The theraputic effect of the drug ecstasy (MDMA) is in the news again. I posted previously about how ecstasy is being used to help Iraq War veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. The Bush Administration had no objections. Now, Harvard is researching the use of ecstasy to ease the anxiety of terminal cancer patients facing imminent death. But the Bush Administration objects to this research because it might “destigmatize a dangerous substance.” Hey, don’t blame me– I voted Libertarian.

Harvard researchers are preparing for the first time in three
decades to conduct human experiments using a psychedelic drug, a
study that would seek to harness the mind-altering effects of the
drug ecstasy to help ease the crushing psychic burdens faced by dying
cancer patients. In the experiment, 12 terminal cancer patients would
be given MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, to determine whether
the drug helps alleviate their anxiety. The experiment seeks to
establish a medical use for a drug whose abuse has been on the rise
among some young people, who use it recreationally for its euphoric
effects. A small but growing group of scientists contends the drug,
administered in a controlled medical setting, can improve mental and
emotional health. But critics, including some in the Bush
administration, said the experiment may destigmatize a dangerous
substance. [read more]

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