'This Is the Happy Warrior, This Is He:' An Analysis of CIA and Military Testing of LSD on Non-Consenting U.S. Service-Members and Recovery Through the VA Disability System
Brandy Disbennett
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Intervention | LSD |
| Topics | LSD |
| Key points | Argues that veterans unwittingly exposed to LSD under MKULTRA lack any court or VA disability compensation remedy, and proposes that they be allowed to invoke case law such as AZ v. Shinseki to lower the burden of proof because relevant government documents were destroyed or remain classified. |
Abstract
Currently, veterans who were harmed by the top-secret Vietnam-era CIA program, MKULTRA, that exposed unwitting armed forces’ service-members to LSD, lack any remedy either in court or through the Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation system. Veterans who received doses of LSD without giving their consent are deprived of their right to due process in the court system, and cannot meet the insurmountable burden of proof required by the VA. Relying mainly on primary sources, this Article tells the tragic and disturbing story of MKULTRA’s drug experiments on our armed forces personnel. It also analyzes the case law that has thus far precluded relief. Finally, it offers a solution: MKULTRA Veterans should be allowed to avail themselves of current case law, such as AZ v. Shinseki, that would lower the burden of proof because supporting documents that would aid the veteran’s claim have either been destroyed by the government or remain classified. By lowering the burden of proof required for a MKULTRA veteran, the veteran could present a colorable argument for disability compensation. Justice would be served in allowing the veteran who was given LSD, without his knowledge or consent, to recover a remedy for the harm imposed on him by his own government.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Experimental Use of Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy | 1970 | Historical analysis | |
| LSD: My Problem Child | 1981 | Historical analysis | |
| On the Use and Abuse of LSD | 1968 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Use of Music in Psychedelic (LSD) Psychotherapy | 1972 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Flashbacks: Recurrent Intrusive Images After the Use of LSD | 1969 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |