Prohibited or regulated? LSD psychotherapy and the United States Food and Drug Administration
History of Psychiatry May 19, 2016 DOI: 10.1177/0957154x16648822 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | LSD |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Recreation Drug Administration probate law Pharmacology |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key points | Argues that LSD research was never prohibited by the FDA in the 1960s and that the administration supported it more than recognized, with the decline reflecting broader changes in pharmaceutical regulation rather than a ban. |
Abstract
Over the 1950s and early 1960s, the use of the hallucinogenic drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to facilitate psychotherapy was a promising field of psychiatric research in the USA. However, during the 1960s, research began to decline, before coming to a complete halt in the mid-1970s. This has commonly been explained through the increase in prohibitive federal regulations during the 1960s that aimed to curb the growing recreational use of the drug. However, closely examining the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of LSD research in the 1960s will reveal that not only was LSD research never prohibited, but that the administration supported research to a greater degree than has been recognized. Instead, the decline in research reflected more complex changes in the regulation of pharmaceutical research and development.