Psychedelic Drugs in the World of Medicine A

Psychedelic Drugs in the World of Medicine: A brief history, a bright future?

What is a psychedelic? Drug: a substance that is used as a medicine Psychedelic: relating to or denoting drugs that produce hallucinations and apparent expansion of consciousness

What is Lysergic Acid Diethylamide? • Synthetic compound manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grain

Tripping Explained • The body, when in a normal state, processes information very differently than when under the influence of LSD. • When tripping the thalamus is numbed and doesn’t function at full capacity. • LSD changes the way serotonin is received in the brain and allows • It also creates a phenomenon where parts of the brain that don’t usually interact, interact.

Effects • Pros: creativity, increased empathy, glowing or mystical experiences, “one-ness”, almost no OD deaths • Cons: decreased serotonin, disconnection with reality, disrupted homeostasis, “bad trips”

Medical History • First synthesized in 1938 and ingested in 1943 by Albert Hoffman. • Was initially thought to be able to cure alcoholism • Also was given to people with mental diseases such as autism, OCD. Criminals and Terminally ill patients. • Psychiatrists started prescribing themselves LSD and in 1965 LSD was…

BANNED! • • • Ingesting LSD: BANNED! Selling LSD: BANNED! Production of LSD: BANNED! Scientific research of LSD: BANNED! LSD, along with many other “drugs”, was labelled as a schedule 1.

Psychedelics live on? • The medical investigation into LSD and potential scientific breakthroughs was completely stopped. • Until 2008 when strict legal restrictions were lifted and Scientific research could continue.

The light at the end of the Tunnel

Myths Facts and Questions • Psychedelics stay in your spinal chord forever? - Myth • Psychedelics are addictive? - Myth • Flashbacks? - FACT • Psychedelics are safe? -Myth