War on Drugs

As previously mentioned, the war on drugs ended the first wave of psychedelic research.

The war on drugs was directed towards many substances beyond psychedelics, and we’ll now learn about how the war on drugs developed and the impact it had on safe access and use of substances, including psychedelics. Furthermore, the War on Drugs did not impact everyone the same. Black, Indigenous, and Peoples of Colour were disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs policies which attempted to legitimize and continue racism and oppression.

Video: The Media Lies About Drugs

13:16

In this video, we will learn about the propaganda used in the United States to propel the war on drugs.

Question

What are the names of the legislation in Canada and the United States where substances are listed as legal, illegal, or for certain medical purposes?

In the United States, the legislation is called the Controlled Substances Act. In Canada, the legislation is called the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Video: This is your Brain... This is your Brain on Drugs

0:30

As Dr. Christie mentioned earlier, one commonly referenced piece of propaganda that propelled the agenda of the war on drugs can be found in this video.

Note: the quality of the video is low as it was produced in the 1980s when resolution was significantly lower than today.

References

Nichols D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological reviews, 68(2), 264–355.

Rush, B., Marcus, O., Shore, R., Cunningham, L., Thompson, N., & Rideout, K. (2022). Psychedelic medicine: A rapid review of therapeutic applications and implications for future research. Homewood Research Institute.

World Health Organization (2023). WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines.