Description: In the 1950s and early 1960s, over 1,000 scientific papers were written about LSD, an exciting phenomenon new to Western medicine that offered an unprecedented window into brain function and revolutionary potential in mental health care. By 1970, the status of LSD and other psychedelics had changed dramatically; they were branded a menace to… Read More “The Legal History of Psychedelics” is taking place in front of you

From the Financial Times: a UK start-up is preparing (presumably “funding”) a clinical trial of psilocybin in treating depression! Great news! Progress on another front! Just one little quirk: “The widespread recreational use of magic mushrooms has given regulators reassurance that psilocybin is safe….” Hmm. Sounds like “anecdotal evidence.” Can the regulators really look to anecdotal… Read More UK start-up to test psilocybin effectiveness in treating depression: where does that leave the psychonauts?

I’m reading Professor Blitz’s 2010 article “Freedom of Thought for the Extended Mind: Cognitive Enhancement and the Constitution” as part of my preparation for the Legal History of Psychedelics program at the NYC Bar Association next Wednesday. The topic of his paper is not psychedelics per se. Instead it focuses on the legality of using… Read More Drug policy without neuroscience

It is my pleasure to announce that I will moderate a panel discussion of “The Legal History of Psychedelics” on Wednesday 9/13 at the NYC Bar Association.   There will be three highly distinguished speakers: (1) Dr. Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, (2) Nancy Hollander, counsel for O Centro Espirita… Read More Time to write the legal history and future of psychedelics