LSD from the CIA

An interesting article in the Telegraph today (12th March) tells of a 60-year-old CIA experiment involving unsuspecting villagers in the south of France, where the US government spiked local foods with LSD to test the drug as an offensive weapon.

For decades townspeople of Pont-Saint-Esprit, France, have wondered what caused the mass hallucinations and hysteria that struck their quaint village in 1951. Older residents still remember Le Pain Maudit (Cursed Bread) and have long believed that a town baker accidentally contaminated his bread with ergot, a hallucinogenic mould that infects rye grain. Another theory posited baked-in mercury as the cause of the episode, in which several people committed suicide and dozens landed in asylums.

The Telegraph article focuses on A Terrible Mistake: The Murder of Frank Olson and the CIA's Secret Cold War Experiments, a new book by investigative journalist H. P. Albarelli Jr. While investigating the death of Frank Olson, a biochemist for he U.S. Army’s Special Operations Division (SOD) at Fort Detrick, Maryland, Albarelli spoke to colleague of Olson’s who acknowledged, “that agents had sprayed LSD” and contaminated food products, according the Telegraph.

In his book, Albarelli also claims that the CIA drugged a number of U.S. serviceman in the 1950s, as part of their experiments with LSD.

There's no shortage of tales of bizarre and unethical experiments involving LSD in the 1950s-60s, but do you think tests like this are still conducted? How would we know if they were?

Lauren Urban -- Editor, The Scientist

I have not read the book. Maybe if I did, my reaction would be different. I heard from unamed sources that the CIA is infecting all their enemies with the Aids Virus or anyone else who they believe is opposed to their objectives. They are suppose to be in league with a World Government take-over involving all the secret services of all world governments. Maybe I should write a book, what do you think?

How else do you explain Fox News?

I sense more than a little skepticism in the comments about the article and the book on which it is based. However, CIA operation MK Ultra has been well documented, including by the US Senate's Church Commission in the 1970s. The CIA's secret LSD experiments of the 1950s were extensive and a prime example of the flagrant disregard for the human rights and law, not only of foreign nationals, but US citizens, for which the agency became renowned.

Jeff,
Forget trying to point out the facts here. Most of the readers of this website are salaried government scientists (that includes state university scientists) who are trained to never ever question the motives, goals, or programs of government. To do so would be to question the very legitimacy of one's research funding and hence all the personal life decisions that flow from the decision to engage in government-funded science.

We are not supposed to question the government? Geez. Maybe that explains why I get in trouble all the time.

Could be a sort of wild speculation similar to the "yellow rain" in Laos during the Vietnam war. For those who may not be knowing about the Yellow Rain episode: it was alleged to be chemical warfare by the Soviets using trichothecenes, The "yellow rain" allegations are now regarded as discredited, and many scientists say it was nothing more than bee feces rich in pollen. I have seen this pollen dropping by swarming bees, here in a big city in India.

Questioning the government is the healthiest thing we can do.

We seem to have forgotten that we are the empowered ones and that they are supposed to work for us, we have passed to torch to them and let them do whatever they want and run a muck.

but aside from our current path or destruction, that's a pretty crazy article. giving LSD to unknowing civilians? that sounds like crap the nazi's would do

The whole thing is probably wild speculation. I love the USA.
But people are faulty and those in power sometimes do really bad things.

1. Tuskegee syphilis studies

2. Navajo people mining uranium without protective gear or the knowledge that they were in danger.

3. War

4. Dare I mention off shore drilling................

well explained?

well defined thanks for the information.

Maybe that explains why I get in trouble all the time.