In 1971, Richard Nixon launched the War on Drugs, and the Controlled Substances Act outlawed the use of LSD and psilocybin, or magic mushrooms. Before then, psychiatrists used those drugs to treat patients for depression, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. Now there’s a resurgence in interest around psychedelic drugs. Author Michael Pollan has taken stock of the latest developments, and even taken a few trips himself.
Author Michael Pollan. Credit: Jeannette Montgomery Barron.