OPEN YOUR MIND TO HALLUCINOGEN RESEARCH

It's Not a Hippie Fantasy; Drugs Like LSD Could Have Real Medical
Benefits

Patients and potheads alike rejoiced a few weeks ago when the District
of Columbia Council voted to legalize medical marijuana use. The
unanimous decision adds D.C. to the 13 states that have already
circumvented national legislation in order to allow doctors to write
prescriptions for the infamous herb. (Maryland does not sanction
medical marijuana but allows drug defendants to cite medicinal need as
a potential mitigating factor.)

Although the issue of medical marijuana remains contentious, the
council's decision reflects the drug's growing acceptance in the eyes
of the voting population. Pot was once a symbol of teenage delinquency
and rebellion in the counterculture era; now, even President Barack
Obama can, without fear of a backlash, admit to lighting up during his
teenage years.

But if marijuana has begun to shake off its former demonization in
some states, many of its chemical counterparts haven't fared so well.
More than 40 years after becoming central to hippie culture,
hallucinogens such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms retain their social
stigma. However, if we can all forget the cliches about bad trips and
freakouts for a moment, we might see that these drugs deserve another
chance too. Indeed, they warrant a place in medical literature.

To many readers, the notion of medical hallucinogens may seem to be a
perfect illustration of what anti-drug advocates have always warned -
that medical marijuana will be used to legitimize the use of harder,
more dangerous drugs. And it is easy to assume that my sympathy for
hallucinogens may appear to be based on personal motives. As a
freshman at college, I probably fit the sort of demographic that would
be most likely to partake in these illicit substances.

But my reasons for championing hallucinogen cause are therapeutic, not
recreational. And I'm not alone. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins
University have been studying the effects of psilocybin, a
hallucinogenic chemical found in some mushrooms, since 2006. In these
studies, hallucinogens have shown real promise in helping cancer
patients cope with psychological distress regarding their illness.
Older studies have also shown LSD to be far more effective than
traditional methods in combating alcoholism. At the moment these
studies involve only a small group of people because of the taboo
associated with these drugs even in research settings. These
preliminary studies suggest that it's time to take another look at the
psychological effects of hallucinogens.

As long as the government continues to keep a watchful eye on the use
of hallucinogens in research, they very well may be able to find a
place in medical circles. To ignore the potential therapeutic benefits
of hallucinogens would also deny a possible treatment to victims of
debilitating psychological disorders. By holding onto the decades-old
generalizations and misrepresentations of these drugs, we may be
sacrificing the well-being of many people.

The medical use of hallucinogens should be no more controversial than
the medical use of marijuana. In fact, hallucinogens can be regulated
in a way that medical marijuana cannot. Though medical marijuana is
approved to treat chronic pain and is often prescribed for use at
home, there is no need for patients to take hallucinogens outside of a
clinical setting. In the Hopkins study, just one dose of psilocybin
had positive effects lasting up to 14 months for cancer patients. In a
clinical setting, hallucinogens are much less likely to fall into the
hands of dealers and recreational users.

Although it might be difficult to let go of the sensationalist view of
hallucinogens that we have inherited from the Johnson and Nixon
administrations, I think the public is finally ready to reevaluate the
benefits and dangers of these drugs. As long as the government lifts
the ban on hallucinogen research gradually and carefully, we can avoid
the mistakes of the past and take advantage of these drugs' powerful
psychological effects.