FYI: Could "Smiles," The Psychedelic Drug Implicated In An Actor's Death, Cause Violent Behavior?
Johnny Lewis Wikimedia CommonsDrug panic followed news that Sons of Anarchy actor Johnny Lewis went on a violent rampage last week after allegedly ingesting the new designer drug 2C-I, aka "Smiles," but there are a lot of factors to consider other than a direct drug-to-violence link. Johnny Lewis, an actor known for his role on the FX show Sons of Anarchy, died last week, suspected of killing his landlady and her cat, then killing himself. The word leaked quickly that Lewis had been on a relatively new designer drug: "Smiles," or 2C-I. Several publications jumped on it, ready to lay the blame on drug use, or at least casually suggesting a connection. 2C-I is dangerous, yes, linked to overdoses and other erratic behavior--but is it linked to violence? Not especially. 2C-I is closest, symptomatically, to hallucinogens like psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. MDMA, or ecstasy, also comes up in discussions...