn’t want anybody to get ripped off. There isn’t any strichnine in LSD, nor is it used in the manufacture of LSD. With LSD being very potent (in the ~150 microgram range), and most poisons being not so potent, you couldn’t fit very much poison on a tiny little piece of paper. Here’s the rule: it’s either LSD, or it’s just paper. It’s not cost effective to put anything else on the paper, when just plain paper would rip somebody off just as easily. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/10 "2002-07-20T18:32:44Z")
The announcement was made by Wavy Gravy. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/11 "2002-07-20T22:45:51Z")
Absolutely, there is no strychnine in _real_ LSD. However, what we always heard was, “nobody makes real LSD anymore”. What they manufactured and sold as LSD in the late 70’s ~ early 80’s out in the Valley was a “medicine ball” type of stuff containing speed & strychnine (and who knows what else). I was told the strychnine was to make you _see colors_. If too much is in the batch, you get a very nasty taste crawling up the back of your throat the next day. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/12 "2002-07-20T22:51:44Z")
On the topic of LSD contents. Do a search here for my handle and LSD and or drugs and you will find a very thorough dissertation and discussion on the subject and why there may be any variety of contaminants of dubious virtue within your drugs. ---
**Author:** ![rockdrumr420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f17d59/32.png) [@rockdrumr420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockdrumr420)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/13 "2016-02-07T08:50:23Z")
“Many of you have heard the announcements in the Woodstock movie warning about the ‘brown acid’. The truth is that the only problem with the brown acid is that it was so pure that it wasn’t accompanied by the usual body rushes caused by speed and other adulterants in use at the time. As a result multiple doses of acid that was very strong to begin with were sometimes taken, and some trips got way out of hand. I know - I gave away a bunch of it…” Erowid Experience Vaults Report Id: 95433 The Infamous Woodstock Brown Acid by Ocrocker 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/14 "2016-02-07T10:58:52Z")
Zombie awakened. Not by brains but the hugest pile of BS I may have ever seen here. My generation had a meme, (that the younger generation may no longer be aware of) that went something along the lines of " I was at Woodstock". Well **Rockdrumr420** I call bullshit. By your user name i call bullshit that you are even old enough to have been at Woodstock. “…other adulterants in use at the time”. More bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/15 "2016-02-07T11:13:33Z")
Tried to edit out all use of the word bullshit, and other non GQ statements. Either missed the window or did it wrong. I apologize for my tone. But I don’t think a cite will be coming for the brown acid claim. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/16 "2016-02-07T11:23:18Z")
Rockdrumr420’s post quotes [this article](https://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=95433) on Erowid. He isn’t (necessarily) claiming to be the author. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/17 "2016-02-07T11:34:24Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Rockdrumr420’s post quotes [this article](https://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=95433) on Erowid. He isn’t (necessarily) claiming to be the author. Thank you. Not sure why that post touched a nerve. It think it was the line, “I know - I gave away a bunch of it…”. Interesting story…but only a story. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/18 "2016-02-07T13:08:49Z")
I had always assumed that they were implying that someone was passing pieces of toilet paper, trying to pass it off as acid (har har!) ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/19 "2016-02-07T15:56:49Z")
> [@rockdrumr420](#): > > the only problem with the brown acid is that it was so pure How does this square with the fact that LSD is colourless? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835/20 "2016-02-07T16:06:27Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > How does this square with the fact that LSD is colourless? The color isn’t in the LSD; it’s in the substrate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-shouldnt-i-eat-the-brown-acid/119835.md?page=2)