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There could come a day, a long, long time from now when the U.S. military employs the use of psychedelic drugs to combat opposing forces.
While such a concept might sound like a bit of a stretch, especially considering that, as of now, the federal government still will not even let retired military service members use medical marijuana, a recent scientific paper published by the Marine Corps Association indicates that soldiers would kick a lot more ass out in the field if they were permitted to trip balls.
Well, perhaps tripping balls is an overstatement.
The article, which was written by active duty Intelligence Officer Maj Emre Albayrak suggests that microdosing drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms) could provide soldiers with enhanced cognitive abilities, creating a virtual superpower when it comes time to go to war.
But the trick to making psychedelics work for the military is really all about dosage.
Microdosing, which is one of the latest drug culture trends, is a process where the user consumes only small amounts of the drug, opening untapped doors in the mind but while avoiding the hallucinogenic effects.
It is a method that is already being used by “scientists, Silicon Valley executives, biologists, biohackers, and others” to become mentally superior in their chosen fields, Albayrak wrote.
So, if tech geeks and other skilled virtuosos can utilize the Technicolor dimension to conjure abilities unknown to the sober mind, then the military, responsible for upholding the agenda of the U.S government, should be given the same competitive edge.
“Flow states have been entered with microdosing, and research supports the idea that a cognitive advantage can be gained,” the report reads. “Through well-designed experimentation and the use of psychedelics in intelligence analysis, an advantage may be gained over our adversaries.”
It is common knowledge that psychedelic drugs have the power to promote some rather substantial leaps of humankind.
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Apple founder Steve Jobs and many Nobel Prize-winning scientists, all of which are referenced in Albayrak’s paper, have all credited the use of LSD in their discoveries.
For this reason that Albayrak believes the military should be conducting psychedelics studies to learn more about how these drugs could benefit the troops.
Otherwise, we will only continue to expose our cognitive shortfalls, and basically becomes another country’s bitch.
So, if the U.S. military wants to become “stronger, faster and smarter than our adversaries,” psychedelic studies are essential.
But again, Uncle Sam isn’t necessarily cool with giving drugs to soldiers – at least not to their knowledge.
The military has secretly fed service members dope over the decades in hopes of learning more about the effects – and how they might possibly help conquer the enemy. Most of this research, however, has been used to determine whether certain substances ranging from cannabis oil to LSD might be used to subdue the enemy.
The CIA even believed at one time that LSD could be used in conjunction with more violent interrogation methods to squeeze information from individuals.
But the government has never really had much hope that these drugs could benefit their soldiers directly.
Nope, the military has been mostly of the opinion that powerful stimulants, like amphetamines, work best for that.
In fact, American troops were given amphetamines, or what they referred to as “Pep Pills,” throughout World War II and then again during the conflict in Vietnam.
These drugs were doled out “like candies” with not much guidance over the recommended dosage from the federal government.
A report published by a House Select Committee on Crime back in 1971 found that armed forces had used 225 million pep pills from 1966-1969. That’s a whole lot of speed.
But as Albayrak writes in his paper, psychedelics do not come with the health risks associated with the use of other substances.
Psychedelics, he points out, have been proven one of the safest drugs on the planet.
“Unlike amphetamines, psychedelic use does not lead to physical dependence. Overdosing from the direct pharmacological action of LSD in humans is not a salient fatality concern,” he wrote. “LSD and mushrooms demonstrate the least amount of harm to users and others amongst drugs, and LSD does not remain in the spinal fluid or spinal cord, as it was once believed.”
Albayrak’s paper makes it clear that psychedelic warfare, while a “radical” idea, is serious business and not just a ploy to get soldiers high.
“It must be understood that this is neither a sideways attempt to allow Marines to ingest illicit substances nor to be mistaken as a half-baked attempt to recreate previously failed paranormal experiments such as the Army’s The Men Who Stare at Goats.”
The U.S. military has not yet responded to the paper.
One thing is sure: If the U.S government doesn’t take leaps in the direction of psychedelic warfare, other countries will beat us to the punch.
Foreign militaries are already utilizing drug to give their soldiers the advantage. It’s just a matter of time before we fall behind.
“Combat does not reward fair play, Albayrak wrote. “Our enemies are already seeking an edge over us through [performance enhancing drugs] and nootropics. War is not a game, and meeting your enemy on equal footing is a fool’s errand.”
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Mike Adams is a freelance writer for High Times, Cannabis Now, and Forbes. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.