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Saturday 20 February 2016

LSD

LSD  is the shorter name for a drug called Lysergic acid diethylamide, which causes people who take it to witness illusions. It is often referred to by the slang name acid.

Lysergic acid diethylamide was first made by Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist, on November 16, 1938 from ergotamine, a chemical from the fungus, ergot.

Hofmann discovered LSD's psychedelic properties by chance on April 16, 1943 when he accidentally consumed it during medicinal research. He intentionally took the drug three days later and notoriously experienced its disorientating effect when riding his bicycle through the streets of Basel. April 19th  is now known as "Bicycle Day," after the first intentional acid trip.

Albert Hofmann, at 50th Anniversary of LSD Conference. By Philip H. Bailey

During the Cold War, the American military and the CIA experimented with LSD (sometimes on uninformed subjects) to see whether it would be an aid in interrogation. It wasn't.

In 1961, a handful of the world's top scientists gathered at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, to give dolphins LSD. They noted as soon as the dolphin on LSD had contact with another intelligent mammal, it wouldn't shut up.

LSD became the favored psychedelic drug among the young in the 1960s, prompted by Harvard psychology professor, Timothy Leary, whose slogan about LSD: "Turn on, tune in, drop out" was adopted by the hippie movement. A number of famous rock bands, including The Beatles became known for their use of LSD, and a new genre, "acid rock," was born from the fad.

Alduos Huxley was injected with LSD on his deathbed in 1963 and essentially tripped into death.

When Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick was invited to the White House for a tea party in 1969, she planned to spike President Nixon's tea with 600 micrograms of LSD. The plan was thwarted by White House security.

Some casual users began to experience side effects, such as "flashbacks" and psychotic symptoms and signs of depression and instability were seen. Due to the spread of LSD, the United States government banned the drug in 1967. Other countries soon followed.


In the 1960s, the CEO of electronics company Ampex wanted his employees to take LSD to improve their creativity. The board of directors said no, and then had to fire him after they discovered he'd snuck off anyway on a mountain hike with seven or eight engineers and given them LSD.

It's believed that during the 1990's up to 90% of the worldwide supply of LSD was manufactured in an decommissioned US missile silo converted into a luxury hideaway with hot tubs and bath appointed with imported marble.

The CIA created a project called “Project MK-ULTRA” in which they experimented with LSD to wipe the memories of retiring CIA agents.

LSD trips can last up to 18 hours because a cell's serotonin receptor locks the LSD molecule into place by covering it, almost like a lid.

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