⚗️ Modern Era

From Hofmann to the renaissance

Discovery & Early Research (1938–1965)

Albert Hofmann synthesized LSD at Sandoz in 1938 and discovered its effects in 1943. Sandoz distributed it freely to researchers under the name Delysid. Through the 1950s and early 60s, over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers were published on LSD-assisted psychotherapy. Results were promising for alcoholism, depression, and end-of-life anxiety. The CIA simultaneously ran MKUltra, dosing unwitting subjects — a dark chapter.

Counterculture & Criminalization (1965–1970)

Timothy Leary's enthusiastic public advocacy ("turn on, tune in, drop out") alarmed the establishment. LSD escaped the lab and entered the counterculture. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 placed LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, and DMT in Schedule I — defined as having no accepted medical use and high abuse potential. Legitimate research effectively ceased.

The Underground (1970–2000)

Research went dark but use continued. Alexander Shulgin synthesized and self-tested hundreds of novel psychoactive compounds, documenting them in PiHKAL and TiHKAL. MAPS was founded in 1986 by Rick Doblin. Rick Strassman conducted the first new FDA-approved psychedelic research in 1990 (DMT studies at UNM).

The Renaissance (2000–Present)

Roland Griffiths' 2006 Johns Hopkins psilocybin study reignited mainstream scientific interest. Since then, clinical trials have proliferated across depression, PTSD, addiction, OCD, and end-of-life distress. Oregon legalized psilocybin therapy in 2020. Colorado followed with broader decriminalization in 2022. The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designations. Major institutions — Hopkins, Imperial, NYU, Berkeley — now have dedicated psychedelic research centers.