The Drug War is One Big Branding Operation to Demonize Mind and Mood Medicine
a review of essay number 8 in Hallucinogens: A Reader, edited by Charles Grob
by Brian Ballard Quass, the Drug War Philosopher
June 26, 2025
The following remarks are part of a series of responses to the essays contained in the 2001 book "Hallucinogens: A Reader," edited by Charles Grob1. The comments below are in response to essay number 8: "Using Psychedelics Wisely" by Myron J. Stolaroff
In introducing this essay, Grob tells us that Stolaroff did not believe that hallucinogenic experiences with drugs like LSD and mescaline are for everyone. But the idea that drugs are not for everyone is a highly debatable conclusion, especially if we accept a broad definition of the term "hallucinogenic." The conclusion makes sense at first blush, until one considers the vast array of circumstances and variables that surround drug use -- and the fact that we have never set out to glean all possible benefits from such use. To the contrary, we have resolved a priori to insist that no such benefits exist. In light of this superstitious and anti-scientific backstory, it is premature to claim that drug use of some kind is not for everybody, at least at some times, in some circumstances. How can we "know" such a thing when we dogmatically refuse to study the question with an open mind, when we dogmatically deny in advance that any benefits exist -- and when our otherwise massive arsenal of psychoactive drugs (existing and potential) has been outlawed?
The effects of drugs are so varied and so understudied and so demonized and so dependent on details that I am skeptical of any attempts to make definitive statements about who they may be for and who they may not be for. Most of what we "know" on this topic has been inspired by drug-war propaganda, which has made us fear drugs by playing up our fear for the safety of our kids, kids whom we refuse to educate about the psychoactive nature of the world in which they live. Meanwhile we censor all talk of positive, adult uses for drugs. Benefits for drug use are almost never mentioned in the media, and this censorship is almost never sufficiently recognized by Drug War pundits.
Even are most basic assumptions about drug use are highly debatable. It is piously assumed by most drug pundits that drugs are not for young people -- and yet the use of Ecstasy brought about unprecedented peace, love and understanding on the dance floors of Britain in the 1990s. It is amazing that neither Drug Warriors nor their opponents see any benefit in that drug use! We live on the brink of nuclear annihilation, and yet we have a jaundiced view of the kinds of drugs that could bring the world together. And what about the potential use of empathogens to treat kids who are hotheads and might otherwise shoot up grade schools? Thanks to our brainwashed view of drugs, we would rather have those kids shoot up schools -- and/or commit suicide -- than to "use drugs."
Ralph Metzner, in this "reader" that I am critiquing, sees no benefit in the use of Ecstasy during the rave scene: instead, he sees it as a problem. Apparently, he would have felt much better had the ravers been using hate-facilitating drugs like alcohol. And that is precisely what they were doing after the British MPs cracked down on Ecstasy use in the 1990s in response to the Drug War fearmongering that has so frightened the Ralph Metzners of the world. After the crackdown, the dance floors became so violent that concert organizers had to hire special forces troops to keep the peace. Needless to say, that prohibition-fueled violence was not covered by the media and so not a factor in Metzner's calculus about the propriety of drug use. This is why it cannot be said enough: the Drug War is a branding operation to make us feel a certain way about drugs, not to objectively inform us about them. This is why adult amphetamine users are cast as "meth heads" while kids with ADHD are cast as "good patients" for taking Ritalin. Apparently, mental concentration is good -- but only when the federal government wants you to be able to concentrate.
So you say that drug use is not for young people? I say that I would much prefer that a young person use medicines that elate and inspire rather than to have them commit suicide. And yet the Drug Warrior is so convinced that drug use can only be problematic that we prefer that the severely depressed commit suicide or have brain-damaging shock therapy than to have them use "drugs." This is the result of letting racist politicians control language, turning the once-neutral word drugs into the putdown par excellence. And so the Drug War is one massive media-supported branding operation, designed to make us believe two enormous lies:
1) that there are no upsides to drug use,
and
2) that there are no downsides to drug prohibition.
Hallucinogens: A Reader
In 2001, Charles Grob published 'Hallucinogens: A Reader," containing interviews and essays on the subject of drugs. Watch this space for philosophical essays on each essay in the book.
Katie MacBride's one-sided attack on MAPS reminds me of why I got into an argument with Vincent Rado. Yes, psychedelic hype can go too far, but let's solve the huge problem first by ending the drug war!!!
Drug Prohibition is a crime against humanity.
Doc to Franklin: "I'm sorry, Ben, but I see no benefits of opium use under my microscope. The idea that you are living a fulfilled life is clearly a mistake on your part. If you want to be scientific, stop using opium and be scientifically depressed like the rest of us."
I could tell my psychiatrist EXACTLY what would "cure" my depression, even without getting addicted, but everything involved is illegal. It has to be. Otherwise I would have no need of the psychiatrist.
Being less than a month away from an election that, in my view, could end American democracy, I don't like to credit Musk for much. But I absolutely love it every time he does or says something that pushes back against the drug-war narrative.
Talking about being in denial: drug warriors blame all of the problems that they cause on "drugs" and then insist that the entire WORLD accept their jaundiced view of the natural bounty that God himself told us was good.
Drug warriors abuse the English language.
Prohibition turned habituation into addiction by creating a wide variety of problems for users, including potential arrest, tainted or absent drug supply, and extreme stigmatization.
Besides, why should I listen to the views of a microbe?
The whole drug war is based on the anti-American idea that the way to avoid problems is to lie and prevaricate and persuade people not to ask questions.
Buy the Drug War Comic Book by the Drug War Philosopher Brian Quass, featuring 150 hilarious op-ed pics about America's disgraceful war on Americans
You have been reading an article entitled, The Drug War is One Big Branding Operation to Demonize Mind and Mood Medicine: a review of essay number 8 in Hallucinogens: A Reader, edited by Charles Grob, published on June 26, 2025 on AbolishTheDEA.com. For more information about America's disgraceful drug war, which is anti-patient, anti-minority, anti-scientific, anti-mother nature, imperialistic, the establishment of the Christian Science religion, a violation of the natural law upon which America was founded, and a childish and counterproductive way of looking at the world, one which causes all of the problems that it purports to solve, and then some, visit the drug war philosopher, at abolishTheDEA.com. (philosopher's bio; go to top of this page)
You have been reading an article entitled, The Drug War is One Big Branding Operation to Demonize Mind and Mood Medicine: a review of essay number 8 in Hallucinogens: A Reader, edited by Charles Grob, published on June 26, 2025 on AbolishTheDEA.com. For more information about America's disgraceful drug war, which is anti-patient, anti-minority, anti-scientific, anti-mother nature, imperialistic, the establishment of the Christian Science religion, a violation of the natural law upon which America was founded, and a childish and counterproductive way of looking at the world, one which causes all of the problems that it purports to solve, and then some, visit the drug war philosopher, at abolishTheDEA.com. (philosopher's bio; go to top of this page)
