While most people in the cannabis industry are gearing up for the high holiday of April, 20 or 420, our good friends in the psychedelic industry have their own day of celebration. It’s called Bicycle Day and it falls on April 19. The history is that on April 19, 1943, Albert Hofmann, the Swiss father of psychedelic medicine, dropped lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) at 4:20 pm, interestingly enough, and went on a bike ride, becoming the first human to trip on LSD.
According to Wikipedia, “Hofmann’s condition rapidly deteriorated as he struggled with feelings of anxiety, alternating in his beliefs that the next-door neighbor was a malevolent witch, that he was going insane, and that the LSD had poisoned him. When the house doctor arrived, however, he could detect no physical abnormalities, save for a pair of incredibly dilated pupils. Hofmann was reassured, and soon his terror began to give way to a sense of good fortune and enjoyment, as he later wrote…”
Hofmann realized he had made a significant discovery: a psychoactive substance with extraordinary potency, capable of causing significant shifts of consciousness in incredibly low doses. Hofmann viewed the drug as a powerful psychiatric tool; because of its intense and introspective nature, he couldn’t imagine anyone using it recreationally.
The celebration of Bicycle Day originated in DeKalb, Illinois, in 1985, when Thomas B. Roberts, then a Professor at Northern Illinois University, invented the name “Bicycle Day” when he founded the first celebration at his home. Several years later, he sent an announcement made by one of his students to friends and Internet lists, thus propagating the idea and the celebration. While this holiday isn’t as widespread as 420, a series of events honoring the day is beginning to happen.
Events
New York City
April 18 – Comedy + Science + Psychedelics = A Better Trip w/ Shane Mauss
In 2016, science podcaster, mental health advocate, and award-winning stand-up comedian Shane Mauss (Conan, Kimmel, Comedy Central, Amazon Prime, Showtime) partnered with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies) and embarked on an epic, sold-out 111-city psychedelic comedy tour ‘A Good Trip.’ Along the way, a film crew followed him, making the documentary ‘Psychonautics: A Comic’s Exploration of Psychedelics’.
That tour was the inspiration for the animated series Comedy Central’s ‘Tale From the Trip’ where Shane is the most regular and most viewed storyteller.
In preparation Shane is doing 10 pop-up one-night-only warm-up shows announced as a last-minute surprise and NYC is one of the 10 cities he is passing through!! This event will be hosted by The Psychedelic Assembly, doors open at 6:30 pm and the show starts at 7:30 so come early to mingle in our wild venue, which includes a gallery with a visionary art show and the Athenaeum, the world’s first psychedelic library, bookstore, and social club.
This show will be opened by Sarah Rose Siskind, a psychedelic comedian, a Zendo-trained trip sitter, a board member of the Psychedelic Assembly, and host of Drug Test, a live comedy show about drugs. She’s the Founder of Hello SciCom, a company that combines science communication and comedy to help science and tech-oriented people get their message across.
April 19 – Bicycle Day at the Athenaeum
This Bicycle Day, pedal your way to the Athenaeum, the world’s first psychedelic library, and social club. This group will be screening the first two parts of the new docu-series, “Open Minds: Exploring Psychedelic Medicine,” presented by ALTRD TV. Open Minds is a six-part miniseries that explores the topics of consciousness, the experience of using psychedelic treatments, current research, and what the future of mental healthcare can look like.
William Leonard Pickard, one of the most intriguing figures in the world of psychedelics, will be making a special digital appearance. Pickard is a former Harvard researcher, convicted in the largest LSD manufacturing case in history, then released from incarceration in 2020 after serving 20 years of a life sentence. He’s also a dear friend and supporter of the Psychedelic Assembly. Leonard will be tuning in via Zoom, so drop in to say hi! They will also have some elixirs from the Alchemist Kitchen available. These drinks are blended adaptogenic herbs and medicinal mushrooms intended to stimulate the mind, body, and spirit with a flavorful state change.
San Francisco
April 18-18 Bicycle Day SF
Bicycle Day SF returns in 2023 for its first two-day conference titled Discovery Con 2023 along with its infamous music and art experience. Discovery Con will take place on Tuesday, April 18th, and Wednesday, April 19th at San Francisco’s Midway. The two-day event will feature keynote panel discussions with leading experts in the field of psychedelia surrounding topics of culture, policy, and science. The Bicycle Day music celebrations will take place on the evening of Wednesday, April 19th at 8 pm. Tickets for Bicycle Day and Discovery Con are available for purchase on Tixr.
April 19 – Bicycle Day Bicycle Parade
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA. Celebrate the 80th anniversary of the discovery of LSD by joining friends in the annual tradition of dressing ecstatically and riding bicycles through Golden Gate Park. It will be an immersive day of revelry, shenanigans, poetry, music, and magic for all. Meet at Hippie Hill at Noon (sharp!). Bring everything you need for a long bicycle journey. Parade ends at the Music Concourse at 530ishpm. There will be a special surprise, so plan to be outside til after the sun goes down! (Full Story)