Psychedelic Wars
The War on Drugs November 30, 2021 1 citation
Psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, occupy an ambiguous position in the history of the War on Drugs. This chapter examines distinct "psychedelic wars" in historical literature, clinical settings, personal experiences, and on the home front, showing how these substances were simultaneously portrayed as legitimate medicines or dangerous drugs. Historical actors—doctors, patients, policymakers, and users—fought their own personal battles in mental medicine and beyond. Reflecting on psychedelics within the War on Drugs, the chapter addresses underexplored issues of diversity, equity, biomedicine, counterculture, criminalization, commercialization, and the messy interconnections among these factors.