LSD
LSDLysergic acid diethylamide (also known as Lysergide, LSD-25, LSD, L, Lucy, and Acid) is a classical psychedelic substance of the lysergamide class.[2] LSD is known as one of the most potent, controversial, and widely used psychedelic substances. While research suggests that it produces its psychoactive effects by binding to serotonin receptors in the brain, its precise mechanism is not yet understood.
The psychoactive effects of LSD were first discovered in 1943 by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann. In the 1950s, it was marketed under the name Delysid and used in psychotherapy and scientific research.[3] LSD garnered widespread interest from clinicians and researchers and was notably secretly investigated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a potential mind control agent.[4] Use of LSD spread widely in the 1960s counterculture which eventually led to its prohibition in 1971.[5][6]
Following a 40 year hiatus, research into LSD's potential therapeutic uses has seen a resurgence. LSD is currently being investigated for the treatment of a number of ailments including alcoholism, addiction, cluster headache, and anxiety associated with terminal illness.[3]LSD remains in widespread illicit use for recreational and spiritual purposes. The lifetime prevalence of LSD use among adults is in the range of 6-8%.[3]
Subjective effects include open and closed-eye visuals, time distortion, enhanced introspection, ego loss, and euphoria. LSD is commonly reported to be able to evoke mystical-type experiences that can facilitate self-reflection and personal growth.[citation needed] It is considered by some to be the first modern entheogen, a category which had been limited to traditional plant preparations or extracts.[7]
In contrast to some other highly prohibited substances, LSD is not considered to be physiologically toxic or addictive.[8][9] Nevertheless, adverse psychological reactions such as severe anxiety, paranoia and psychosis are always possible, particularly among those who have a predisposition to mental illness.[10] It is highly advised to use harm reduction practices if using this substance.
LSD was first synthesized on November 16, 1938, by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland. It was part of a large research program searching for medically useful derivatives of ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. The abbreviated form of LSD comes from its early research code name LSD-25 which is an abbreviation for the German spelling "Lysergsäure-diethylamid" followed by a sequential number.[11] However, its psychoactive properties were not discovered until five years later when Hofmann claimed to have accidentally ingested an unknown quantity of the chemical before proceeding to ride his bike home.[12]
The first intentional ingestion of LSD occurred on April 19, 1943.[13] Hofmann ingested 250 micrograms (µg) of LSD, believing it would be a threshold dose based on the doses of other ergot alkaloids. Hofmann found the effects to be much stronger than he anticipated and was impressed by its profound mind-altering effects. In 1947, Sandoz introduced LSD to the medical community under the name Delysid as an experimental tool to induce temporary psychotic-like states in normals (“model-psychosis”) and later to enhance psychotherapeutic treatments (“psycholytic” or “psychedelic” therapy)[14] LSD had a major impact in the areas of scientific research and psychiatry. Within 15 years of its release, research on LSD and other hallucinogens generated over 1,000 scientific papers and was prescribed to over 40,000 patients.[15]
In the 1950s, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency began a research program code named MK-ULTRA that would conduct clandestine research investigating LSD for applications in mind control and chemical warfare. Experiments included administering LSD to CIA employees, military personnel, doctors, prostitutes, mentally ill patients, and members of the general public without their knowledge or consent, which resulted in at least one death.[16]
In 1963, the Sandoz patents for LSD expired. Several prominent intellectuals, including Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary, and Al Hubbard, began to advocate for the consumption of LSD. LSD became a central part of the youth-driven counterculture of the 1960s. Along with other hallucinogens, LSD was advocated by new proponents of consciousness expansion such as Leary, Huxley, Alan Watts and Arthur Koestler[17][18] and according to L. R. Veysey, they profoundly influenced the thinking of the new generation of youth.[19]
On October 24, 1968, possession of LSD was made illegal in the United States.[20] The last FDA approved study of LSD in patients ended in 1980, while a study in healthy volunteers was made in the late 1980s. Legally approved and regulated psychiatric use of LSD continued in Switzerland until 1993.[21]
