Posted on 04/30/2008 5:16:11 AM PDT by Phlap
Albert Hofmann, the father of the mind-altering drug LSD whose medical discovery grew into a notorious illicit substance, died Tuesday. He was 102.
Hofmann died of a heart attack at his home in Basel, Switzerland, according to Rick Doblin, president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, in a statement posted on the association's website.
His death was confirmed to the Associated Press by Doris Stuker, a clerk in the village of Burg im Leimental, where Hofmann moved following his retirement in 1971.
Hofmann's hallucinogen inspired — and arguably corrupted — millions in the 1960s psychedelic era. For decades after LSD was banned in the late 1960s, Hofmann defended his invention.
"I produced the substance as a medicine.… It's not my fault if people abused it," he once said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbc.ca ...
You’re very blessed.
Hoffman should be credited for his efforts as LSD is a tool for exploring the workings of the human mind for which we know so little. Just take alook at the newly discovered effects of the new antidepressants - it may be that they grow or accelerate the growth of new neurons. This class of drug may be more valuable as a tool for exploring the mechanisms of the brain as they are for treating depression.
We know so little about the therapeutic tools that we currently use it is humbling, disturbing, and...exciting for those working on basic mechanisms.
The fun part with LSD is that it was legal until people found out its more recreational uses. There are some psychiatry reports from back then that gave LSD high praise.
“Hoffman was the first to synthesize LSD. As it does not exist in that form in nature the synthesis is technically a discovery and an invention. ASA is from willow bark which was found to be effective for pain releief. It didnt take a genius to extract all the stuff from the willow bark to identify (discover) ASA as the active component. A formula for synthezing ASA for commercial production was patented and as such an invention”
Strictly speaking, ASA does not exist in nature. A variety of salicylates do, but not the sodium salts or acelyated compound of it, so yes, I’d say you could call it an invention in and of itself. Interestingly, one of the major players in ASA’s synthesis was another chemist, named Hoffman (two f’s, one n - as opposed to the one in this story, Hofmann, with one f and two n’s).
I glad you survived that “phase” of your life......
I had friends in High School and College that didn’t.....
I’ve watched good people succumb to the ravages of illegal drugs and in some cases legal substances..
Thankful to be alive, today .... in spite of myself.
Alas, I sit corrected. Grazie
Never tried a skateboard?
Never puked on the Salt n Pepper shaker?
"There's not a man or woman here in FR that hasn't tried something, at least once, and said no thanks."
I read your “something” in the context of a LSD article....
A reasonable conclusion would be something=illegal drugs....
Didn’t mean to disparage you.....
That stated, I did run with sissors once :^)
You realize that saying “illegal drugs” next this man’s name suggest the absurd notion that he set out to invent an illegal drug?!
The inventor of LSD set out to provide a “legal” drug for legitimate medical purposes, it eventually became an illegal substance....
That noted, there are plenty of “inventors” that manufacture designer drugs that intended for recreational use, that eventually are classed by the FDA as illegal
Those interrogations usually ended with a lighter held in the air with the cry “FREEBIRD” on the lips of the suspect.
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