MDMA for our troops
Every once in a while the FDA takes a courageous stance:
Ecstasy trials for combat stress
American soldiers traumatised by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be offered the drug ecstasy to help free them of flashbacks and recurring nightmares.
The US food and drug administration has given the go-ahead for the soldiers to be included in an experiment to see if MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, can treat post-traumatic stress disorder. [Guardian]
The war on drugs has sidetracked this line of research for too long. The therapeutic applications of MDMA deserve serious investigation by randomized controlled trials.
[Via BoingBoing.]
What we oughta do is slip the MDMA in the ruskies water supply and then while they are all groovin out to endless light and sound we can invade. Their hugs are no match for our guns.
Posted by: MKULTRA | February 19, 2005 at 12:38 AM
For anyone interested in the history of this therapy (ie "if you have any questions"), Sasha Shulgin and his wife, Ann, will be fielding them on Feb 22 at 6PM EST, on a Drug Policy Institute show- www.drugpolicy.org/events/shulginchat
Ann was apparently using MDMA as a therapy tool until its "scheduling" by the Feds in 1985; and may have some answers for the curious. ^..^
Posted by: Herbert Browne | February 19, 2005 at 03:00 AM
It's interesting that this story has been reported by several British and Australian papers but not by the New York Times, not by CNN, not by Fox, not by MSNBC, and not by one major wire service. No mention at all.
Posted by: Trey Desolay | February 19, 2005 at 04:30 PM
i love ecstacy
Posted by: dave | March 01, 2005 at 09:26 AM
MDMA has been used successfully in the past to treat many different mental illnesses. It's overwhelming success in treatments is one reason why it was scheduled, and has remained so.
It would be difficult for therapists ect... to compete with a drug that can in many instances provide all of the benifits and breakthroughs of therapy in a span of 4 hours.
In other words, there is more money to be made by college educated therapists fixing the problems in your head than there is selling you a pill that is needed only on a limited basis.
If they are going to give a drug, it will be something that must be taken at least once a day for long periods of time: Prozak, Adderal
ect...
Posted by: Seth Pice | May 07, 2006 at 04:05 PM