Public: Homeless: Gifts
LSD for the homeless   (+8, -10)  [vote for, against]
Enough LSD to get them committed and into shelter

In various countries, anybody who consumes more than a certain quantity of LSD in a given year may be considered legally insane, and thus committed to a mental institution. Given that mental institutions would (presumably, where they still exist, anyway) provide their inmates with food, clothing and accommodation, an inexpensive way of helping the homeless may be to provide them with just enough LSD to get themselves legally committed for the duration of the year. This would be accomplished through a guerilla charity of sorts. Thus a homeless person may survive reasonably comfortably on the cost of a few hits of LSD a year.
-- acb, Mar 28 2001

(?) A better idea... http://www.halfbake...eless#985791718-0-1
More useful for the homeless. [pnewp, Mar 28 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

(?) National Coalition for the Homeless: Fact Sheet #5 http://nch.ari.net/mental.html
There are not enough treatment services, and there is not enough appropriate housing. [jutta, Mar 28 2001]

Snopes.com discusses acid use and insanity http://www.snopes.com/legal/lsdcrazy.asp
Status: FALSE [ye_river_xiv, Feb 26 2010]

I worked as a network admin for the Mental Health Assoc. in Pennslyvania last summer, and I can assure you that this idea (save the free LCD bit) is not only baked, but responsible for horrendious overcrowding in mental institutions. The goal of this org. is to get those people who are not completly insane out of the hospitols, and living on their own.
-- LittleBitONothing, Mar 28 2001


give them something to make them more inspired
-- technobadger, Mar 28 2001


The way I see it [acb] is suggesting that because of a small outlay someone could give a homeless person somewhere to live. However it does overlook the fact that care for the insane probably costs more than a homeless shelter. Inventive, not properly thought through - that sounds appropriately half-baked to me.
-- Aristotle, Mar 28 2001


Why not spend the LSD money on improving the current infrastructure, revamping it, or scrapping it and beginning anew?
-- iuvare, Mar 28 2001


waugsqueke, is that supposed to be funny? (... Is there a way to unread?...)
-- iuvare, Mar 28 2001


Maybe giving LSD to the homeless might not get them into shelters, but they would be a lot more happy.
-- brockbridges2, Feb 14 2003


Are there REALLY countries where taking (more than a little) acid is enough to have you certified mad?

Where are they?

Are there other state-approved signifiers of madness (eating McD's/half-baking)??
-- ivanhoe, Oct 08 2003


// anybody who consumes more than a certain quantity of LSD in a given year may be considered legally insane//

Er, that's a myth where I come from. Still, I like making the homeless a bit happier.
-- Shadow Phoenix, Sep 29 2007


Yeah.. I've heard the LSD insanity thing also, pretty sure its a myth. If anything it probably applies if you are on a certain amount of LSD when you commit a crime or something, temporary insanity, I can't see the long term though because I have done quite a bit of LSD back in the day and I'm not all fruit loops and tracers now.
-- rascalraidex, Sep 30 2007


Are you sure? After all, you DO go on this site.
-- Shadow Phoenix, Nov 24 2007


I don't understand how an LSD can be that helpful to someone homeless, and I presume carless.

Maybe the part could be sold at a local track to some racer looking to put power down to both wheels.
-- Giblet, Nov 24 2007


Then we could move them all onto a big paradise Island too.
-- quantum_flux, Nov 25 2007



random, halfbakery