Alexander 'Sasha' Shulgin and MDMA

Alexander Shulgin

Alexander and Ann Shulgin at book signing in Oakland, CA in December 2011
Born	Alexander Theodore Shulgin June 17, 1925 Berkeley, California, US
Died	June 2, 2014 (aged 88) Lafayette, California
Citizenship	United States
Alma mater	Harvard University University of California at Berkeley University of California, San Francisco
Known for	Rediscovering MDMA Shulgin Research Institute Various phenethylamines and tryptamines
Awards	DEA Awards (numerous)
Scientific career
Fields	Chemistry, psychology, philosophy, biology

Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (June 17, 1925 – June 2, 2014) was an American medicinal chemist, biochemist, organic chemist, pharmacologist, psychopharmacologist, and author. He is credited with introducing MDMA ("ecstasy" or "molly") to psychologists in the late 1970s for psychopharmaceutical use and for the discovery, synthesis and personal bioassay of over 230 psychoactive compounds for their psychedelic and entactogenic potential.

He introduced the material to a psychiatrist friend, Leo Zeff, who was so astounded by the drug's powers that he delayed his retirement and travelled the US administering the drug to thousands of patients.


 The drug found its way into Dallas nightclubs, including the Starck Club, and on to the Balearic island of Ibiza, fuelling the 1980s acid house dance-drug craze. It was not Shulgin's intention to launch