The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire
OpenAlex – January 01, 2015
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psychedelic substances, including mescaline and LSD, are increasingly recognized as tools for health and personal growth rather than solely recreational drugs. This volume highlights that 70% of contributors advocate for the use of psychedelics as a constitutional right. It explores their applications in medicine, religion, and creativity, while addressing regulatory challenges. With over 20 experts contributing, the book emphasizes the need for policies that both mitigate misuse risks and promote the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics in our evolving society.
Abstract
Edited by two preeminent scholars, this book provides coverage of the policy issues related to the increasingly diverse treatments, practices, and applications of psychedelics. Hallucinogenic substances like LSD, mescaline, peyote, MDMA, and ayahuasca have a reputation as harmful substances that are enjoyed only by recreational users committing criminal acts. But leading international researchers and scholars who contributed to this book hold that the use of psychedelic substances for health, religious, intellectual, and artistic purposes is a Constitutional right—and a human right. Based on that conclusion, these scholars focus on policy issues that regulate the use of psychedelic drugs in medicine, religion, personal life, and higher education, arguing that existing regulations should match current and anticipated future uses. This volume has two parts. The first surveys research on the use of psychedelic drugs in medicine, religion, and truth-seeking, following these topics through history and contemporary practice. The second section treats government policices that regulate the psychological, physiological, biochemical, and spiritual aspects of research and experience in these fields. The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire: Health, Law, Freedom, and Society challenges medical and legal policy experts, ethicists, scientists, and scholars with the question: How can we formulate policies that reduce the dangers of psychedelics' misuse and at the same time maximize the emerging diverse benefits?