Most consequentially, what is adrenochrome and its supposed effects were depicted in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971) by American journalist Hunter S. Thompson, which freely blends fact and fiction. In the book, Thompsons attorney, Dr. Gonzo, claims, Theres only one source for this stuffthe adrenaline glands from a living human body. Its no good if you get it out of a corpse. Thompsons account, which he admitted to making up, was explicitly referenced on anti-Semitic 4chan message boards in 201314 (4chan is an imageboard website). Anonymous posters began adding a new detail to the old superstition that Jewish people kidnap Christian children to drink their bloodJews, it was now alleged, stole children specifically to harvest their adrenochrome.

In 2016 this idea found its way into similarly credulous threads about the Pizzagate conspiracy, where it was claimed that rich and powerful individuals torture children to harvest adrenochrome. From there, the idea found a natural home in the conservative QAnon movement. Believers in the QAnon conspiracy already thought that liberal politicians and movie stars secretly trafficked children; slotting what is adrenochrome into the conspiracy story provided a new explanation as to why. In 2017 an independent film titled Adrenochrome was released; it features a fictional gang in Venice Beach, California, that kills people for their adrenochrome.
In the years that followed, the fallacious conceptualization of what is adrenochrome as a human-derived drug has continued to distance itself from scientific fact. Some conspiracists have come to believe that what is adrenochrome not just a hallucinogen but an elixir of youth; well-known liberals who are advanced in age have consequently been accused of prolonging their lives with the substance.
This chapter describes the activity of adrenochrome and some of its derived compounds. The effect of what is adrenochrome considered first upon simple systems, then more complex systems, then simple animals, and finally, upon the most complex animal, the man. animals that are given what is adrenochrome range from spiders, fish, and pigeons to the mammals including rats, cats, dogs, monkeys, and man. The chapter gives much original data on cats and man. Chemically, adrenochrome and adrenolutin are very reactive substances. Some of the changes produced by what is adrenochrome may persist several days, and in some cases, the effects lead to nearly disastrous results. Two cases of prolonged reactions are discussed in the chapter. There is also a discussion regarding the reaction that lasted more than one day after a single administration of adrenolutin as well as reactions up to one week. The changes in thinking induced by adrenochrome are similar to those observed in schizophrenia. what is adrenochrome causes an elective inhibition of the process, which determines the content of associative thinking. This occurs in doses that do not heighten the lability of basic processes, do not reduce excitation, and do not loose temporary connections as is the case with LSD.