In the chaotic aftermath of World War II in Berlin following the collapse of Nazism, drug use saw a resurgence. Long repressed by Nazi authorities, the drug trade and associated crime burgeoned in a city laid to waste by years of war. Berlin, divided among the Allied powers, saw varying drug policies implemented, with the American zone becoming a focal point for researching and investigating Nazi anti-drug laws. At the same time, with the Cold War engulfing the world and dividing it into two camps, American research into mind control drugs increased, and the seizure of Nazi archives on psychedelic research, particularly concerning mescaline and LSD, provided new avenues for experiments.
LSD, created in Switzerland following research into a grain infection, became the foundation for the CIA's infamous MKUltra program. This program, focused on brainwashing and psychological torture, significantly influenced American drug policy for decades, particularly regarding psychedelics. As the substance became widely distributed, however, the American government lost control of the narrative and moved to ban what it saw as a drug worse than heroin. As a result, therapeutic research was hindered, and many people became victims of the so-called war on drugs.
With a push towards decriminalization, more research is now being conducted on how LSD and other psychedelics can be used to treat mental illness and aging-related diseases like Alzheimer. Fans of history will appreciate the scholarship that went into researching this thorough history of a little-known drug with an oversize reputation.
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