Legalizing Psychedelics in Clinical Contexts:
The Trip America Needs to Take

Abstract

This thesis argues that psychedelics-(LSD, Shrooms, Peyote, MDMA, DMT, and Ketamine)- need to be made more widely available for use in clinical contexts, and that the government should fund more research on the therapeutic potential of these substances. The thesis shows that these drugs have the potential to treat many common mental health and substance use disorders, and additionally they can contribute to reducing crime and reducing antisocial behavior in the general population. Furthermore, unlike traditional clinical treatments, psychedelics have the potential to effectively treat disorders within a few treatment sessions, where traditional clinical treatments often have to be taken for months, years, or even the remainder of one's life. Psychedelics are also linked to fewer side effects, and the death rate associated with their use is so low the government does not record these numbers.

Bailey Breen | Humanities | Faculty Sponsor David Svolba