Lysergic Acid (LSD)

LSD is a synthetically manufactured and powerful psychedelic drug derived from lysergic acid.

LSD is a parasitic chemical that feeds on rye and other plants, and was discovered and synthesized by Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman in 1938 in Basel, Switzerland. Mr. Hoffman unexpectedly discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD when the drug came into contact with his skin. After this discovery, LSD was studied in earnest for its potential therapeutic efficacy in treating addiction, depression and other mental health disorders. During this time, over 1,000 academic papers and dozens of books were published on the psychotherapeutic use of LSD, but its release into the counterculture of the 60s and 70s initiated an era of misuse and abuse causing LSD to be classified as an illicit Schedule 1 drug, ceasing all research on its psychotherapeutic use and potential benefits.

Since then, LSD has remained widely stigmatized, but its consideration as a therapeutic drug has resurfaced with the popularity of microdosing, the practice of taking small doses on a regular basis to increase creativity, production and cognitive brain function. New studies are revealing promising results for LSD administered in psychotherapy sessions to reduce end of life anxiety and positive effects on patients diagnosed with life-threatening diseases that include reduced anxiety, valuable insights, improvements in interpersonal relationships and an elevated perception on quality of life. Other recent studies have shown an astonishingly high success rate in LSD treating alcoholism.