Ann and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Shulgin were psychedelic pioneers, and their immense influence continues to be felt today. In this episode, I discuss my meeting them as a young toxicologist-in-training and the lessons I’ve learned from them over the years. Sasha Shulgin was a chemist and psychopharmacologist who invented about 200 psychoactive compounds including the 2C-series. He was also the first person to synthesize, and then take MDMA in the US, introducing it to others including therapists such as Leo Zeff, who would incorporate it into psychedelic-assisted therapy. Ann Shulgin was a therapist, researcher and writer who explored the emotional and spiritual side of psychedelics. With the science and the art of it, the Shulgins were a perfect team to carry out important psychedelic research.

Listen to the full podcast episode here.