In this article, we will look at the 10 easiest drugs that are made at home using legal substances. 

Drug abuse is a global problem that does not distinguish between the rich and the poor. In 2020, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that illicit drug use increased by 30% since 2009. A 2022 report by UNODC notes that around 284 million people around the world, aged 15 to 64, use drugs. The report also notes that in many countries, young people are using more drugs today than the previous generation. One of the striking findings of the report was that nearly 11.2 million people in the world were injecting drugs, with half of them living with hepatitis C. Around 1.4 million of these drug users were living with HIV, and 1.2 million were living with both. 

In the recent past, advancements in chemical distillation processes and industrial equipment have enabled cartels worldwide to introduce new drugs such as ecstasy and methamphetamine. The influx of new drugs and the increasing accessibility of others is affecting the American population as well. As of 2020, 5.1% of Americans aged 12 or older had a marijuana disorder. In addition, Around 0.9% of Americans aged 12 or above have had an addiction to inhalants, which are particularly dangerous because they comprise volatile toxic substances. 0.3% of the population aged 12 and above was addicted to cocaine, although the rates of cocaine addiction in the US are dropping. As of 2020, around 0.3% American population aged 12 or above had been struggling with heroin addiction. 

In addition, 1.1% of Americans aged 12 or above were reported to have had an opioid disorder, and the use of opioids remains one of the largest public health crises in the country. While 1.1% might seem like a small figure, America has the highest opioid use rates in the world, which has enabled the creation of an $8.4 billion industry aimed at producing drugs to stop opioid addiction. Many pharma companies are involved in stopping opioid addiction.

Drug abuse in the United States bears a significant cost to society. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that half of the people aged 12 and older have used illicit drugs at least once. According to the current estimates, substance abuse costs the United States approximately $3.73 trillion annually. This cost is substantial, considering it is almost double of Canada’s GDP in 2022, which is also one of the largest economies in the world. While $3.23 trillion of annual loss due to drug abuse is intangible societal harm, $0.50 trillion loss is attributed to tangible direct and indirect economic loss. These include traffic deaths, traffic collisions, and productivity loss. The direct healthcare costs associated with substance abuse disorders are estimated to be around $118.5 billion annually. 

Americans, it seems, have found a way to get high using legal substances. In fact, its opioid epidemic began using legal over-the-counter drugs that were marketed as painkillers. One such drug is Oxytocin, which was marketed by the company Purdue Pharma in 1996 as a pain killer. Within a month after its release and aggressive marketing by the company, people started to abuse the drug. Purdue Pharma maintained that the company did not know about the drug abuse until years after it went into the market. However, more recent evidence sheds light that the company knew within a year of marketing the drug that it was being abused.

Among the 10 easiest drugs that are made at home using legal substances, three are made from codeine-containing pills. Codeine is used as a pain killer and works directly on the central nervous system by interrupting its signal paths. Pills containing codeine were very recently available throughout the United States over the counter. Today, while you cannot get a Codeine-containing pill without a subscription in the United States, they are available over the counter in many other parts of the world. However, given how easy it is to make drugs at home, more needs to be done to counteract the opioid epidemic and the accessability of the legal ingredients of illegal drugs. As you will see, it is very easy to make illegal drugs at home using legal substances. We will also reveal the easiest drug that are currently made at home by millions of people.

Methodology 

We curated our list of the 10 easiest illegal drugs that are made at home using legal substances, using a drug solutions table from the Harm Reduction Journal and our previous list of the easiest illegal drugs made from legal substances. We noted down the ingredients of each drug. Next, we scored each ingredient based on how easy it was to procure. If the ingredient is usually available at home, we gave it a score of 1. If the ingredient is not usually available at home but can be procured over the counter easily, it is given a score of 2. Ingredients that could not be procured easily, were given a score of 3. These included pills that are only available by prescription. For each drug recipe, we totaled the scores. The lower the recipe difficulty score, the easier it is to make these illegal drugs using legal substances. 

