‘Sherm drugs,’ also known as ‘Sherm sticks’ or ‘fry,’ are street terms for marijuana or tobacco cigarettes dipped in PCP (phencyclidine). Phencyclidine (PCP), also known as ‘angel dust,’ is an illicit drug that is a combination of a stimulant, depressant, hallucinogen, and sedative. The use of sherm drugs and laced cigarettes is a dangerous threat, posing severe health risks and adverse side effects.
Understanding Sherm Drugs and Phencyclidine (PCP)
Sherm drugs or sticks refer to tobacco or marijuana cigarettes laced with phencyclidine (PCP) or embalming fluid mixed with PCP. Phencyclidine (PCP) is a highly addictive, illicit substance popular for mind-altering, hallucinogenic effects. In high doses, PCP can lead to dangerous impacts, including delusions, paranoia, seizures, coma, suicidal ideation, and even death. PCP can be smoked, ingested orally, injected intravenously, and inhaled.
While tobacco cigarettes and marijuana joints may not be viewed as substances with a high overdose potential, PCP is. If a sherm stick is oversaturated with PCP solution or embalming fluid, there is a high chance of overdose, which can be fatal.
Street terms for PCP-laced joints and cigarettes include ‘fry,’ ‘sherm,’ ‘purple rain,’ and ‘wet.’ Individuals typically smoke sherm sticks to achieve a ‘prolonged high’ or enhanced feelings of euphoria that can’t be achieved with just tobacco or marijuana alone. Sherm sticks have been associated with hazardous risks, including hallucinations, long-term mental health issues, paranoia, aggression, and impaired motor skills. PCP-laced cigarettes have become relatively popular amongst youth and young adults in recent years.
The Effects of Smoking Sherm Sticks
The side effects of PCP-laced marijuana and tobacco cigarettes can be somewhat unpredictable and extreme for some. While effects can vary from person to person, some of the most commonly reported effects include:
- Vivid hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Violent, aggressive behavior
- Impaired coordination
- Sexual disinhibition
- Visual disturbances
- Mental health issues
- Suicidal behavior
- Seizures
- Coma
- Long-term physical health risks
The mind-altering effects of PCP mixed with marijuana or tobacco can be felt within minutes and can last for 4 to 6 hours. Mixing substances like PCP and marijuana can lead to a wide range of mental and physical health risks, including memory loss, respiratory infections, and depression.
The Risks and Dangers of ‘Fry’ and Sherm Drugs
Smoking ‘wet’ cigarettes or joints can cause severe lung and respiratory issues, especially when dipped in formaldehyde and phencyclidine (PCP). The embalming liquid is a mixture of ethanol (alcohol), methanol, and formaldehyde, which may lead to a higher cancer risk, brain damage, bronchitis, and body tissue destruction.
Synthetic drugs, like PCP and Sherm drugs, are artificial substances that significantly raise the risks for adverse and unpredictable effects. Tobacco cigarettes or marijuana joints dipped in PCP are a form of recreational drug abuse that can harm physiological and psychological health.
Mental Health Issues from PCP
Regular use of PCP-laced drugs, aka Sherm drugs, can lead to long-term mental health conditions. Hallucinogenic drugs cause vivid and often disturbing hallucinations, which can lead to extreme paranoia and a distorted sense of reality. PCP users frequently report feelings of dissociation where they feel disconnected from themselves and their environment.
The paranoia experienced during the use of ‘fry’ may persist, causing feelings of anxiety and even psychosis. Some users report violent or aggressive and even suicidal behavior when under the influence of PCP. Long-term use of sherm drugs can lead to depression, exacerbating suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Addiction to PCP-Laced Drugs
Phencyclidine (PCP) is an addictive substance often associated with the development of psychological dependence and compulsive drug-seeking behaviors. The combination of PCP with tobacco, which contains the addictive drug nicotine, can lead to persistent cravings for the drug.
Marijuana (cannabis), on the other hand, is often labeled a “gateway drug” that exposes users to harder drugs that are more addictive. Cannabis users may develop a psychological dependence on the drug, leading to a substance use disorder (SUD). PCP-laced marijuana activates parts of the brain that lead to heightened senses, extreme mood changes, and even delusions or psychosis in high doses. Users become addicted to the extreme “high” experienced when smoking fry or sherm drugs rather than marijuana or tobacco by itself.
Physical Health Risks of Fry
PCP, tobacco, and marijuana all carry their own set of adverse side effects and health risks. Laced drugs that are illicitly sold are often inconsistent when it comes to drug purity and dosage. This inconsistency can result in people taking higher doses than intended, leading to severe health complications and dangerous side effects.
PCP-laced joints with low to moderate doses can cause numbness, lack of muscle coordination, excessive sweating, rapid eye movements, and slurred speech. High doses of PCP-laced cigarettes can lead to shallow breathing, high blood pressure, drooling, nausea, vomiting, violence, and suicide. PCP intoxication can cause seizures, coma, and death from accidental injuries or suicide. Long-term use of sherm drugs can lead to speech and learning impairments, memory loss, depression, and weight loss.
PCP Overdose
PCP overdose can be compared to overdoses of cocaine, amphetamines, hallucinogens, and withdrawal from benzodiazepines. Marijuana and tobacco laced with PCP in the illicit drug market can come in relatively high doses, posing a severe risk of overdose. While it is unlikely that someone overdoses on marijuana or tobacco, when laced with PCP, the possibility is relatively high and can even be fatal.
Overdosing on phencyclidine (PCP) or sherm drugs at a dose of 20mg or more can result in seizures, tremors, coma, and death. Other health complications of PCP toxicity include hypoglycemia, myocardial infarction, rhabdomyolysis, and intraparenchymal and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The unpredictable nature of sherm drugs or fry makes it a rather alarming illicit substance with a risk of fatal consequences. Understanding what Sherm drugs are and their dangers is critical for preventing the widespread use of these substances.
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References:
- WebMD, 2023. What Is PCP?
- National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006. Fry Fast Facts.
- National Library of Medicine, 2007. Phencyclidine Intoxication and Adverse Effects: A Clinical and Pharmacological Review of an Illicit Drug.
- The Texas Heart Institute Journal, 2013. “Smoking Wet”.
- Drugs.com. PCP (Phencyclidine).
- American Cancer Society, 2022. Why People Start Smoking and Why It’s Hard to Stop.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019. Cannabis (Marijuana) Drug Facts.
- Journal of Drug Education: Substance Use Research and Prevention, 2008. The Use of Fry (Embalming Fluid and PCP-Laced Cigarettes or Marijuana Sticks) among Crack Cocaine Smokers.
- StatPearls, 2023. Phencyclidine Toxicity.
- Medical News Today, 2023. Is PCP the same as embalming fluid?