Dr. Alexander Shulgin knows his drugs. Timothy Leary even called him one of "the most important scientists of the 20th century." A 77-year-old genius biochemist who once worked for Dow Chemical, Shulgin introduced the world to ecstasy and invented foxy and dozens of other obscure psychedelics. But Shulgin, who works closely with his wife, Ann, doesn't just fire up the Bunsen burner in his secluded northern California lab. He has tripped thousands of times over the years. Says the father of foxy: "I like knowing that after I invent something I'm the first person to have tried it."
Playboy: Days after you invented foxy, you had sex on it. Was it good?
Shulgin: At low doses it greatly enhances my orgasm intensity but has no psychedelic effect. But Ann didn't care for it. At the normal dose, it wasn't that memorable or constructive. So it's not in my medicine cabinet.
Playboy: What is foxy related to in a chemical sense—is it like LSD?
Shulgin: Not really. It's actually far more similar to some of the things in magic mushroom alkaloids.
Playboy: Is foxy safe?
Shulgin: I don't know of any valid medical studies. Unfortunately, in this country it's nearly impossible to do psychedelic studies with human subjects. People do them privately, but they don't publish the results.
Playboy: Did you know ravers are taking foxy to party or have sex?
Shulgin: That surprises me. Street use isn't something I'm happy with. People aren't careful with their doses and their intentions.
Playboy: Is there an ideal sex drug?
Shulgin: There are a lot of things like ecstasy that make you feel extremely warm and comfortable but inhibit your sexuality.
Playboy: What about Viagra?
Shulgin: I use it occasionally at about a third to half dosage levels. But I don't like being dependent on it, and I can't use it when I'm trying out new compounds because I don't know what the drug-drug interaction will be.
Playboy: What's the point of inventing these psychedelic drugs?
Shulgin: It's to open doors to research for neuroscientists and psychiatrists. And from that could very well evolve tools for treatment of mental disorders.
"I like knowing that after I've invented something I'm the first person to have tried it."