10 – Pervitin

Ease of making score – 13

Pervitin is an early form of methamphetamine and was widely used in Nazi Germany for medical purposes. However, this drug is now used as a recreational drug. The drug can be made using ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, gasoline, toluene, and tetrachlorethylene. Ephedrine is used to control hypertension and is available with prescription in pharmacies. Pseudoephedrine, on the other hand, is also available with a prescription and is used to treat sinuses. Tetrachlorethylene is an industrial chemical, that is used for dry cleaning fabrics and is readily available in the market. Pervitin alters the pulse rate and causes loss of appetite, tightness in the chest, and increased awareness of the surroundings. In the long term, addiction to methamphetamines like Pervitin causes significant anxiety, violent behavior, confusion, and insomnia. 

9 – Krokodil

Ease of making score – 12

Krokodil is made using codeine, gasoline or paint thinner, iodine, red phosphorus, and tropicamide. Codeine pills are available in the pharmacies with a prescription. Iodine, gasoline, and paint thinner can be easily sourced from the market. While red phosphorus may not be easy to source, it is available in the form of match sticks. Tropimacide is sold under the brand name Mydriacyl, among others, and is used to dilate pupils. Krokodil causes its users to feel high levels of euphoria, but they soon undergo venous damage, skin and soft tissue infections, necrosis, and gangrene. 

8 – Jeff

Ease of making score – 10

Jeff is one of the easiest illegal drugs that can be made using legal substances at home. It requires Phenylpropanolamine, warm water, vinegar, potassium permanganate, and ephedrine. Phenylpropanolamine is a decongestant that can be found in many medicines used to treat cough and cold. Potassium permanganate, on the other hand, is used for wet dressing wounds and can be sourced from pharmacies. Ephedrine can be found in medications used to control hypertension. Long-term abuse of this drug can lead to several psychiatric disorders. 

7 – Boltushka

Ease of making score – 8

The ingredients of boltushka are similar to pervitin. However, gasoline, toluene, and tetrachlorethylene are replaced by warm water, household vinegar, and potassium magnate, making it an even easier illegal drug made from legal substances. Potassium permanganate is used as a wet dressing for wounds and is fairly easy to source. Addiction to Boltushka can result in a partial loss of cognitive functions, Alzheimer-type symptoms, and possible brain damage. In addition, since boltushka is injected, it also presents injecting risks. 

6 – DMT

Ease of making score – 8

DMT is an illegal drug that can be made at home using legal substances. The drug recipe requires a DMT containing plant, water, lye, vinegar, and petroleum ether. Lye is an alkali metal hydroxide that is used in making clogged drain openers and can be purchased at hardware stores. Petroleum ether is one of the most commonly used solvents in chemical industries and can be purchased from hardware stores as well. DMT is a strong hallucinogen and produces an intense visual and hallucinogenic experience. Possible side effects of DMT include increased heart rate and blood pressure, dizziness, and agitation among others. A high dose of DMT can also result in seizures, respiratory arrest, and coma. 

5 – Fentanyl patches

Ease of making score – 7

Fentanyl patches require fentanyl, acetaminophen, and caffeine. Fentanyl is an opioid drug that is used as an analgesic. Fentalyn-containing medicines can be purchased from pharmacies with a prescription. Acetaminophen is another name for panadol and can be purchased from pharmacies without any prescription. Caffeine can also be purchased in powder or liquid forms. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Fentalyn is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. An overdose of fentanyl can slow or stop breathing, potentially resulting in death, coma, or brain damage. 

4 – LSA

Ease of making score – 6

LSA requires morning glory seeds, wood alcohol, and petroleum ether. Morning glory seeds can be easily sourced from gardening stores. Wood alcohol is a street name for methanol and is used as a general solvent. It can be easily sourced from hardware stores. Petroleum ether is also used as a solvent and can be purchased from local hardware stores. LSA is similar to LSD in terms of recreational effects. Short-term abuse of LSA can lead to hallucinations and visual distortions. LSA abuse can also lead to paranoia, diarrhea, and anxiety.