On October 6, 1966, LSD becomes illegal in California. The law, signed a few months earlier by Governor Pat Brown, criminalizes the production, sale, and possession of lysergic acid diethylamide - a synthetic psychedelic substance known by its popular abbreviation LSD.
The ban goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. California thus becomes the first state in the United States to outlaw the possession of LSD. On the same day, the Love Pageant Rally - an event related to the end of legal psychedelic use in the state - is held in San Francisco. It became one of the symbolic moments surrounding the beginning of a new era for the American counterculture.
The ban is not federal
The date is often inaccurately described as the moment when LSD was banned throughout the United States. On October 6, 1966, it was a California state law, not a federal ban.
The federal government had already begun to restrict access to LSD. In 1966, the Food and Drug Administration placed its sale and distribution under strict control, allowing its use primarily in approved scientific research. The reason given by federal authorities was the reported severe psychiatric reactions and the risk of abuse.
Federal criminalization of possession came in 1968. When signing the relevant law, President Lyndon Johnson stated: “By this law, the unlawful manufacture, sale, or distribution of LSD and related substances becomes a federal crime“. At that time, production, sale, or distribution was punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, and possession was punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.
From laboratory interest to counterculture symbol
Before the bans, LSD was used in psychiatric and psychological research. In the early 1960s, the substance attracted attention outside of scientific circles, especially among young people, musicians, and members of the growing hippie movement.
Psychologist Timothy Leary became one of its most recognizable advocates, and writer Ken Kesey organized a series of "acid tests" in the San Francisco area. These events combined LSD use, music, and lighting effects and helped to establish the substance as a symbol of rebellion against traditional social norms.
In 1970, LSD was placed on Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act. This means that U.S. law defines it as a substance with a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical use. Thus, prohibition, which began in California on October 6, 1966, gradually became a nationwide federal policy.
Sources: history.com, smithsonianmag.com