The Attack on Psychedelic Therapy and Its Slow Recovery
Integral Psychedelic Therapy the Non Ordinary Art of Psychospiritual Healing 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9781003167976-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Key points | Argues that the War on Drugs was unjustifiably motivated by racism and had a devastating impact on Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities, and that ongoing political vigilance is needed to protect psychedelic research and therapy. |
Abstract
To make psychedelic therapy accessible, equitable, and culturally informed, practitioners need to be well grounded in the historical conditions that surround and inform our conscious and unconscious relationships to psychedelic medicines and the mental health system in general. The history and underlying intent of the War on Drugs are essential context for anyone interested in psychedelic therapy. In this chapter, Richard Louis Miller provides an overview of the devastating impact of this unjustifiable “war,” particularly for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities. Miller’s detailed historical account highlights the racist motivations behind the establishment and enforcement of drug policy in the United States. Miller then offers a brief history of psychedelic research and encourages ongoing political vigilance to ensure that psychedelic medicines are no longer barred from scientific inquiry and personal, communal, and therapeutic use.