News Why is the American right suddenly so interested in psychedelic drugs?

[thegreenhand]

Why is the American right suddenly so interested in psychedelic drugs?​

Ross Ellenhorn and Dimitri Mugianis
The Guardian
18 Oct 2022

Excerpt:

Psychedelic therapies are receiving unprecedented financial and political support – and much of it comes from the right. Peter Thiel has invested extensively in the emerging psychedelic therapeutic industry. Jordan Peterson is a psilocybin fan. In 2018, the Mercer Foundation donated $1m to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (Maps), the leading US psychedelics research organization, for studies of MDMA treatment of PTSD in veterans.

The Mercer family also supports the American right wing and climate crisis denial. They’re a long way from Woodstock – but Maps and some other psychedelic advocates seem glad for any support they can get.

Why is the American right so intrigued by these substances today? The most obvious answer is money. As psychedelics are absorbed into mainstream medicine, they promise to become another American cash cow. Money will come from patents on novel formulations and by patenting and providing the associated treatment techniques.

There may be political factors at play, as well. Was the Mercer Foundation’s donation to Maps motivated by a desire to shore up American military resources by palliating the harms suffered by those sent to fight those wars? The military-industrial complex is even more lucrative than the pharmaceutical sector, but those weapons still require human beings to deploy them. Is rightwing psychedelic funding an attempt to ensure the continued viability of American wars around the world?

 

[thegreenhand]

the social justice framing gets a bit tiresome, as i think there are certainly much better ways to critique the american right

still it's a good read, and brings to light something many psychedelic enthusiasts seem unaware of.

i liked this quote:

With the wrong company, a journey of self-discovery can lead to even deeper solipsism. In fact, the illusion of transcendence can be used to justify greater selfishness, even cruelty.

 

[neversickanymore]

Thats an interesting thought.. promotion of war through psychedelics.. no way.

Why in the hell would I go to a MD and then Walgreens for my psychedelics? It would only take one dose for me to see the lunacy in that thinking. I can just picture myself tripping and laughing at the absurdity of needing a note from this lab coat clad doctor to get my psychedelic.

 

[thegreenhand]

Why in the hell would I go to a MD and then Walgreens for my psychedelics?

lots of people don't feel comfortable using drugs unless it's legal, and that is likely to be the only legal way for the coming decades

 

[Burnt Offerings]

"Why is the American right so intrigued by these substances today? The most obvious answer is money." /article

Attempting to use psychedelic drugs to support the military industrial complex was given a test run during the 50s and 60s, generally it provided pretty poor results. I don't think that's whats going on here anyway though

 

[neversickanymore]

lots of people don't feel comfortable using drugs unless it's legal, and that is likely to be the only legal way for the coming decades

I see what you are saying and thus it would provide a way for people like this to access treatment as well as the benefits of psychedelics.

I wonder if after said treatment they may find themselves more inclined to follow a higher moral standard then the Law tries to afford?