...the story of how a chance discovery lead to a powerful
psychedelic drug. "If youíre going to San Francisco be sure to
wear some flowers in your hair," sang Scott McKenzie in 1967 as
the hippy movement gathered momentum. LSD and the hippy movement
In the 1960ís the hippy movement had a profound effect on
western culture, influencing thought, music, art and clothing.
Thousands of young Americans flocked to the Haight district of
San Francisco at this time to embrace an alternative lifestyle.
Although the movement was based in San Francisco, its effects
were felt around the world and culminated in the Summer of Love
in 1967 and music festivals such as Woodstock in 1969. Drugs
were important for the hippies and LSD ("acid" or lysergic acid
diethylamide to give it the proper chemical name) was one of
these. LSD in particular was attractive owing to its ability to
induce altered states of consciousness with changes to
perception; this is the so-called psychedelic experience. But,
in spite of the hippies craving