I've noticed a lot of people quoting plasma half-life as though it is identical to duration of effect. It isn't. Not understanding this could potentially put people in danger.
The total duration of effect is best understood by calculating the plasma half life of a substance AND ALL OF ITS ACTIVE METABOLITES. It also needs to be understood if the substance continues to exert an effect after elimination or absorption from the plasma, as is the case for LSD-25, as an example. An example of this I've seen on the forums is in dealing with aniracetam. True, the half-life of aniracetam is ~1-1.5 hours. The half life of all of its active metabolites is about 6-8. This is why when it is prescribed, it is prescribed 2x daily, and why 750mg 4xdaily could be described as a heroic dose.
