Andrew Weil was born in Philadelphia. He has a degree in botanical biology (1964) and an M.D. (1968), both from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Weil became aware of the work of Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert with psychedelic drugs and soon joined Lester Grinspoon on formal investigations of Cannabis.

A prolific author, several of Dr. Weil's books are on the topic of psychoactive plants and chemicals. He worked for the National Institute of Mental Health and for 15 years served as a research associate in ethnopharmacology at the Harvard Botanical Museum. Dr. Weil is an internationally recognized expert on medicinal herbs, mind-body interactions, and integrative medicine. He places great importance on diet, exercise, deep breathing, and peace of mind as the primary components of healing and living a healthy life.

Dr. Weil is the Founder and Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Professor of Public Health, and the Lovell-Jones Professor of Integrative Rheumatology. He also serves as editor-in-chief of the journal Integrative Medicine. He formed the Weil Foundation in 2004, with the mission to support integrative medicine by funding the training of physicians and other practitioners, public education, research, innovations in patient care, and policy reform.