For my speech class, we are required to give 7 minute (roughly) speech on an even that happened before 1980, and explain why it is relevant to today's society. So naturally, I thought of psychedelics.

I want to give a speech on the discovery of LSD. Being as LSD is probably the drug that I am LEAST versed in, I need a little help. I have been googling to excess about it and have learned a whole bunch, catching myself up to present use.

With this wealth of information however, I am asking for help to narrow down what to use for my speech. We need to have between 2-4 main points. I have been struggling with my decision on what to use for some main points.

Here are some ideas I have so far:
Talking about MAPS and their LSD studies
Talking about "Bicycle Day"
Mentioning Steve Jobs somewhere, and maybe Hoffman's letter to him.
How LSD led to the developement of drugs like prozac and other serotonin regulators.

Any help with how to organize my speech would be greatly appreciated!

You want to mention the profound effect LSD has had on Science and Art. Mention the Beatles, before and after LSD, with particular reference to "Revolver", and crowbar in references to famous LSD users. JFK almost certainly tripped, likewise Feynman, Crick, Leary (obviously), Mullis, Jobs, Gates, Branson and many, many others.

For some it led to important insights, for others it was a formative one off experience.

By the title of the thread, I was expecting tips on giving a speech while on LSD

If you really need to tell all people, that you are into psychedelics, well - I would talk about psychotheraphy and history of the drug.
But i'd suggest, better choose a different subject.
Psychedelic use is rather kept secret from this society, unless they are all legal.

Kyrolima

I'm not so sure. I think psychedelics and their validity need to be filtered into society. We need people out there who are counteracting the myths and lies of health teachers everywhere. Perhaps the OP just might change a couple lives for the better by giving his presentation.

Perhaps since the OP isn't very well versed in LSD, you might want to try a speech on DMT. It's not as likely to set of stigma bells and whistles as quickly as LSD because lots of people don't know what it is or have a very vague or weak idea of what it is, and you don't have to start right off by saying it's a psychedelic. Call it an endogenous entheogen and explain the implications and what it means to be an entheogen (generating God from within). You can talk about Strassman's findings if you like (the ones that you find relevant anyway). Perhaps you can tie in alien encounters and explain how this powerful key to the mystical experience continues to be important to this day.

You should mention the discovery of the 5ht receptor with the advance of post war medicine and psychotherapy & LSD. Also mention the whole political climate at the time and how it shaped our current policy's on use and research of such beneficial drugs, while alcohol and tobacco are tolerated despite causing huge death and illness...

you could finish with the sentiment that your talk provides evidence to show the state is not concerned with public health but rather compliance.

No. I studied the use of psychedelics in college and peyote use, ayahuasca and datura etc came up and was discussed in my anthropology classes. I wrote papers that made it clear that I drank ayahuasca and used mushrooms and none of the instructors cared or anything. Why would they care? They gave me good grades.

David Nichols wrote a paper about the immune system boosting fx of LSD. If you can find it, it will be packed full of good info.

Same experience here. I wrote papers about it and i admitted to trying it during speeches. The response? Everyone acted extremely unimpressed and some guy asked about the theme of snakes during ayahuasca experiences

In cultural anthropology classes, ayahuasca is pretty mainstream compared to other circles.

About the topic: What about giving a speech while on LSD about ...LSD ?
Just kidding of course, even though i find that a mild dose + 1 beer enhances my ability to speek uninhibited and with great ease...dramaticaly.

While I would LOVE to attempt giving a speech on LSD, I have only ever heard of it being available in my town once in the past 2 or 3 years... . Not very common around here.

I would give a speech on DMT but I already did that last year in school (which I got a perfect score on ), plus, I am trying to broaden my horizons.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody! I will let you all know how it goes.

Just an update: I got an A on the speech. I talked about its use to treat alcoholism and how it lead to more research on the serotonin receptors. Some other stuff too. I would have like to have put SOOOO much more in my speech, but with limited amount of time, I had to pick and choose.

The entire class loved it, including the professor. Hooray for LSD!

Good job. I was going to say that you might want to mention recent research into positive effects on cluster headaches, but big congrats on the A.

Now go celebrate (with some LSD).

I would love too, but alas, none is to be found.

maybe some LSA is in order.