One day in 1964, Nicholas Sand, a Brooklyn-born son of a spy for the Soviet Union, took his first acid trip. He had been fascinated by psychedelic drugs since reading about them as a student at Brooklyn College and had experimented with mescaline and peyote. Now, at a retreat run by friends in Putnam County, N.Y., he took his first dose of LSD, still legal at the time. Sitting naked in the lotus position, before a crackling fire, he surrendered to the experience. A sensation of peace and joy washed over him. Then he felt himself transported to the far reaches of the cosmos. [continues 1480 words]
Psychedelics, the fabled enlightenment drugs of the '60s, are making a comeback - this time as medical treatment. A recent study claimed that psilocybin, a mushroom-derived hallucinogenic, relieves anxiety and depression in people with life-threatening cancer. Anecdotal reports have said similar things about so-called microdoses of LSD. The allure is understandable, given the limits of our treatments for depression and anxiety. About a third of patients with major depression don't get better, even after several trials of different antidepressants. But I fear that in our desire to combat suffering, we will ignore the potential risks of these drugs, or be seduced by preliminary research that seems promising. [continues 713 words]
[photo] Tim Scully, left, and Nick Sand pictured in a graphic from the documentary "The Sunshine Makers." (Nick Sand / Tim Scully / Passion Pictures / FilmRise) As its title suggests, "The Sunshine Makers" is probably the happiest, most carefree drug documentary you're likely to see. The film explores the people behind the most well-known strain of LSD, who produced millions of doses in a single, sleep-deprived month. Their goal wasn't money, but instead they wanted to save the world: If everyone took LSD, they would experience the feelings of love and connectedness the hallucinogen promises. [continues 169 words]
Mom guilt is here to stay. The stress of trying to be a calm, nurturing parent while also trying to keep our jobs, stay on top of school notices and remain married isn't going away. Not to mention the feeling that we're doing none of them particularly well. But that won't stop some people from trying anything. Author Ayelet Waldman, for instance, tried LSD. In her new book, "A Really Good Day," she documents her experiment with "microdosing," taking very small quantities of LSD -- enough to make you calmer, more aware of your environment, more able to focus on your work, but without all those wacky hallucinations. [continues 684 words]
Whether it's LSD or magic mushrooms, psychedelic drugs have long been a point of contention. An upcoming event hopes to educate Saskatoon residents on their medical uses and their potentially research-rich future. Organized by Erika Dyck, a University of Saskatchewan history professor and the Canada Research Chair in the History of Medicine, the event is called An Evening of Psychedelics and takes place at the Underground Cafe on Nov. 23. "Over the last few years there's been some real interest in what people are starting to call a psychedelic renaissance, where we're looking at psychedelics for their therapeutic potential today," she said. [continues 366 words]
BALTIMORE - Gordon McGlothlin, who took his first puff at age 12 behind his family's garage, tried to quit smoking for years, but no cessation technique worked until he used a psychedelic drug. Researchers with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine gave the 69-year-old a derivative of psychedelic mushrooms similar to LSD and watched him "trip" in a therapy room during six-hour sessions. McGlothlin experienced wild hallucinations, including watching his body slowly unraveling until it disappeared into a puff of smoke. After researchers took his blood pressure, he imagined a red, bloodlike fluid covering him from head to toe. [continues 1364 words]
Hallucinogenics May Ease Addictions, Mental Disorders Gordon McGlothlin, who took his first puff at age 12 behind his family's garage, tried to quit smoking for years, but no cessation technique worked until he used a psychedelic drug. Researchers with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine gave the 69year-old a derivative of psychedelic mushrooms similar to LSD, or acid, and watched him "trip" in a therapy room during six-hour sessions. McGlothlin experienced wild hallucinations, including watching his body slowly unraveling until it disappeared into a puff of smoke. After researchers took his blood pressure, he imagined a red blood-like fluid covering him from head to toe. [continues 1353 words]
Most scientists don't include personal stories in their research reports, but for John Lilly, personal experiences and science experiments were the same thing. His ears, eyes, mouth, and nose were calibrated probes. His mind was the unbiased observer, the ideal model for dispassionate inquiry. Knowledge and experience led him to new sets of questions, not firmly held beliefs. But as anyone who has traveled into the psychedelic spaces knows, soon after arrival, one quickly finds out that the scientist's tool kit-language-is much too small and inadequate for the job. The scientist's reaction to the psychedelic experience is a set of questions that sound more like a seeker's. This is the crux of the enigma of John Lilly. [continues 5334 words]
Hallucinogenic African Bark Could Be the Answer to Heroin Addiction, and Addiction in General Richard Dilley had tried everything by the time he traveled to Mexico and agreed to ingest a drug derived from a hallucinogenic African shrub bark that, he was told, would alter his brain. All for the bargain price of $10,000. While terrifying in a way, the drug known as ibogaine (or Tabernanthe iboga in its natural state) was, at this point, less of a horror than the drug Dilley had been addicted to since his teen years. [continues 3617 words]
Researcher believes clinical trials of psychedelic drugs would show even greater impact People with a history of psychedelic drug use are less likely to commit acts of domestic violence, according to a new study co-authored by a University of B.C. researcher. Zach Walsh, co-director of UBC Okanagan's Centre for the Advancement of Psychological Science and Law, found that male inmates in an Illinois county jail who took drugs such as LSD, MDMA or psilocybin (magic mushrooms) prior to their incarceration were arrested for domestic battery within six years of their release 27% of the time. [continues 289 words]
