Cult Reportedly Made Lsd To Use As Weapon

The cult suspected of attacking Tokyo subways with deadly nerve gas produced 200,000 doses of LSD to use in initiation rites and as possible weapons, a television network reported Thursday.

The Aum Shinri Kyo cult also made unspecified quantities of mescaline, anesthetics and stimulants, the NHK public television network said.

Cult leader Shoko Asahara dispatched one follower to Russia to get material to make LSD and another to the United States to find out how to produce it, the report said.

Asahara ordered production of the drugs in May 1994 and they were given to thousands of new members, in the hope they would have mystical experiences like he did when he took LSD, the network reported, citing cult members.

The cult also considered using the drugs as weapons, and speculated about the effects of sprinkling LSD over cities, NHK reported.