The Controversy and History of LSD

LSD was invented in 1938 by Albert Hofmann and virtually nothing happened until 1943, after Hofmann accidentally ingested it. Hofmann described his experience, “a demon had invaded me, [and] had taken possession of my body, mind, and soul”. After these effects passed, he felt his senses improved and everything more enjoyable. What was remarkable about LSD was that there was no other substance that produced psychic effects in extremely low doses. Again, LSD was shelved until 1947 when a psychiatrist tested it on patients and confirmed these side effects. LSD was shipped by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals to the U.S. in 1949, where it gained popularity and the first widespread tests on patients.

At first LSD was believed to cause insanity, but these reports were dismissed once testing was done effectively. During the 1950’s, psychiatrists and psychologists used LSD on various groups who were deemed to have “problems”: alcoholics, delinquents, mental patients, prisoners, etc. because not much was known about it. It was most effective with alcoholics, who reported it gave them great insight and helped to cure their problem. Other long term studies reported that other patients had remarkable improvements six months afterwards. Then, curiosity got the best of doctors and they took LSD.

Some non-academic figures, such as Aldous Huxley, had access to LSD and thought of it as an aid to mystical experiences and creativity. In his novels, Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, Huxley advocated hallucinogens and exposed these drugs to the general public. Eventually, the possible mystical uses caught the attention of creative types (actors, musicians, artists) and they used it to aid their craft. Increasingly, doctors began to believe that LSD should be used in this manner and began to experiment in non-clinical settings.

After the vast publicity that was created, use spread, and so did publicity. LSD was made illegal and studies on it were curbed beginning in 1965. The exact reasons LSD was made illegal were in dispute at the time. Some believe that it was made illegal because the government did not have a favorable opinion of LSD users. However, the majority of doctors’ reports were that LSD was too unpredictable and not enough research had been done to fully understand it. Additionally, research could not be done conclusively because LSD spread to the public, was increasingly being made on the black market, and taken without proper scientific protocols.

Prior to 1962, doctors were able to distribute investigational drugs without any higher authority. However, this came to an end with the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendments. It required the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to approve investigational drugs before testing and to be safe before sales to the general public. After the act passed, the government conducted most LSD research and advocates were out of business. Any other acquisition of the drug was most likely illegal and not from the main distributor, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals.

Additional legislation was passed to place drugs under further scrutiny of the federal government. It began when, Congress passed the Drug Abuse Control Amendments of 1965, which stipulated who could possess depressant or stimulant drugs, but did not name any specific drug. Then, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (the backbone of all drug law) was the final law that ended all use of LSD and most psychedelics. It was Congress’ attempt to curb widespread illegal drug use and regulate all potential harmful substances. Drugs were divided into schedules, numbered one through five.

The consequences of this placement prohibited LSD once and for all. Thus, it ended the debate about LSD as a medical tool and ended any further exploration. In the end, LSD was one of the more controversial and interesting drugs during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Whether or not it would have been of medicinal use is now largely irrelevant due to its criminalization by the federal government. However, the motivations of its criminalization were a hotly debated subject during the 1960’s. The governments move to make it illegal was highly justified because of the nature, the misuse, lack of clear medical opinion, and spread to the lay public.

Sources:
Lee, Martin A., and Bruce Shlain. Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond. New York: Grove Press, 1985.

Hofmann, Albert. LSD, My Problem Child. Trans. By Jonathan Ott. New York: JP Tarcher, 1983.

Gahlinger, Paul. Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse. New York: Plume, 2004.