Western Psychedelic Research

In contrast with the history of sacred plant medicines, the history of western psychedelic research is fairly short, yet still impactful.

Some of the synthetic psychedelics were only recently synthesized, or developed, in the search of another medicine.

Video: First Wave of Western Psychedelic Research

8:10

Those who are new to psychedelics may be surprised to hear that research into the properties of psychedelics especially within a therapeutic context began in the 1950s. Watch this video to learn more.

Video: History of Ketamine

1:41

In addition to MDMA and LSD, ketamine has played a significant role in psychedelic research. In this brief video, we will learn about the history of how ketamine was made.

Key Events

As a summary from the videos, please review these key events in the history of ketamine, MDMA, and LSD.

  • 1912: MDMA synthesized by pharmaceutical company Merck
  • 1963: Dr. Calvin Lee Stevens first synthesizes ketamine
  • 1965: American Chemist Alexander Shulgin resynthesizes MDMA and identifies its potential therapeutic properties
  • 1938: Swiss Chemist Albert Hoffman discovers LSD
  • 1943: Albert Hoffmann accidentally ingests LSD and identifies its psychedelic properties
  • 1959: Albert Hoffmann isolates and synthesizes psilocybin and psilocin (the main psychoactive compounds in magic mushrooms)
  • 1970: Ketamine approved for medical use as an anesthetic
  • 1985: MDMA scheduled (made illegal) under The Controlled Substances Act in the United States

Video: Second Wave of Western Psychedelic Research

3:35

In the early 2000s, there has been a resurgence of psychedelic research thanks to advocacy from organizations like MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, one of Numinus’ key partners.

Question

What does the sustainability of psychedelics in the context of therapy look like? Could there be an end to research and consequently the second wave of psychedelic-assisted therapy?

Video: The Future of Psychedelics

7:27

In this video, Dr. Devon Christie provides some industry insight on the long-term vitality of psychedelic-assisted therapy and the status of ongoing research.

References

Aday, J. S., Bloesch, E. K., & Davoli, C. C. (2019). Beyond LSD: A broader psychedelic zeitgeist during the early to mid-20th century. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 51(3), 210-217.

Hofmann, A., Heim, R., Brack, A., Kobel, H., Frey, A., Ott, H., ... Troxler, F. (1959). Psilocybin und Psilocin, zwei psychotrope Wirkstoffe aus mexikanischen Rauschpilzen. Helvetica Chimica Acta, 42(5), 1557-1572.

Passie, T., & Benzenhöfer, U. (2016). The history of MDMA as an underground drug in the United States, 1960–1979. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 48(2), 67-75.