The Fascinating History of LSD as Told Through Timely News Reports, Headlines and Interviews

Turn on, tune in, drop out.

Through the use of historical news reports, newspaper headlines and interviews, the documentary news gathering organization Retro Report offers a look back at the fascinating history of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its eye-opening effect on society. The report also tells how the drug was discovered, why it became so popular, why it became illegal, how it was used therapeutically and how later versions of the same drug are currently being studied today.

LSD was little more than a scientific curiosity in the early 1960s when Leary first took it. Developed by a Swiss pharmaceutical company, the drug had been sent out into the world in the 1940’s and 50’s with no clear idea of what it might do. At first, researchers used LSD to mimic psychosis in an attempt to study the origins and nature of schizophrenia. …Before long, as the drug grew more popular, the stories about the dangers of recreational street use grew an it was declared a schedule one drug – the class of highly dangerous drugs with high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.But today, scientists are studying psychedelics once again, in the latest twist in the long, strange story of LSD.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.