Half a century later, Kiwi scientists at the University of Auckland are testing for any medical benefits from microdoses.
"It might sound outrageous but people use substances all the time that manipulate their consciousness," Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Associate Professor at the School of Pharmacy, tells The Project.
"The effect of a microdose of LSD is likely to be significantly less than a pint of beer."
Microdosing involves taking just 5 to 10 percent of a full psychedelic hit - and it's not about getting high.
"Microdosing is far in a way the most boring form of consuming psychedelics," American psychologist James Fadiman says.