Then (1979), LSD: My Problem Child
LSD as Sacred Drug: The 1965 Prohibition
The manufacturer's 1965 withdrawal of its LSD product and the subsequent Schedule I classification were political responses to countercultural misuse, not scientific conclusions. LSD was not dangerous in clinical settings; it was dangerous when taken without preparation, support, or integration.
Confirmed by Science
The DEA's own safety records show zero documented deaths from LSD overdose toxicity in 80 years of use. A 2016 Global Drug Survey of 30,000+ drug users found LSD had the lowest rate of emergency medical treatment of any substance surveyed. FDA's Breakthrough Therapy designation for psilocybin (2018) and subsequent approvals of the psychedelic research pipeline confirm that the Schedule I status was not driven by pharmacological evidence. The WHO's 2019 Critical Review of LSD found no evidence supporting its current scheduling level (Source not found; under review).
Sources
- Global Drug Survey 2016
- FDA Breakthrough Therapy: Psilocybin (2018)
- WHO ECDD Critical Review: LSD (2019) [Source not found; under review]