I’m getting a crazy case of deja vu with respect to psychedelics. It seemed, to me at least, the renaissance that psychedelics were having in America was at risk of tighter restrictions as the popularity with these substances began to grow again. You see psychedelic references now as part of pop culture and in the news and media. With the growing state legalization of marijuana it seemed as though Federal reclassification would be coming soon. That may be just wishful thinking.
I could be completely wrong but I believe the government is caught in their own conflict of interest. In the 60’s these drugs were taking two very distinct paths. One towards clinical studies on the curative benefits for a host of mental disorders, addiction, and an aid to help terminally ill individuals cope better with death. The second path was the counter-culture movement towards anti-establishment beliefs and free love. This, at a time when America was at war, the government more than ever needed conformity from its people. People were fed up and disagreed with their government of the time and with a nudge from psychedelics a subset of the population was beginning to discover a higher truth for existence and no longer wanted to fight for something they didn’t understand or believe in. They turned on, tuned in, and dropped out.
Now, while I’m sure the powers at be DID recognize (whether they admit it or not) that these molecules have medical application and very little to no potential for addiction but fear of losing control overpowered any potential benefits. So much so that when President Nixon introduced the controlled substances act of 1970’s it placed compounds like LSD, Psilocybin, Mescaline, MDMA, Marijuana as well as others on the endangered species list. Schedule 1. Meaning no medical use and high potential for abuse. Almost overnight funding dried up and no new grants were given. All promising work that had been done was halted in a blink of an eye and no further research had been allowed for three decades.
The Renaissance
Researchers again have been given authority to conduct studies since the 70’s and it seems the initial research is proving promising for a variety of mental conditions including, anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and with terminally ill patients. In a perfect world, these compounds can actually improve the lives of healthy individuals too but we’ll stick with medical related as spiritual gain may be too far fetched for the greater majority still.
Let’s add that some of the initial breakthroughs are giving therapists a new tool kit that they’ve been desperately asking for. My prior involvement with various psychologists and psychiatrists over the years seemed more like a game of Russian roulette than any real solution. A guessing game of pill prescriptions with success or failure measured only after sustained use over long periods of time. The difference between the current prescriptions of today and the responsible intentional use of psychedelics is that the pills simply treat symptoms, many times poorly. Numbing people instead of treating the source of the pain. Psychedelics have helped me deal with the root cause of my anxiety and depression and as a result, removal of those symptoms.
Psychedelics are one of the pillars that not only my recovery from alcohol abuse stood but the complete removal of depression and anxiety which I previously had thought to be part of my core being. It is one of the single most reasons I have been so successful in my recovery and my overall sense of self. It has pushed me to further my investigation and discover a new way of living I hadn’t previously known existed.
What is the DEA proposing?
The five compounds that are listed and described in detail on Marijuana Moments website for scheduling are as follows:
- 4-OH-DiPT: Synthetic version of psilocin
- 5-MeO-AMT: Synthetic tryptamine street name Alpha-O
- 5-MeO-MiPT: Synthetic tryptamine known as Moxy or Moxie
- 5-MeO-DET: Synthetic tryptamine known as Foxy or Foxy methoxy
- 5-MeO-DiPT: Synthetic tryptamine known as Foxy or Foxy methoxy
The proposal is not necessarily surprising but the timing is. The HHS provided the DEA with an analysis of these compounds in 2012 so the scheduling in 2022 seems a little coincidental. One must ask themselves if this is signaling towards another pause in research and clinical trials yet again.
At the same time the recreational use of these substances is increasing as well. Not everyone is just “getting fucked up” though. Individuals like myself and many others are taking the right precautions and working with a growing field of underground facilitators made up of drug and alcohol counselors, psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Anything but recreational however it’s classified.
I have met more than a few that claim these are the miracle medicines they’ve been looking for. While still illegal, a growing number of people believe the benefit outweighs the risk and in most cases are being used and distributed responsibly.
I’m Concerned.
I owe a lot to these medicines. I respect them. I trust them. I couldn’t fathom using them for any other purpose than healing and spiritual growth. I believe the more respect you pay them the more they impart their wisdom on us all. There is an intelligence in these plants that far exceeds that of man. They are teachers who can point many of us into the direction of self discovery, healing, and increased sense of hope.
My wish is that we as a society can not fuck it up this time. That we can work with the government and advocate for the proper restrictions so that together we can regulate the use but also save and enrich millions of lives in the process. We all have one life to live and it’s a shame to see lives carry out their course like robots or end early. I fear we are repeating history again and if we aren’t careful the government fear of non conformity will drive these medicines back underground for another 30 years.
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