take an LSD trip this Sunday

Sunday April 19 is the 66th anniversary of the first intentional LSD trip in history. It was taken by Albert Hofmann, the medical scientist that discovered the substance five years earlier while working for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland. In 2003 my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Albert and his wife Anita in their lovely Swiss home. Albert was 97 and still sharp as a tack. It was a wonderful experience, one that Melissa and I will never forget.

To honor both Albert Hofmann and LSD, this Sunday we will be airing a special edition of The Opium Den. Dieter Hagenbach, a friend of Albert's for over 30 years, will talk with me about Albert Hofmann the man, not the legend. We'll hear how Albert, a rather shy and reserved man, dealt with all the notoriety LSD brought him. And we're hoping to have Nick Sand as well. Nick was a 60s chemist famous for making Orange Sunshine, still considered the best LSD ever produced. (It was certainly the best I've ever taken.) Nick was later arrested for operating the largest LSD lab in history, in Canada. Nick spent years in jail as a result, but came through it all OK. He's a very sweet man, like a favorite uncle. So you'll want to hear Nick too.