Psychedelic drugs have made a resurgence as medications to treat illnesses from post-traumatic stress disorder to end-of-life anxiety, but researchers at the University of B.C. say the substances might also rein in domestic violence. The UBC Okanagan study, published last week in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that 42 per cent of imprisoned men in the U.S. who did not take psychedelic drugs after their release were arrested within six years for domestic battery, compared to 27 per cent for those who had taken drugs such as LSD, psilocybin - also known as magic mushrooms - and MDMA, which is known by the street name ecstasy. [continues 594 words]
UBC Study: Project Uncovers Some Surprising Results Psychedelic drugs such as acid, ecstasy and magic mushrooms have been making a resurgence as a medicine to treat a range of illnesses from post traumatic stress disorder to end of life anxiety. Now researchers at the University of B.C. say the drugs may help curb domestic violence committed by men with substance abuse problems. The UBC Okanagan study, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that 42 per cent of U.S. adult male prison inmates who did not take psychedelic drugs were arrested within six years for domestic battery after their release, compared to a rate of 27 per cent for those who had taken drugs such as LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA (ecstasy.) [continues 229 words]
Writer starred in films with movie legend and took up causes to help others Betsy Drake, an actress and writer who in the 1950s introduced her then-husband, Cary Grant, to the hallucinogen LSD, endured his infatuation with Italian screen siren Sophia Loren and survived the sinking of the Andrea Doria ocean liner, died Oct. 27 at her home in London. She was 92. Her death was confirmed by a friend, Michael Schreiber, who did not cite a specific cause. Drake, whose grandfather helped build the landmark Drake and Blackstone hotels in Chicago, described a life of glittering highs and shattering lows. She spent her earliest years in Paris, where her U.S. expatriate parents embraced the roar of the Roaring '20s. [continues 794 words]
Canadian experts want policy-makers to rethink perception of these medications to let research advance, but others urge caution Psychedelic drugs, including LSD and MDMA, could help some patients struggling with addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, according to a new analysis that urges Canadian policy- makers to reconsider their perception of those drugs. The analysis, published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, says several small studies show psychedelics may be effective at treating certain patients, but that "popular misconceptions" about the risks of the drugs are hampering research efforts. The authors argue that any novel treatment that may ease the symptoms of PTSD, addiction or anxiety should be explored, especially considering the limitations of available treatments. [continues 584 words]
Health Care: Researchers Say Substances May Help Treat Addiction, Depression, Anxiety A trip to the doctor's office could someday mean a trip inside the doctor's office, if researchers calling for further study into the use of psychedelics for treating illness get their way. Dr. Evan Wood, co-director of the Urban Health Research Initiative at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/ AIDS, is one of four medical researchers behind an analysis published Tuesday focusing on the resurgence of research into psychedelic substances for treating illnesses, including addiction, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. [continues 575 words]
This week Vancouver City Council approved a series of recommendations aimed at regulating the growing number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. It is a complicated issue, which is why we at the City of Vancouver have attempted to address some of your most frequently asked questions: Is the retail sale of medical marijuana legal in Vancouver as a result of council's decision? There is no legal regime for the retail sale of marijuana in Canada. People who need marijuana for medicinal purposes and who have a prescription may apply to Health Canada to obtain marijuana from a federally licensed supplier. [continues 528 words]
The Hippies Drug of Choice Was Banned in 1966 but Is Now Undergoing Trials As a Cure for Depression and Addiction. Charlie Cooper Spoke to Some Volunteer Users. LSD is often associated with trippy songs such as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "Purple Haze" and "White Rabbit". But before it became the drug of choice for the 1960s counterculture, lysergic acid diethylamide had a previous existence - as an experimental medicine for a broad spectrum of psychological problems ranging from depression and addiction, to schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. [continues 830 words]
OSLO - In a country so wary of drug abuse that it limits the sale of aspirin, Pal-Orjan Johansen, a Norwegian researcher, is pushing what would seem a doomed cause: the rehabilitation of LSD. It matters little to him that the psychedelic drug has been banned here and around the world for more than 40 years. Mr. Johansen pitches his effort not as a throwback to the hippie hedonism of the 1960s, but as a battle for human rights and good health. [continues 1229 words]
Federal authorities are cracking down on new designer drugs like N-Bomb, also known as "Legal LSD," hoping legislation aimed at making the synthetic hallucinogen illegal to possess in the Bay State will prevent more teen overdose deaths. "There's no such thing as a safe synthetic drug. One dose can kill you," DEA spokesman Anthony Pettigrew said of N-Bomb, a synthetic drug gaining popularity among teens that can appear in a variety of forms. "Anytime someone uses any synthetic drug, including N-Bomb, they're playing Russian roulette." [continues 445 words]
Charlie Cooper Takes a Trip to Meet Professor David Nutt - and Finds Out Why the Former Government Czar Believes That Mind-Altering Drugs Have a Place on the Prescription Pad Professor David Nutt has been no stranger to controversy over the years. So the psychiatrist and former Government drugs tsar, will not have been fazed when he raised eyebrows recently by drawing a parallel between the repression of research into the effects of psychedelic drugs like LSD with the censorship of Galileo and the banning of the telescope. [continues 1114 words]
