What is the history of psychedelic research?

The origins of psychedelic research date back to 1913, when mescaline, a psychedelic compound derived from the peyote cactus, was found to induce a psychological state that researchers equated to psychosis. Over the next few decades, research focused on the psychological effects of mescaline, hoping it might bring a greater understanding of the biological basis of mental illness.^[1] In 1943, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD (a drug he had previously synthesized from ergot fungus) through accidental exposure, thus leading to his infamous hallucinogenic bicycle ride home.^[2] By 1947, the first human trial of LSD as a psychiatric therapy was published, and the drug began to be distributed by a pharmaceutical company and marketed as a psychiatric medication.^[3] During the next two decades, a substantial amount of research was done on psychedelics (most of which does not meet today’s quality standards), the results of which showed promise for a variety of mental health conditions, most notably anxiety, depression, and alcohol use disorder.^[2] However, while psychedelic research was booming, recreational use of psychedelics was also taking off and was generally associated with the anti-Vietnam-War counterculture in the United States. In response, in 1970 the United States government reclassified psychedelics as Schedule 1 controlled substances, making them strictly prohibited and effectively ending psychedelic research, a move that was mirrored internationally by the United Nations in 1971.^[2] Psychedelic research was dormant for the next 25 years, but since the early 1990’s it has slowly been making its way back onto the scene.^[3]