A recent article from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) warns veterans that psychedelic therapies reflect “a dark history of exploitation, harm, and failed treatments.” And while it’s true that psychedelics have a checkered past—particularly in government-run programs like MK-Ultra—the implication that today’s clinical work is simply a repackaged trauma machine feels more like fear-mongering than informed concern.
Let’s get one thing straight: Veterans deserve caution. They’ve been overpromised and underserved for decades. From overprescription of opioids to rushed psychiatric labels, many rightly approach new treatments with skepticism. But let’s also get another thing straight: Not all caution is rooted in truth. Sometimes, it’s rooted in ideology.
The CCHR was founded by the Church of Scientology—an organization with a long, well-documented opposition to psychiatry in all its forms. So when they equate MDMA therapy or psilocybin-assisted healing with the horrors of Cold War-era mind control experiments, we should pause—not just to fact-check, but to ask what they’re really afraid of.
Because here’s what’s actually happening:
Clinical Evidence, Not Conspiracy
Psychedelic therapy isn’t “untested” or “experimental.”
MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD has completed two Phase 3 randomized controlled trials—the highest standard in clinical research—showing statistically significant, long-term reduction in symptoms for veterans, first responders, and trauma survivors. Psilocybin has earned FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression, following successful Phase 2 trials conducted at institutions like Johns Hopkins and Imperial College.
These aren’t fringe experiments. These are rigorous, peer-reviewed studies conducted with full informed consent, trauma-informed protocols, and institutional oversight.
It’s Not MK-Ultra Anymore
Bringing up MK-Ultra may stir up emotion, but it’s a false equivalence. MK-Ultra was a covert CIA program marked by non-consensual dosing, abuse, and a total absence of ethics. Today’s psychedelic therapy is the opposite: voluntary, transparent, and ethically reviewed by independent boards. If anything, today’s protocols were designed to ensure those past abuses are never repeated.
The Safety Profile is Strong
The CCHR article warns of suicide, psychosis, and “mental deterioration”—but modern data shows otherwise.
Multiple studies, including large-scale population surveys, have shown no increased risk of suicide, psychosis, or long-term harm from psychedelics when used responsibly. In fact, some studies show reduced suicidality and psychological distress among people who’ve used psychedelics. That’s not speculation—it’s peer-reviewed science.
Yes, proper screening is critical. And responsible programs already exclude those at risk of psychosis and follow up closely. That’s how evidence-based medicine works.
Veterans Deserve Options—Not Gatekeeping
What’s most dangerous is the implication that veterans are being targeted or manipulated. This framing removes their agency and ignores what many have publicly shared: that psychedelics were the only thing that helped.
These therapies don’t promise a cure. They offer a chance—a different path for people who’ve tried everything else. And they are reducing dependence on the very pharmaceuticals that failed so many veterans for so long.
Let’s be honest: The status quo hasn’t worked. If there’s a treatment that can heal without lifelong prescriptions, without numbing the soul, and with real, lasting transformation—why wouldn’t we explore it?
Proceed With Care—But Proceed
Psychedelic therapy is not a panacea, and commercialization risks must be addressed. But that doesn’t justify blanket fear. We owe our veterans more than reactive distrust—we owe them hope grounded in science, safety, and respect.
We honor the past not by remaining stuck in it, but by learning from it—and doing better.
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