Willy Myco posts 120 drug-synthesis videos online

Willy Myco, a pseudonymous chemist known online for teaching users how to synthesize psychedelic drugs at home, has uploaded over 120 instructional videos to platforms like YouTube and Telegram, covering recipes from LSD to DMT vapes. His most popular tutorial alone has drawn more than 200,000 views. While his content is legal under current U.S. law, social media platforms have begun removing some of his posts, and law enforcement groups warn his guides make it easier for untrained users to produce dangerous substances.

The surge in DIY drug synthesis tutorials comes as access to traditional sources of psychedelics—like natural plants or underground labs—has tightened in many countries. The internet has become the primary marketplace for information, and encrypted messaging apps have made it simple to share detailed instructions without geographic limits. At the same time, restrictions on precursor chemicals and tighter surveillance of online sales have pushed curious users toward self-directed learning. Willy Myco frames his work as harm reduction, arguing that providing accurate information can prevent overdoses from mislabeled or adulterated street drugs. Critics, including public health officials and drug policy reformers, counter that his tutorials lower the barrier to production and could enable reckless use.

Myco’s content spans everything from basic glassware setup to step-by-step chemical reactions, often filmed in a spare room with ordinary kitchen tools. He avoids showing faces or voices and uses aliases to protect his identity. Police and harm reduction groups report a rise in amateur drug labs, some tied to his tutorials directly. In 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over 400 clandestine labs, more than double the number from 2019, though not all are linked to online instructions. Myco insists he only teaches adults and discourages minors from attempting synthesis, but enforcement agencies say his videos still reach younger users through secondary accounts and reposts.

As governments weigh new laws targeting online drug synthesis guides, Myco’s platform faces growing pressure. In June, YouTube removed dozens of his videos under its drug policy, though they remain accessible on peer-to-peer networks. A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress last year proposes criminalizing the distribution of instructions for making controlled substances, which could put creators like Myco at risk of prosecution. Harm reduction advocates warn that banning information won’t stop experimentation, only drive it underground. Meanwhile, Myco has shifted to selling glassware and precursor kits through his website, positioning himself as a supplier rather than an educator. The coming months will show whether his model survives legal crackdowns or quietly morphs into a more underground network.