Psychedelics – hidden for decades in the shadows – are back in the light.
Research studies at universities like UCLA and NYU have ushered in a new era not seen since the 1950s and ’60s – when psychedelics were a common psychotherapy tool for psychiatrists like Humphry Osmond, who gave psychonaut Aldous Huxley – author of The Doors of Perception – a dose of mescaline in 1953.
Since psychedelics were officially declared illegal in 1967 marijuana – a Schedule I substance along with psychedelics – is legal in some form in 29 states and the District of Columbia.
The federal legality of psychedelics hasn’t changed but societal perception and use has.
The microdosing trend has been driven by the Silicon Valley crowd in particular – who have reported that psychedelics spike creativity and productivity and reduce depression and anxiety.