LSD is declared illegal in the United States
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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On October 6, 1966, LSD is declared illegal in the United States.
The hallucinogenic drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) became illegal in the state of California as a new law went into effect at 12:01 a.m. California became the first state in the U.S. to ban LSD, and in 1970, LSD would be reclassified as a Schedule I drug nationwide by the Controlled Substances Act. The bill, sponsored by California state Senator Donald L. Grunsky, had been signed into law on May 30, 1966.
Background
By the mid-60s the backlash against the use of LSD and its perceived corrosive effects on the values of the Western middle class resulted in governmental action to restrict the availability of the drug by making any use of it illegal. LSD was declared a "Schedule I" substance, legally designating that the drug has a "high potential for abuse" and is without any "currently accepted medical use in treatment." LSD was removed from legal circulation. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration claimed:
"Although initial observations on the benefits of LSD were highly optimistic, empirical data developed subsequently proved less promising ... Its use in scientific research has been extensive and its use has been widespread. Although the study of LSD and other hallucinogens increased the awareness of how chemicals could affect the mind, its use in psychotherapy largely has been debunked. It produces no aphrodisiac effects, does not increase creativity, has no lasting positive effect in treating alcoholics or criminals, does not produce a 'model psychosis', and does not generate immediate personality change. However, drug studies have confirmed that the powerful hallucinogenic effects of this drug can produce profound adverse reactions, such as acute panic reactions, psychotic crises, and "flashbacks", especially in users ill-equipped to deal with such trauma." --United States. Congress. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Subcommittee on Public Health and Welfare (1968).
The governors of Nevada and California both signed bills into law on May 30, 1966 to control LSD, making them the first two states to outlaw the manufacture, sale, and possession of the drug. The law went into effect immediately in Nevada, and on October 6, 1966, in California. Other U.S. states and the rest of the world followed with the ban.