I love this article from the Multidisciplinary Study of Psychedelics (MAPS) about my favorite band. You simply can’t discuss the history—or future—of psychedelic medicine without mentioning the Grateful Dead. They were the soundtrack for the 2nd psychedelic revolution, their music pulsing through the veins of a cultural shift. Their contributions helped sustain the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, founded during the Summer of Love, 1967, a beacon of free, compassionate care.
I was lucky to chat with Dr. Dave Smith, one of the founders of the Haight Ashbury Clinics, on my podcast. Now in his 80s, he shared why he’s cautiously optimistic about the 3rd psychedelic revolution. He described the cyclical pattern of hope for the healing potential of psychedelics—only to have it crushed by narrow-minded puritanism and political muscle. The psychedelic counterculture movement of the ’60s was silenced by the criminalization of psychedelics in the ’70s, with Nixon’s war on drugs stamping out the 2nd revolution.The war on drugs marched on under Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign, leading to punitive measures and skyrocketing incarceration rates.
One of the most iconic commercials in America aired in 1987: A person holds an egg, saying, “This is your brain.” They crack it in a frying pan and warn, “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” While that ad delivered a visceral punch, public health historians may look back and see it as a reductive, hollow scare tactic. I, for one, have questions—and it’s fair to say that the war on drugs was a colossal, costly failure, one that chose punishment over education and treatment.
The 3rd psychedelic revolution is distinct from earlier waves. This time, it’s not just cultural experimentation leading the charge; it’s science, medical application, and a push for regulatory reform. Psychedelics are now being studied in clinical trials at prestigious institutions, reframed as tools for holistic healing, expanded self-awareness, and for mental health conditions like depression and PTSD—areas in dire need of better options. While some are discouraged by the FDA’s recent rejection of Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, I don’t see this as a derailment of the 3rd revolution. Regulators will regulate—but a little red tape can’t stop the revolution.
Though the soulful poet and spiritual guru of the Dead, Jerry Garcia, has long since passed, I and many others have been blessed to hear Dead & Co keep the magic alive. The below photo is from a night at The Sphere—a venue that felt purpose-built for the Dead, with its mind-blowing special effects merging music, mind, and soul into one surreal experience. In the midst of the 3rd revolution, the Sphere show felt like a fitting tribute to a band that gave so much to the world of music and psychedelics. I call it the show that ruined me for other shows.
Indeed, what a long, strange trip it’s been.
PS: I just learned this week that Dead&Co are coming back to the Sphere in 2025! I am super excited, although I know a lot of fellow Dead Heads find it cost prohibitive too. I’m just glad the music will continue.