(PS4-C70) Understanding the Community Impact of Research Abuses in Early Psychedelic Research

Western psychedelic research has a history of systematic mistreatment of marginalized and racialized groups. The Addiction Research Center in Lexington, Kentucky conducted unethical experiments using lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other psychedelics for almost 30 years (1947-1974), and during this time, incarcerated Black men were routinely exploited. The present study aims to understand the impacts of this unethical human experimentation on the victims, their descendants, and the broader Black communities in Lexington, Kentucky. To do so, this study uses a community-based participatory research approach wherein participants complete a 90-minute focus group session in groups of 5-10. The goal of the focus groups is to learn more about what happened from the perspectives of those affected and the ways in which individuals, families, and communities have been impacted. Data will be collected and analyzed in April of 2022 using thematic analysis, and results will be available in time for the conference. We expect that individuals exposed either directly or indirectly to the research abuses will suffer from racial trauma and demand reparations. We also expect this study to provide a sense of validation and closure for the participants who have been ignored and had their abuses go unacknowledged. This study will help to contextualize the underrepresentation of people of colour in psychedelic research and therapies and provide recommendations for cultural considerations. Finally, by centering the voices of the affected Black communities, this research aims to empower the victims of these abuses and help to move the field in a more equitable direction.