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"Research was happening but nothing conclusive" I've read that before it was made illegal LSD was the most studied pharmaceutical compound in the world, with l

"Research was happening but nothing conclusive" I've read that before it was made illegal LSD was the most studied pharmaceutical compound in the world, with literally thousands of papers written on it. There were clearly medical uses, and it was being used medically. Whether the research was "conclusive" is a matter of opinion. Pretty much all of the psychedelic researchers I've read or heard interviews with (which is a lot) were completely convinced of its effectiveness. But that didn't matter to the administrators and lawmakers, who were much more interested in the headlines than the science.

tayo42 6y ago
I just went to double check my self quickly. It never was an official medicine, therapy with it was still experimental for alcoholism. It was having success but turned into a recreational drug that scared people so it all got banned. The same thing happened with mdma and crack later on. The penalties were excessive and reactionary to recreational use. https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2014/sep/02/psychedelic-psychiatry https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2014/sep... This was the end of 50s early 60s, seems we still did stuff like lobotomies. Idk if I can blame law makers for not taking psychiatry seriously at the time.
- pmoriarty 6y ago
  "This was the end of 50s early 60s, seems we still did stuff like lobotomies. Idk if I can blame law makers for not taking psychiatry seriously at the time." LSD was made illegal in 1968, so actually it was the late 60's (right at the peak of social unrest and reactionary backlash in the US), and they took psychiatry very seriously then, but they didn't ban lobotomies, just LSD. It was pretty clearly a moral panic. Had absolutely nothing to do with science.
  - tayo42 6y ago
    The op I responded to > I'm pretty sure the tendency for LSD users to ethically object to war or other offensive violence is exactly why the US decided it should be treated as more dangerous than crystal meth The point I was trying to make > It was pretty clearly a moral panic. Had absolutely nothing to do with science. It has nothing to with being anti war, lawmakers panicked when it became a recreational drug and didn't know what to do. Also california and nevada made lsd illegal in 1966
    - pmoriarty 6y ago
      "california and nevada made lsd illegal in 1966" So still the late 60's, not "the end of 50s early 60s". "It has nothing to with being anti war, lawmakers panicked when it became a recreational drug and didn't know what to do" It was a recreational drug long before it was made illegal, and the illegality had nothing to do with it being a recreational drug, but rather had to do with panic over sensationalized media stories about LSD's involvement in things like the Manson murders, and Art Linkletter's daughter committing suicide. LSD's role is Linkletter's daughter's suicide is highly questionable, as are all the urban legends at the time of people frying their eyes out by staring at the sun under the influence of LSD, or their chromosomes breaking because of LSD, etc. Yet sensational media coverage like this, along with a panic over "look what all these crazy kids are doing! They're having orgies and frying their brains on LSD!!!", combined with LSD's association with the anti-war movement and the counterculture (including Leary very publicly telling kids to "drop out", LSD being associated with "free love", etc), which shocked and outraged the very conservative powers that be is absolutely what led to it being banned. LSD use was basically seen as a threat to established social order.
- chefkoch 6y ago
  >The same thing happened with mdma and crack later on. Why would crack be legal If cocaine was banned 60 years earlier?
  - tayo42 6y ago
    I thought they increased penalties as a response to the epidemic, but that was heroine slightly earlier, same point though https://www.npr.org/2013/02/14/171822608/the-drug-laws-that-changed-how-we-punish https://www.npr.org/2013/02/14/171822608/the-drug-laws-that-...

tayo42 6y ago

I just went to double check my self quickly. It never was an official medicine, therapy with it was still experimental for alcoholism. It was having success but turned into a recreational drug that scared people so it all got banned. The same thing happened with mdma and crack later on. The penalties were excessive and reactionary to recreational use. https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2014/sep/02/psychedelic-psychiatry https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2014/sep... This was the end of 50s early 60s, seems we still did stuff like lobotomies. Idk if I can blame law makers for not taking psychiatry seriously at the time.

pmoriarty 6y ago
"This was the end of 50s early 60s, seems we still did stuff like lobotomies. Idk if I can blame law makers for not taking psychiatry seriously at the time." LSD was made illegal in 1968, so actually it was the late 60's (right at the peak of social unrest and reactionary backlash in the US), and they took psychiatry very seriously then, but they didn't ban lobotomies, just LSD. It was pretty clearly a moral panic. Had absolutely nothing to do with science.
- tayo42 6y ago
  The op I responded to > I'm pretty sure the tendency for LSD users to ethically object to war or other offensive violence is exactly why the US decided it should be treated as more dangerous than crystal meth The point I was trying to make > It was pretty clearly a moral panic. Had absolutely nothing to do with science. It has nothing to with being anti war, lawmakers panicked when it became a recreational drug and didn't know what to do. Also california and nevada made lsd illegal in 1966
  - pmoriarty 6y ago
    "california and nevada made lsd illegal in 1966" So still the late 60's, not "the end of 50s early 60s". "It has nothing to with being anti war, lawmakers panicked when it became a recreational drug and didn't know what to do" It was a recreational drug long before it was made illegal, and the illegality had nothing to do with it being a recreational drug, but rather had to do with panic over sensationalized media stories about LSD's involvement in things like the Manson murders, and Art Linkletter's daughter committing suicide. LSD's role is Linkletter's daughter's suicide is highly questionable, as are all the urban legends at the time of people frying their eyes out by staring at the sun under the influence of LSD, or their chromosomes breaking because of LSD, etc. Yet sensational media coverage like this, along with a panic over "look what all these crazy kids are doing! They're having orgies and frying their brains on LSD!!!", combined with LSD's association with the anti-war movement and the counterculture (including Leary very publicly telling kids to "drop out", LSD being associated with "free love", etc), which shocked and outraged the very conservative powers that be is absolutely what led to it being banned. LSD use was basically seen as a threat to established social order.
chefkoch 6y ago
>The same thing happened with mdma and crack later on. Why would crack be legal If cocaine was banned 60 years earlier?
- tayo42 6y ago
  I thought they increased penalties as a response to the epidemic, but that was heroine slightly earlier, same point though https://www.npr.org/2013/02/14/171822608/the-drug-laws-that-changed-how-we-punish https://www.npr.org/2013/02/14/171822608/the-drug-laws-that-...