The Nature of Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Social Impact, Volume 2

The Nature of Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Social Impact, Volume 2 compiles lectures from Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin's course on what drugs are and how they work. It covers how compounds are processed by the body and how they influence society, bringing together psychoactive chemistry, pharmacology, and consciousness from a single teaching lineage. Recorded in 1987 at San Francisco State University, the volume is transcribed from Shulgin's lectures and interactions with students, framed as both a historical record of his lecture style and the culmination of his philosophy about psychopharmacology and freedom in both medicinal and exploratory drug use. Volume 2 extends Volume 1 with extensive examinations of dozens of compounds, including lecture sessions 9 through 23, and emphasizes topics such as drug research, drug policy and law, and civil liberties.