Albert Hofman 1906-2008
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.30.08

When we honoured LSD inventor Albert Hofman on his hundredth birthday, many TreeHuggers were offended, asking " Could someone tell me how this could possibly be green-related? This only serves to cast an unfavorable light on the majority of us who are not former wasted trippin' hippies." or "I, too, am surprised and slightly offended by this post on Treehugger. This isn't the sort of thing I expect from you." Others were more subtle and simply said "you are an idiot loyd."
Turil and others defended the post, "I'm wondering how someone would be offended by hearing about a historically significant person having a one hundredth birthday...Oh, and apparently, the Hoffman's first acid trip was on a bike. And biking is most definitely Treehugger!"
So this time I will say nothing other than Rest in Peace. ::Albert Hofman dead at 102


















A minor note ... Albert Hofmann could ( and should in my opinion ) be considered a celebrity-scientist treehugger not just remembered (reviled) for his creation of LSD.
In particular "“As the years accumulate behind him, Mr. Hofmann's conversation turns ever more insistently around one theme: man's oneness with nature and the dangers of an increasing inattention to that fact.
Rest In Peace Mr. Hofmann.
i think it's funny that people are bitching about how stupid it is that you posted this when they can spend that time bitching about more important things.
Well, LSD got synthesized from ergot, a fungus living on rye. Thats nature, my friends!
So true, Tash!
There's not really much that is more natural then the celebration of life (the 100th birthday) and the honoring of one who has passed.
Those who don't see the connection between Hoffman and environmentalism should read Terrence McKenna's books -- especially Food of the Gods. LSD and similar compounds have the power to remind people of their connection to other people and to the planet.
lsd doesn't pose any health risk, even long term ones, other then maybe hurting yourself while your tripping. it really is demonized much worse then it should be, cigarettes and alcohol are much much worse then lsd. in fact there has never been a single human overdose of lsd. something that can't be said of alcohol.
it has been purported to help depression and has many other benefits. however until the governments at least lets scientists run clinical tests using the drug we will never know if it truly has any benefits.
There are 100,000s of psychiatry patients with chronic psychosis left over from the 1960s-1990s who had their disease precipitated with this cerebral poison.
While we're at it, let's all throw a parade for Pablo Escobar.
So much for letting him rest in peace, scott. He's dead, and he didn't cause people to abuse the drug he created many years ago. It was their dumb choice.
I'm sure he was an interesting person, and I'm sad to know he's gone.
let all be fine and well,
hmmm.... mixed bag, but albert hofman should definitely be honored for his treehugging. what most folks dont know is that he considered lsd "medicine for the soul" (not a lemming, you got it?), and reality is alot of folks wouldnt have made their shift to be green and natural without it.
furthermore, hofman and his wife spent alot of time in mexico studying other plants. he was definitely horticulturally minded with respect to the divine. he was also into the eleusinian mysteries. its when people overlook this kind of thing that they fool themselves into thinking that "drugs" are "bad".
mr. horman being overlooked as a treehugger is also a good example of "the baby being thrown out with the bath water"
he also reffered to lsd as his problem child.
he was a good man, not at all like pablo escabar. folks who think otherwise should elucidate their ignorance.
thanks for honoring a green centurian
My experiences with LSD have guided me toward becoming 'one' with another and my natural surroundings.
LSD is the quick and easy way to get with the program (or at least be shown the door) ... it's very appropriate! Anyone who's got a problem with new experiences needs to have their head examined.
So the inventor of a reviled drug lives to be 102...
Don't do drugs kids it might cut your lifespan short you might only live to 102.
In all seriousness those who look down on this serotogenic drug, while ignoring the harm that legal Anti-Depressants have done are myopic at best or corporate fascist hypocrites at worst.
RIP
The way some folks here are talking about him, you'd think the man invented either the Atom Bomb or the cure for Cancer. He's neither a villain nor a saint; we should neither demonize nor lionize the man. He's simply a brilliant scientist who first synthesized LSD-25 . Kudos, well done, good-bye. The end.
Hoffman was a hero to three generations of people who were able to discover the truth that we're all connected to each other and nature. Like Buddha, he brought enlightenment to thousands upon thousands of people, except with LSD huge amounts of discipline and asceticism weren't necessary to have the samhadi or awakening experience. There's lots of helpful information on psychedelics at erowid.org and psychedelicsalon.com
With all due respect to scott, I think everyone on treehugger who doesn't know about psychedelics deserves to research it themselves.
Thank you for the courage to honor a man who deserves much more honor than he gets in sad modern america.
Mr Hoffman needs no defense. But the people here who attempt to dismiss work that supports everything this website and environmentalism is about at it's core need to hear that in the eyes of many they are infantilized normalized factory culture adults. They are as much a part of the problem as multinational corporations and the current corrupt bush-clinton crime regime.