LSD: the story
LSD is a chemical hallucinogen, most commonly known as acid. It causes powerful changes in perception and has an equally dramatic history.
What is LSD?
LSD is a psychedelic drug, which means it affects your mood and your perception of what's going on around you. It can cause visual hallucinations and alter sounds.
LSD was first derived from ergot, a fungus found on types of grain. This can be used to make lysergic acid, which reacts with the alkaline chemical diethymaline to produce lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in a crystal form. The crystals are dissolved into liquid and - because only a very small amount of LSD is needed - usually distributed on a tiny square of blotting paper, gelatin 'window panes', or a sugar cube. You're most likely to come across acid in paper form, although the liquid acid itself is sometimes available. You can't ascertain the strength, purity or quality of LSD before you take it, so it's very hard to control the dosage.
Who discovered it?
It was Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann who accidentally discovered LSD's mind-altering properties in 1943 while researching ergotamines. He experienced a frightening but revelatory trip. In the late 1940s, Sandoz Industries - for whom Hofmann worked - began to produce LSD for medical use. A decade later, psychiatrists sometimes used it to help people with phobias, depression, alcoholism and other problems. It was thought that LSD could help patients express repressed emotions and understand their conditions.
In the UK in 1953, volunteers at Porton Down army base were given LSD in tests set up by MI6, who were worried about other countries using it as a truth drug or for 'mind control' purposes. The volunteers thought they were helping to test a cold cure so they were unprepared for, and scared by, the effects. In 2006, MI6 paid compensation to three of them in an out-of-court settlement.
"Many people thought society as a whole could benefit from widespread use of psychedelics, becoming more peaceful and creative."
LSD and the swinging 60s
Along with beehives, mini skirts and the Beatles, recreational use of LSD became synonymous with the 60s. It was a key part of the hippy movement, influencing music, fashion and politics. Charismatic figures such as the American writer and psychologist Timothy Leary advocated using psychedelic drugs for developing awareness and changing behaviour patterns. Many people thought society as a whole could benefit from widespread use of psychedelics, becoming more peaceful and creative. However, inevitably there were some who took excessive amounts of LSD, often combining it with other drugs, and concern about LSD's effects on mental health grew.
Possession of LSD was declared illegal in the UK in 1966 and attempts were made to clampdown on supply networks in the USA and Europe. In 1978, 15 people were jailed as part of a large-scale police operation.
What has happened to LSD since?
LSD is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is not available for medical use and is illegal to possess or supply. An article in medical journal The Lancet in 2006 argued that it should be legally available for medical research purposes, but others think this sends out the wrong message, suggesting LSD is 'safe'. In September 2009, an addiction therapist in Berlin was accused of causing the deaths of two patients during therapy sessions that included using LSD, heroin, amphetamines, magic mushrooms and ecstasy. Like ecstasy, ketamine and speed, LSD is frequently made in the Netherlands. "The drug is quite hard to make from a chemical point of view, and there's been a bit of a clampdown on the availability of the so-called 'precursor chemicals' you need," says Harry Shapiro, director of communications for drugs charity DrugScope. "The manufacturers of these chemicals are more wary of who they sell to these days."
Claudia Rubin of Release agrees that LSD is not as popular as it once was. "Young people have access to other psychoactive drugs, like MDMA, 2CB and a range of designer drugs. When magic mushrooms became illegal in raw form we thought it would cause an increase, but this hasn't been significant," she says.
"You've got a whole new generation of legal highs now," adds Harry Shapiro. "Salvia is also quite a powerful hallucinogen. A lot of young people wouldn't have sampled it, but salvia's out there and there's been quite a lot of internet chatter about it."
Written by Frances Morgan
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