In previous installments, we discussed ergot, a fungus that parasitizes certain cereals and enabled the discovery of LSD and the synthesis of highly useful drugs (see Spannabis Magazine No. 51 and No. 52). Now, we will focus on botanical, medical, and pharmacological aspects, exploring how this fungus has played a starring role in various historical moments.

LSD, My Problem Child by Albert Hofmann

January 2008 marked the month when all Dutch shops pulled both dried stems of any ephedra species and any product containing ephedrine—a natural stimulant drug with effects identical to amphetamine, which chemists call deoxyephedrine—from their shelves.