Santa Barbara’s Psychedelic Surge

Santa Barbara’s
Psychedelic Surge

Riding a Wave of Medical Promise,
Magic Mushrooms and Other Hallucinogens
Have Gone Mainstream

By Ethan A. Stewart | November 17, 2022

MEDS: Microdose psilocybin capsules and a vial of microdose LSD. The LSD is mixed with niacin to modulate the bioavailability of the drugs and prevent the user from consuming any more than the prescribed 10 micrograms. | Credit: Courtesy

Labor Day weekend was hot this year throughout California. Historically hot. In the name of survival, many thousands of Golden Staters flocked to the beach. I was no exception and found myself on the shoreline with an extended group of friends and acquaintances, all of us firmly in our middle age, coupled up, and raising young families. There, we had good food and good drinks, along with umbrellas, surf boards, an air of sunblock, and stoked kids galore.

It was a full-on beach blanket bingo vibe, save for one little wrinkle — there were no less than two different types of psychedelics involved. That’s right; the Montecito mainstream has officially turned on and tuned in to the fast-growing psychedelics-as-medicine movement.

“I use small amounts of mushrooms a couple times a week,” said one mom. “I find that I am a happier, more energized person. And way more patient with my kids.”