For the span of human history, people have not only used plants to derive basic nutrients, but have also use them in various ways to treat, prevent , and alleviate symptoms of many common diseases and ailments. As science has advanced our ability to identify the underlying agents of these benefits, plant-based medicine has evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. Whether derived directly from plant material, or through the production of synthetic analogues in a laboratory, many of the key compounds and metabolites found in plants have given us everything from aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) to some of the most powerful opiates. So it is no surprise that many of our modern-day pharmaceuticals are derived from plants. It is also likely that we have only just scratched the surface of nature’s pharmacopeia, with many plant compounds, and their potential roles in human health and nutrition yet to be discovered.

Many of these compounds, and, in some cases, the plants or fungi that produce them, have often been restricted in their use, or made completely illicit given their potency and psychotropic properties. The unintended, and unfortunate consequences of making plants and fungus-derived compounds illegal was that the wide range of highly beneficial compounds produced by them were excluded from human consumption because of their association with their psychotropic effects.

It is only in the last decade that legislation has allowed the study and human use of these compounds in treating disease. We are at the forefront of change and opportunity in this healthcare revolution.