PSYCHEDELIC OUTLAWS

A compelling account of the promise of psychedelic drugs to treat crushing pain.

Kempner, a sociology professor at Rutgers University, has a special interest in chronic migraine, so when she heard of an underground network that was working toward effective treatment options to treat a related disease, cluster headache, she began to investigate. This led her to Clusterbusters, a support group that advocates and organizes the use of psychedelic drugs, especially mushrooms, that give relief to many. However, this is not a stereotypical tale of zoned-out acid trips of New Age wandering. Kempner notes that most of the people in the group “would blend in at any suburban mall. There’s not a hint of spirituality to be found….Not a single namaste.” The author traces how the group began and progressed, held together by online communication but also via annual in-person conventions. Even though “magic mushrooms” are illegal, the authorities often look the other way. Most Clusterbusters members take only small, calibrated amounts, and the success rate has been encouraging. A near-universal complaint is a lack of help with chronic migraine from conventional medical professionals, and the pharmaceutical companies show little interest in undertaking research into the area. The Clusterbusters developed their own protocol to standardize doses and treatment methods, but they realized that more in-depth research is needed. Kempner explains how they garnered support for clinical tests from academics at Harvard and Yale, but legalization of therapeutic psychedelic drugs is a long way off. She concludes: “The path to heaven from hell starts with hope….Pain isolates, but knowing you are not alone can make all the difference.”

Kempner tells a convoluted story with sympathy and respect, adding her personal experience to solid research.