Happy Bicycle Day!

It’s a busy week for those of us in the plant-based medicine world. We have Bicycle Day and 420 back-to-back. You’re probably familiar with 420, but unless you consider yourself to be a psychonaut, you might not have heard of Bicycle Day. So what is it?

What is Bicycle Day?

Bicycle Day is an informal holiday celebrated by the psychonaut and plant-based medicine communities. It takes place annually on April 19th to commemorate the first intentional LSD trip. Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first discovered the psychedelic effects of LSD while working on ergot alkaloids at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland.

On April 19, 1943, Hofmann ingested a small amount of LSD, known as LSD-25, to study its effects. The substance was expected to be a respiratory and circulatory stimulant. Instead, he experienced hallucinations that were so intense, he had to have his lab assistant accompany him on his bike ride home. He initially thought that he had poisoned himself. However, after getting home and realizing that he was physically fine, he began to enjoy his trip. This bike ride marked the first deliberate acid trip and is now celebrated as a milestone in psychedelic history.

Bicycle Day is often used by psychedelic enthusiasts, researchers, and artists as a day to reflect on the impact of psychedelics on culture, science, and personal experiences. It serves as a reminder of the potential of psychedelics for exploration, creativity, and therapeutic purposes.

What is LSD?

Okay, great. So what is LSD?

LSD, short for lysergic acid diethylamide, is a powerful hallucinogenic drug that alters perception, thoughts, and feelings. It belongs to a class of drugs known as psychedelics or hallucinogens. LSD is derived from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on certain grains like rye.

LSD is typically consumed orally, often on blotter paper or in liquid form on sugar cubes. There’s a widespread myth that you have to take LSD by dropping it into your eyes. Please don’t do that. This myth is perpetuated by government-funded anti-drug programs to gather support for the War on Drugs.

What are the Effects?

The effects of LSD can vary widely depending on the dose, individual sensitivity, and environmental factors. (Moxie recently took LSD at a festival. You can read about her experience here.) Common effects include:

Altered Perception: LSD can distort how a person perceives time, space, colors, and shapes. Sensory experiences may become more intense, and users may see patterns or visuals that aren’t actually there (hallucinations).
Changes in Thinking: LSD can lead to profound changes in thought patterns and consciousness. Users may experience deep introspection, heightened creativity, or unusual insights.
Emotional Effects: LSD can amplify emotions, leading to intense feelings of euphoria, empathy, or anxiety. The emotional experience can be highly influenced by the user’s mindset and environment.
Physical Sensations: LSD can cause physical effects such as dilated pupils, increased heart rate, changes in body temperature, and altered sense of touch.
Duration: The effects of LSD typically last for 6 to 12 hours. However, the peak experience occurs within the first few hours after ingestion. Residual effects and changes in perception can persist for several hours beyond the peak.

It’s important to note that LSD is a potent and potentially unpredictable substance. Experiences can vary greatly depending on factors such as dose, mindset, setting, and individual brain chemistry. The wrong combination of these factors can lead to a bad trip. There is little physical risk involved in a bad trip, but it can be psychologically damaging. This is why it’s important to always practice harm-reduction strategies and use a trip-sitter. If you need help and don’t have a sober trip-sitter, the Fireside Project is a great resource.

How can LSD Be Beneficial?

LSD has a complex history. While it’s not widely used in mainstream medicine today, there has been some exploration of its potential medicinal properties. Here are some areas where LSD has been studied for its potential therapeutic effects:

Psychotherapy

In the mid-20th century, LSD was studied for its potential to treat various mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction. It was believed that LSD could facilitate introspection, enhance empathy, and promote psychological breakthroughs during therapy sessions. However, research in this area was largely halted due to legal and regulatory restrictions in the 1960s and 1970s.

Cluster Headaches

Some research suggests that LSD may help treat cluster headaches, an extremely painful neurological condition. Studies and anecdotal reports have indicated that small doses of LSD can reduce the frequency and severity of cluster headache episodes. However, more research is needed to understand the mechanisms and potential long-term effects of using LSD for this purpose.

End-of-Life Anxiety

Psychedelic-assisted therapy has gained attention in recent years for its potential in palliative care and treating end-of-life anxiety in terminally ill patients. While LSD specifically has not been extensively studied in this context, the interest in psychedelics for therapeutic purposes has sparked renewed interest in exploring LSD’s potential benefits.

Creativity and Problem-Solving

Some studies and anecdotal reports suggest that LSD and other psychedelics can enhance creativity, divergent thinking, and problem-solving abilities. This has led to interest in exploring these substances in controlled settings for creative or cognitive enhancement purposes.

It’s important to note that while there is historical and anecdotal evidence supporting potential therapeutic uses of LSD, its classification as a Schedule I controlled substance in many countries has significantly restricted research opportunities. Current scientific interest in psychedelics, including LSD, is focused on conducting rigorous clinical trials to evaluate safety, efficacy, and potential therapeutic applications under controlled conditions. Meanwhile, organizations such as The Decriminalize Nature movement are working to have plant-based substances unscheduled so that we can more easily study and take advantage of their medicinal properties.

Additionally, the use of psychedelics for medicinal purposes should always be approached with caution and conducted under the supervision of trained professionals in a safe and supportive environment due to the potent and unpredictable nature of these substances.

What do you think? Will you be celebrating Bicycle Day?

Heaven

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What is Bicycle Day?