UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain.

UC Davis Professor of Chemistry Mark Mascal studies “pseudocannabinoids,” which are synthetic molecules that mimic the action of cannabinoids. Pseudocannabinoids can be completely synthesized from commercially available chemicals without the need for cultivating hemp, which can be land-, water- and energy-intensive.