From Prohibition to Prescription: Exploring Injustice, Bias, and Science-Based Solutions
June 6, 2025 DOI: 10.15760/honors.1761 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Government linguistics Perspective graphical Legislation Work physics Law |
| Key points | Argues that the war on drugs disproportionately targets minority communities, the DEA scheduling process neglects evidence of medical benefits of psychedelics, and decriminalization and regulation of psychedelics could treat mental health conditions. |
Abstract
This thesis critiques the war on drugs for disproportionately targeting minority communities and prioritizing systemic exploitation over public health. It examines the flawed, politically influenced DEA drug scheduling process, which neglects evidence of the medical benefits of substances like cannabis, psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and MDMA. This thesis gives a brief history of the evolution of US drug policy, which contributed to mass incarceration, reinforced racial disparities, and failed to reduce overdose deaths. It also highlights the potential mental health benefits of decriminalizing and regulating psychedelics to treat conditions like PTSD, depression, and substance abuse disorder. This thesis concludes by promoting the need for evidence-based drug policy reform. It suggests changes to the DEA's scheduling process and emphasizes the importance of transparency in decision-making.