NOTE: Due to anticipated large turnout, seating for the public will be limited. Doors open at 4:30 PM.

Michael Pollan is not a wild and crazy guy. He did not embrace the drug-addled youth culture of the 60s-70s. He is well-known and admired for his sound approaches to imbibing food that is natural and good for you.

So it may come as a surprise that his eighth book is not a guide for eating sustainably or wisely. Rather, it’s a personal and scientific exploration of the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs like LSD and mushrooms. Decades ago, these once legal hallucinogenic drugs got a bad rap from their association with hippie youth culture, but now they are showing great promise in treating addiction, anxiety, depression, and “existential distress.”

Pollan doesn’t dismiss the potential danger of dropping acid, but implores us not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. He calls for a new understanding of, and renewed appreciation for the healing properties of psychedelics, and a return to conducting Research on hallucinogenic drugs to treat serious mental disorders.

This is a Science Matters Lecture; reception/book signing to follow.

For the location and up-to-date Assembly Series information, click here.