The Psychedelic Pioneers :
Director: Gordon McLennan | Producer: Anand Ramayya
Genre: Documentary | Produced In: 2006 | Story Teller's Country: Canada

Synopsis: 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, resulted in 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.

As word of LSD’s amazing properties began to seep out of the laboratory, artists and intellectuals such as writer Aldous Huxley, filmmaker Paul Saltzman, architect Kyo Izumi and painter Ted Godwin began to experiment and travel to Saskatchewan to have their first experiences with LSD. The Psychedelic Pioneers takes us through these fascinating and controversial times through the eyes of the three lead Dr’s involved in the LSD Saskatchewan project.

“ To fall in hell or soar angelic, you’ll need a pinch of psychedelic.”
—Dr. Humphrey Osmond

Connie Littlefield, 2002, 56 min 35 s

This documentary offers a compassionate, open-minded look at LSD and how it fits into our world. Long before Timothy Leary urged a generation to "tune in, turn on and drop out," the drug was hailed as a way to treat forms of addiction and mental illness. At the same time, it was being touted as a powerful tool for mental exploration and self-understanding. Featuring interviews with LSD pioneers, beautiful music and stunning cinematography, this is much more than a simple chronicle of LSD's early days. It's an alternative way of looking at the drug... and our world.