The Substance - Albert Hofmann’s LSD

From wonder drug to problem child, captures the development of LSD from its discovery by Swiss chemist Alfred Hofmann in 1943 to its ban in California in 1966. We see how it was experimented with in psychology and on the street, where it became the psychedelic symbol of the hippie movement. Centenarian Alfred Hofmann tells us about his first "awful experience" with the drug. There are also interviews with scientists, with a member of the Merry Pranksters, and with the self-taught LSD producer of guru Timothy Leary. Historical footage - including intriguing recordings of experiments - captures the spirit of the times. Associative montage sequences of waves, neon letters, nuclear bombs and military weaponry draw a link between the effect of LSD and the era in which people were using it. By means of conclusion, we see how LSD is now being used to treat terminal cancer patients for depression, one of whom emotionally explains how LSD caused a fundamental shift in his approach to the world: "You're opening up instead of narrowing down."