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Vice Blog

ALEXANDER SHULGIN NEEDS YOUR HELP

Famed psychedelic chemist, psychonaut, and generally good human being Alexander Shulgin suffered a tragic stroke last weekend. According to his wife, Ann Shulgin, the stroke was ischemic, localized in the mid-pons, and has affected his ability to speak. Fortunately Shulgin was being driven to the doctor for a scheduled test, and he received immediate medical attention. He is currently working with a speech therapist to regain his ability to articulate words and he seems likely to recover. Shulgin is also battling a severe ulcer on his foot, which may require amputation. All of this, in addition to the regular assaults of old age, are making Shulgin's medical treatment very expensive.

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Psychedelic drugs are deemed to have limited medical utility and accordingly they are extremely unprofitable as a class (at least in terms of FDA approved pharmaceuticals). Despite that fact that Alexander Shulgin is world renowned for his chemical creations, he has never made a dime off his drugs in any capacity. He has subsisted off selling small parts of his land, his books, and the kindness of others. But with no regular source of income he is unable to pay his current medical bills. Consider that MDMA, a drug Shulgin played an integral role in the popularization of, is one of the most wisely used recreational drugs in the world. Billions of dollars have been exchanged over MDMA and when you add the money that has been exchanged over MDE, 2C-B, 2C-I, 5-MeO-DiPT and other Shugin inventions the sum is truly monumental. If he even earned a dime on each of these transactions he would be a rich man, but he made knowledge of these chemicals and their synthesis freely available, for the benefit of you and I.

He did not even patent the vast majority of them, and most of the ones he did emit gamma-rays and are generally unattractive form a recreational standpoint.

If you are reading this there is a high probability Shulgin has improved your life in one way or another and here is your chance to repay him. Consider giving Shulgin a dollar for every time you used one of his chemicals. The better
treatment he receives, the faster he will recover, and the sooner he can be back in the lab doing what he does best. Imagine the oxygenated blood rushing towards your ventral tegmental area as each neuron in your reward system
gushes dopamine into the relevant synapses - because, my friend, you will have done a good thing!

Paypal funds can be sent to annandsashashulgin@comcast.net or cash mailed to:

Sasha Shulgin,
c/o Transform Press,
PO Box 13675, Berkeley CA 94712.

HAMILTON MORRIS