Researchers found a way to transform LSD so it doesn’t make you trip

For decades, LSD has been associated with vivid hallucinations and counterculture movements. But now, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have discovered a way to tweak this powerful compound into something far more therapeutic, and far less trippy. The team says it has developed what could be the first version of medical LSD.

Not only does it retain the brain-healing benefits of the drug, but it does so without the mind-altering effects that can lead to bad trips. The researchers managed to do this by altering the position of just two atoms in LSD’s molecular structure. This small shift produced major changes, and the researchers have begun calling the new substance JRT.

According to the findings, this new medical LSD still stimulates brain cell growth and helps repair damaged neural connections, especially in areas linked to mood and cognition. But crucially, JRT did so in lab mice without inducing any signs of hallucinations or disorientation.

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A researcher involved in the study said it took the team roughly five years to discover the possible changes they could cause by moving around atoms. Essentially, they acted like a tire rotation, where you reposition the tires on your car to help them perform better.

Early tests show that JRT improved symptoms in mice modeled to exhibit schizophrenia-like behavior, offering hope for treating conditions like schizophrenia without the risks that come with classic psychedelics.

This makes the idea of medical LSD more feasible for patients who would otherwise be poor candidates for hallucinogenic treatment, such as those already prone to psychosis.

Beyond its antipsychotic effects, JRT also showed remarkable antidepressant properties, at doses 100 times lower than ketamine, another drug increasingly used for severe depression. While human trials are still a long way off, the team believes JRT has strong therapeutic potential.

The researchers are now working to improve the compound’s synthesis and explore similar analogs. If successful, JRT could be a game changer in psychiatric care, signaling a new era where medical LSD is more reliable and useful.