Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic drug first synthesized in the late 1930s by Albert Hofmann, a Swiss scientist, by working with a chemical found in ergot, which is a fungus that naturally grows on grains. In the 1950s and 60s, the Central Intelligence Agency, through Project MK-ultra, secretly tested for the effects of the drug by conducting experiments on unsuspecting subjects, both civilians and military personnel. The program was designated to provide an advantage to the US government over the Soviet Union, North Korea, and China during the cold war. I feel that the program was completely unethical and inhumane as it used some people as guinea pigs without their consent. For example, in the case of a deputy US marshal at the time, Wayne Ritchie, whose experiment resulted in an incident where he almost robbed a bar. His arrest resulted in him being sentenced to probation with a $500 fine and was forced to resign from the Marshals Service (Szalavitz, 2012).

If it were legal, I would consider using trying LSD as there are no known harmful effects to it. Steve Jobs, the Apple founder, among other technology pioneers, have stated that taking LSD resulted in them developing a deep meaning of life and finding enduring inspiration (Szalavitz, 2012). Miller (2016) says that early research results suggest that when healthy people use LSD, it can make them kinder, calmer, and better at their jobs by solving problems more creatively..

Medically, LSD is proven by scientists to help alcoholics drink less and ease terminal patients gently into their death. There is also evidence that psychedelic drugs are effective in treating patients suffering from depression and negative thinking (Devlin, 2015). These drugs offer an immense opportunity in dealing with mental health issues. However, government restrictions coupled with little funding for research curtails efforts that could lead to these medical benefits.

References.

Devlin, H. (2015): Psychedelic drugs like LSD could be used to treat depression,   study suggests. The Guardian. Retrieved on March 22, 2020 from            https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/05/psychedelic-drugs-like-lsd-co   uld-be-used-to-treat-depression-study-suggests

Miller, D. (2016): LSD could make you smarter, happier and healthier. Should we all         try it? The Washington Post. Retrieved on March 22, 2020 from              https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/04/01/lsd-could-make- you-smarter-happier-and-healthier-should-we-all-try-it/

Szalavitz, M. (2012): The Legacy of the CIA’s Secret Experiments on America.                 Healthland. Time. Retrieved on March 22, 2020 from    http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/23/the-legacy-of-the-cias-secret-lsd-experime          nts-on-america/