The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire: Health, Law, Freedom, and Society

438 Pages·2015·1.727 MB·English

by  J Harold Ellens and Thomas B Roberts (eds)

IN PRAISE OF
THE PSYCHEDELIC POLICY QUAGMIRE
We clearly need a sane, scientifically, and clinically informed approach to
public policy issues around psychedelics and this book offers a valuable ex-
ploration of the issues.
—Roger Walsh MD, PhD, Professor,
University of California Medical School
A society that has so grievously failed persons with mental illness is in no
position to prohibit rigorous research on a whole range of drugs. I very much
hope that this book will aid in the long-delayed reconsideration of these pol-
icies that is now taking place.
—Jonathan D. Moreno, PhD, Professor, University of Pennsylvania,
Senior Advisor, Presidential Commission for the Study of
Bioethical Issues, Senior Fellow, Center for
American Progress, Author, The Body Politic
Courageous and insightful . . . exposing the utter nonsense of current drug
policies blocking research that might lead to effective treatments…
—Ron Cole-Turner, Professor, Theology and Ethics,
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
This thorough, thoughtful review of the history of psychedelics, from drug
policy and religious ramifications to our current understanding of its poten-
tial, powerful use in psychotherapy, is a must read.
—Julie Holland, MD, Editor, Ecstasy: The Complete Guide. A comprehensive
look at the risks and benefits of MDMA and
The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis
No topic in the study and analysis of emergent spiritualities has more poten-
tial to change what we think about pretty much everything than psychedel-
ics. Perhaps not surprisingly, no topic is also more heavily disciplined and
policed than this one. What a welcome intervention into this situation by
such a gifted collective of writers….
—Jeffrey J. Kripal, J. Newton Rayzor Professor of
Religion, Rice University
An insightful compendium that does not shy away from the difficult ques-
tions, Quagmire truly exemplifies the vast extent to which psychedelic
research has matured over the last two decades. Any book that places psy-
chedelics atop the nexus between the individual, society, and the human race
as a whole will undoubtedly find its detractors, but Quagmire confidently
illustrates how psychedelics have transcended seemingly outdated academic,
cultural, and spiritual paradigms.
—Adam G. Van Hagen, AfrikaBurn Sanctuary Community of Practice
Psychedelics have been ridiculously outlawed for far too long. To continue
our repression of psychedelics for psychotherapeutic and medical usage is
irrational and irresponsible . . .
—Hank Pellissier, Director, Brighter Brains Institute, Author,
Brighter Brains: 225 Ways to Elevate or Injure IQ
Drugs like psilocybin, peyote, ayahuasca, LSD, and MDMA have guided
spiritual quests, inspired artistic creation, assisted healers, and even aided
scientific discovery for centuries. Yet they are (debatably) classified under
the Controlled Substances Act in the category reserved for the most danger-
ous drugs. . . . (This is) a thought provoking collection that illustrates how
we got into (and might get out) of what they correctly call The Psychedelic
Policy Quagmire.
—Stanley G. McCracken, PhD, LCSW, Lecturer, University of Chicago,
School of Social Service Administration
The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire is a thoroughly engaging journey into the po-
litical and ethical issues surrounding the use of psychedelics and entheogens
in the present social environment. The authors of these chapters clarify just
how damaging our current repressive policies have been in terms of intellec-
tual inquiry, educational possibilities, therapeutic opportunities, and even to
our personal freedoms.
—William C. Compton, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Middle Tennessee
State University. Author, An Introduction to Positive Psychology,
Positive Psychology (with Edward Hoffman), and Eastern Psychology
… a very valuable collection of essays on the public health and policy impli-
cations of research on psychedelics. “
—Ralph Metzner, PhD, Psychotherapist and Professor Emeritus,
California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. Editor,
The Ecology of Consciousness, 7 volumes
T P
he sychedelic
P Q
olicy uagmire
Health, Law, Freedom, and Society
J. Harold Ellens and Thomas B. Roberts, Editors
Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality
J. Harold Ellens, Series Editor
Copyright © 2015 by J. Harold Ellens and Thomas B. Roberts
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy-
ing, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, with-
out prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The psychedelic policy quagmire : health, law, freedom, and society / J. Harold
Ellens and Thomas B. Roberts, Editors.
pages cm. — (Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4408-3970-2 (acid-free paper) — ISBN 978-1-4408-3971-9 (eISBN)
1. Hallucinogenic drugs—Research—United States. 2. Hallucinogenic
drugs—Government policy—United States. 3. Hallucinogenic drugs—Health aspects.
4. Hallucinogenic drugs and religious experience—United States.
I. Ellens, J. Harold, 1932– II. Roberts, Thomas B.
BF209.H34P778 2015
362.29'40973—dc23 2015009256
ISBN: 978-1-4408-3970-2
EISBN: 978-1-4408-3971-9
19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5
This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook.
Visit www.abc-clio.com for details.
Praeger
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130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911
Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
The Publisher asserts that nothing in this book is intended to endorse or recommend
individual consumption of illegal substances; readers should consult local and federal
laws and ordinances for information about the legality of any drug use.
This book discusses treatments (including types of drugs and mental health therapies),
alternative uses including spiritual applications, and organizations. The authors have made
every effort to present accurate and up-to-date information. However, the information in
this book is not intended to recommend or endorse particular treatments, uses, or orga-
nizations, or substitute for the care or medical advice of a qualified health professional, or
used to alter any medical therapy or spiritual practice without a medical doctor’s advice.
Specific situations may require specific therapeutic approaches not included in this book.
For those reasons, we recommend that readers follow the advice of qualified health care
professionals directly involved in their care. Readers who suspect they may have specific
medical problems should consult a physician about any suggestions made in this book.
C
ontents
Series Editor’s Foreword by J. Harold Ellens ix
Introduction by J. Harold Ellens and Thomas B. Roberts xi
Section I: Psychedelics, Medicine, Religion, and Truth 1
Chapter 1 You Have a Constitutional Right to Psychedelics:
Academic Freedom, Personal Conscience, and
Psychotechnologies 3
Thomas B. Roberts
Chapter 2 A Brief History of Psychedelics in Medical Practices:
Psychedelic Medical History “before the Hiatus” 33
Ben Sessa
Chapter 3 Continuing History of Psychedelics in
Medical Practices: The Renaissance
of Psychedelic Medical Research 61
Ben Sessa
Chapter 4 Psychedelic Medicines 93
Michael J. Winkelman
Chapter 5 Psychedelic Psychotherapy Near the End of Life 119
Charles S. Grob and Alicia Danforth
vi Contents
Chapter 6 Do Drugs Have Religious Import?
A 35-Year Retrospect 133
Huston Smith
Chapter 7 Understanding the Religious Import of
Mystical States of Consciousness
Facilitated by Psilocybin 139
William A. Richards
Chapter 8 Pilgrimage to the Light? On the Threshold
of a Dream: Sacred Plants, Passionate
Dedication to Ideals, and Healing 145
Richard Yensen
Chapter 9 Ayahuasca and the Vines of Politics 161
Danny Nemu
Chapter 10 Psychedelics as a Practice of Truth:
A Foucauldian Argument 177
Pieter Stokkink
Chapter 11 The Transpersonal, Psychedelics, and Mainstream
Psychology: Why the Wide Divide? 203
James R. Fadiman
Section II: Psychedelics, Psychology, Rights, and Policy 217
Chapter 12 Psychoactive Stimulation and Psychoactive
Substances: Conceptual and Ethical Considerations 219
David Bryce Yaden, Derek Egan Anderson,
Marcelo Gomes Mattar, and Andrew B. Newberg
Chapter 13 Mindapps and the Neurosingularity Project 237
Thomas B. Roberts
Chapter 14 Entheogenic Experience as a Human Right 267
Martin W. Ball
Chapter 15 Psychedelics and Criminality: A Possible
Pathway to Reduced Recidivism? 295
Peter S. Hendricks
Chapter 16 Plant Psychedelics in the English Courts: Legal
Uncertainty, Guinea Pigs, and “Dog Law” 299
Charlotte Walsh
Contents vii
Chapter 17 Therapeutic Hallucinogens: Altered State Laws for
Altered States 317
Mitch Earleywine and Mallory Loflin
Chapter 18 Changing Psychedelics Policy 335
Neal M. Goldsmith
Chapter 19 The DEA: Four Decades of Impeding and
Rejecting Science 353
Drug Policy Alliance and the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies
Chapter 20 Regulation of the Prescription Use of Psychedelics 365
Rick Doblin
Conclusion Dear God, No More Committees! 387
Thomas B. Roberts and J. Harold Ellens
About the Editors 389
About the Contributors 391
Index 401
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s e ’ F
eries ditor s oreword
J. Harold Ellens
The Praeger series Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality has been pub-
lishing for 15 years, and has produced more than 35 volumes. All of these
are works that deal with the variety of topics suggested by the series title.
The current volume, The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire: Health, Law, Freedom,
and Society and its two-volume predecessor, Seeking the Sacred with Psychoac-
tive Substances: Chemical Paths to Spirituality and to God, are groundbreaking
works on the very frontier of scientific scholarly research in the field of med-
icine, sociology, and religious experience.
The present volume, The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire: Health, Law, Free-
dom, and Society, deals with policy and politics. It has two distinct sections.
The first, Psychedelics, Medicine, Religion, and Truth, treats the history of
psychoactive drugs in medical research, the present state of that research,
psychotherapeutic effectiveness of such medications, the function of entheo-
gens, and their role in awakening vital spiritual experiences. This analysis
is carried out in terms of the constitutionality of this research in the United
States of America.
Section II, Psychedelics, Psychology, Rights, and Policy, digs deeper into
the legal history and present policy in the United States regarding the med-
ical and psychotherapeutic use of these innovative medications, their social
and recreational use, their role in religious sacramental practices, and their
enhancement of the cultural quest for truth. This second part of the book
offers historical data, scientific achievements, therapeutic practices, and per-
sonal experiences of research in psychedelics.