Routes of administration

General

The method in which a drug has been ingested can greatly effect the potency, duration, and overall experience of a drug. Many substances are more effective when consumed using certain ROA's over others, and some drugs are completely inactive using certain routes of administration. Determining a route of administration is highly dependent on the substance consumed, desired duration of the substance,and personal comfort.

Oral

Arguably the most common route of adminstration for most classes of drugs, oral adminstration allows a substance to be absorbed through blood vessels contained in the stomach, where Enterochromaffin cells contain approximately 90% of the bodys serotonin. [1] Due to this, absorption of serotonin releasing drugs such as MDMA, BK-MDMA, and MDAI have been shown to have a higher overall effectivity when compared to insufflation.

Sublingual

Sublingual administration refers to absorption under the tounge. It is a common route of administration for drugs such as LSD. Sublingual administration can result in a fast absorption bypassing the GI tracts tendency to break down certain drugs, such as 25I-NBOMe, which absorbs sublingual and buccal but not orally. Sublingual administration results in the substance being absorbed through the large Lingual artery present underneath the tounge.

Buccal

Buccal administration refers to absorption in the cheek and gum. This is commonly employed when ingesting drugs such as 25I-NBOME, LSD, and other substances impregnated on blotter paper. Like sublingual, the substance is largely absorbed through the lingual artery but is also absorbed through gum lining. This method is also employed when chewing plant leaves such as Khat, Salvia Divinorum, and commonly Tobacco.