William Leonard Pickard: The Rebel Scientist Who Predicted Fentanyl

William Leonard Pickard is a former research associate in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, Harvard fellow in drug policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Deputy Director of the Drug Policy Analysis Program at UCLA. His 1996 prediction of the fentanyl epidemic was published by RAND in The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids. Also known as the Acid King, Pickard was the central figure in the largest LSD manufacturing case in history. Manufacturing tens of millions of doses with a partner, at its height, Pickard’s lab produced up to a kilogram of LSD approximately every five weeks. He was eventually found guilty at trial of conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and dispense ten grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and received two life sentences.On July 27, 2020, Pickard was granted compassionate release from federal prison 20 years into his sentence. In this episode, Beond co-founder Talia Eisenberg joins Ibogaine Uncovered as co-host.

What We Discuss

• Leonard’s introduction to psychedelics

• The motivation behind manufacturing such vast amounts of LSD

• A different kind of trip: what life in a maximum security prison was like

• How Leonard’s time as an underground chemist influences his current work

• Predicting the fentanyl crisis before it began

• The state of ibogaine treatment: Leonard’s ongoing research

• Challenges facing the psychedelic treatment industry

Why It’s Important

William Leonard Pickard’s influence on the current psychedelic landscape cannot be overstated. His commitment to cognitive liberty is balanced with a conservative approach towards how psychedelics including ibogaine should be regulated and consumed. His life story encapsulates America’s fraught relationship with drugs, from his 1996 prediction of the fentanyl crisis, to serving 20 years in a maximum security prison for conspiring to manufacture LSD. This storied background lends to unparalleled insights on the use of psychedelics, and informs his ongoing research of ibogaine treatment centers and retreats.

Relevant Links

• William Leonard Pickard’s Bio
• The “acid king” prognosticates: 5 Questions for William Leonard Pickard (The Microdose)
• The Future of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids (2019 paper referencing Pickard’s work)
• The Acid King (Rolling Stone)
• DEA news release: Conviction for largest LSD lab seizure in history (2003)
• DEA news release: Pickard And Apperson Sentenced On LSD Charges (2003)
• Leonard’s book, The Rose of Paracelsus