Honey, I’m Scared. (Post IV)
How Psilocybin became a Schedule 1 Drug

Context
When our thoughts have reached a stalemate on a particular subject — failing to critically think any further— sometimes looking at the history of the said subject can spark our imagination, or better yet change our mind.
In my first post titled Opposite and Equal Reaction, I wrote, “the conservative specialty of psychiatry is about gain a whole lot of progressive movement, and psychedelic research is the launch pad.” When John Hopkins opened a new center for psychedelic research, it made one thing clear — there is a whole lot we don’t know about these drugs in a psychiatric setting. Given the currently limited amount of clinical research — finding a “key point/aspect” in a singular source that has “changed my thinking” has been a difficult task. Rather than searching for a single source to expand my thinking, I began reading a variety of sources to better understand the history of psilocybin and its place in various societies/cultures.
The following two questions intrigued me the most, which I will aim to answer in this post: If hospitals like John Hopkins are so interested in the healing components of psychedelic medicine (psilocybin) that they funded and constructed an entire center for research—why was psilocybin banned in the first place? Furthermore, what exactly happened during modern U.S history that led to classifying psilocybin as an illegal Schedule I substance?
Thesis
Like most people, I initially assumed that the government criminalized psychedelic drugs because politicians wanted to restrict the lower class from obtaining ‘enlightenment,’ eventually coaxing users to uprise, resist, and disobey governing officials. But after re-visiting basic U.S. history during the 1960s and ’70s, I learned that it was the authoritative response to a society in “turmoil” during the Vietnam War that persuaded politicians like President Nixon to schedule psychedelic substances.
The History
When the Tet Offensive was initiated during 1968 in North Vietnam —and after 13 years of ruthless war — conflict during the Vietnam War only seemed to become increasingly catastrophic. The United States’ interest in suppressing the global spread of communist regimes wasn’t worth the losses. Eight years earlier, in 1960, nine out of 10 American households now owned television sets, and the gruesome scenes being broadcast from Vietnam were now blatantly visible to the American public. In the following years, public sentiment towards the war began changing rapidly. On one hand, peace movements created some background noise— but more notably —many Americans longed for an authoritative leader who could dominate battle frontiers and bring an end to the war. Americans wanted the job done, and many turned their heads towards Richard Nixon during the 1968 presidential election.
“The bastards have never been bombed like they’re going to be bombed this time.” — President Richard Nixon
Nixon’s great sense of command aroused Americans and played a large role in having him step into the White House. However, Nixon’s authoritative perspective as president had a significant impact on a wide range of legislation — including drug enforcement policy.
I began the meeting by making this statement, which I think needs to be made to the Nation: America's public enemy number one, in the United States, is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new all-out offensive. — President Richard Nixon
It’s understandable that Nixon’s efforts to establish law and order in a seemingly unstable country dragged drug abuse into the mix. However, his efforts only bore unfortunate consequences caused by the War on Drugs decades down the line. When President Nixon signed the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) of 1970 and established the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1973 (DEA), he cast a large net over a slew of substances that all “have the potential for abuse.” At the time, less was known about psilocybin — and as a result, it was scheduled without substantial evidence against it. During a time in America where people demanded law and order, President Nixon's decision to sign the CSA — banning psychedelics — made him look good.
What Changed My Thinking:
Prior to researching the historical context illustrated above — my knowledge as to why psychedelics are a Schedule I drug was closely related to what most people believe online. Online, exists a plethora of ‘awakened’ and ‘enlightened’ consciousness forums where many ask the same question: why are psychedelics illegal? After reading a variety of these forums, there seemed to be a common theme. People who have used psychedelics often describe the magical ‘mind-opening’ sensation that will likely help us think outside the box. These same users typically claim that the government doesn’t want law-abiding citizens to suddenly have a change of mind — and choose to walk down a path of social disobedience due to psychedelic use. In other words, users believe that wealthy politicians refused to allow the lower class from obtaining an enlightened conscience, potentially pushing users to rise up against them, or their policies. And before I had done any historical research — I believed this notion too. However, upon further investigation, the notion was completed undermined by historical evidence. It was an authoritative response to a society in “turmoil” during the 1960s and ’70s during the Vietnam War that pushed politicians to “get the job done” leading to the scheduling of psychedelics.
Conclusion:
To reiterate, there wasn’t a particular source that helped me expand my knowledge due to the nature of the subject. It was learning about the historical context around psychedelics during modern U.S. history that helped me gain a better understanding.
If anything, what I discussed in this post, arguably, suggests that some Schedule I drugs might not be illegal today had the U.S not been involved in a ‘Cold-War.’ Perhaps the DEA might have more carefully selected the drugs worthy of a Schedule I classification if time had been allocated to gather and evaluate what research had been completed up to the 1970s in regards to the dangers of substances like psilocybin. If government agencies like the DEA had realized the potential psilocybin has in a medical setting earlier on, perhaps psychiatry wouldn’t be viewed as such a conservative medical practice. It can certainly make you wonder.
