Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age BY Norman Ohler

Norman Ohler’s Tripped delivers a provocative exploration of the hidden connections between Nazi drug experiments and the shaping of postwar American drug policy. Following the fall of the Third Reich in 1945, Berlin becomes a focal point for a new kind of drug experimentation. With the city divided into sectors controlled by the Allies, each power enforces its own drug policies. In the American sector, Arthur J. Giuliani from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics is tasked with extracting valuable information on Nazi drug laws and practices.

By 1950, Harvard professor Dr. Henry Beecher begins to delve into the Nazi's psychedelic research, initially aimed at discovering a “truth serum” and exploring mind control techniques. The Nazis’ research, which began with mescaline and rapidly expanded to LSD, was co-opted from Swiss pharmaceutical Sandoz. After the war, this research becomes a crucial asset for the U.S., birthing MKUltra—the CIA’s notorious mind control program during the 1950s and 1960s.

Tripped details how this covert Nazi research influenced American drug policies and shaped the War on Drugs. Ohler's meticulous archival research reveals the profound impact of these early experiments on U.S. drug policy, highlighting how the Nazis' pursuit of mind control became a cornerstone of American drug regulation. The book serves as a spiritual sequel to Ohler’s Blitzed, uncovering the deep-seated connections that hindered therapeutic psychedelic research for decades and influenced the trajectory of U.S. drug enforcement.

With its compelling narrative and thorough historical investigation, Tripped offers a striking new perspective on the interplay between war, science, and drug policy.