Science and Sacraments

The story of The Psychedelic Pioneers is part leading-edge medical research and part utopian idealism. Three gifted psychiatrists, in combination with an extraordinarily powerful drug, gave birth to one of the most fascinating and controversial periods in Canadian history. Before LSD burst on the scene as fuel for wild psychedelic trips, it had an amazing, yet little known history. A surprising part of that history was written in a remote corner of the Canadian Prairies. Over a span of fifteen years, from when the drug was first administered in 1952 until it was banned and made illegal in 1967, the use of LSD ranged from leading edge psychiatric research into schizophrenia and alcoholism to volunteer testing on the general public. The Psychedelic Pioneers takes us through these fascinating and controversial times through the eyes of the three lead doctors involved in the LSD Saskatchewan project.

81 min