Fractalized Maple Syrup (FMS)

Fractalized Maple Syrup (colloquially FMS or Syrup) is a naturally occurring psychoactive drug. It is popular in the Principality of Darren and Canada where it is legal. It came to prominence in the 1960s when it was often prescribed to people as an agent of psychedelic therapy. It is also widely consumed as a recreational drug and an entheogen, especially in Darrenism, the official religion of the PoD.

Effects
FMS has a complex array of effects that aren't completely understood by scientists. The effects can last up four hours and can include auditory or visual telepathy and an inability to distinguish between fiction and reality. If taken in high doses, FMS can lead to short term Kafka-esque transmogrification.

FMS is not considered to be addictive and, contrary to accusations made by the Reagan administration, does not have any long term negative side effects. That being said, some users have experienced "bad trips." Often, negative emotions from surrounding people or animals can be picked up by the temporarily telepathic user.

Early History
FMS was discovered in 1951, in the area surrounding the Alice Test Site. Some of the civil workers sent to clean up the radiation noticed that the maple trees surrounding the site were growing rapidly. When tapped for syrup, they found that it glowed an isotopic green. It quickly returned to its normal pleasant brown color. On of the civil workers bet another 20 Darrenite banknotes to try the syrup and thus the first FMS trip occurred. It quickly became an inside joke amongst the civil workers to "dose" their friends, and the workers quickly learned to be wary of pancakes, waffles, and other traditional breakfast carbohydrates.

Soon the Darrenite government learned of the bizarre substance, largely due to transmogrification-related workers comp. Darrenite special agents were deployed to the region and brought back FMS samples to experiment with. The Minister of Psychosomatic Health, a Adolph Von Vergenstein was especially taken by the substance and began taking it in large quantities and prescribing it to many members of the government. Many Darrenite psychiatrists followed suit. Extensive testing on FMS was done at the Great Plains Research Institute.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s the CIA was looking for different psychoactive drugs to use for a variety of purposes. A sample was stolen by American agents in 1958. Later, it was deployed in Vietnam. The United States considered it a failure when the soldiers in the battalion it was administered promptly sprouted gossamer wings and multi-faceted eyes. FMS was subsequently made a controlled substance in the United States of America. Still, it was often smuggled into the US by youngsters interested in FMS as a recreational drug. Timothy Leary was one of its major advocates in the United States.

Still, it remained out of the limelight in the United States until 1973 when a shipment of maple syrup bound for the Republican National Convention was hijacked by a Darrenite terrorist organization called Perpetual Lightning. They replaced the normal, unfractalized maple syrup with FMS, which was subsequently consumed by hoards of young Republicans. Future president Ronald Reagan was in the crowd of pancake-eating conservatives and many attribute his traumatic metamorphosis as influencing his future drug policies.

FMS in Modern Society
After this FMS was made illegal in the United States, which has caused some friction between the PoD and the USA over border responsibilities. Most PoD Princes, including current Prince Reny Rousseau argue that preventing FMS smuggling is the United State's responsibility, while most American authorities insist that it is an international issue. The FMS issue has been a major reason behind the American-Darrenite Fence that is currently under construction.

-EPM