Homeland Security Don’t Like Drug Research

Andrew Feldmar, a well-known Vancouver psychotherapist, rolled up to the Blaine border crossing last summer as he had hundreds of times in his career. At 66, his gray hair, neat beard, and rimless glasses give him the look of a seasoned intellectual. He handed his passport to the U.S. border guard and relaxed, thinking he would soon be with an old friend in Seattle. The border guard turned to his computer and googled "Andrew Feldmar."

Things went downhill pretty quickly. You see, Andrew Feldmar has done research into the theraputic properties of psychedelics, something that literally tens of thousands of other psychologists, therapists, and scientists have investigated. There are multiple scholarly organizations devoted to the study. After waiting for three hours, Feldmar finally started to get an explanation:

The official said that under the Homeland Security Act, Feldmar was being denied entry due to "narcotics" use. LSD is not a narcotic substance, Feldmar tried to explain, but an entheogen. The guard wasn't interested in technicalities. He asked for a statement from Feldmar admitting to having used LSD and he fingerprinted Feldmar for an FBI file.

After being profiled in detail, Feldmar, who was on his way to pick up a friend at a US airport, was informed he was barred from ever entering the United States again. His children all live in the US, and he frequently attended conferences here. It's signifigant to note that US Customs hasn't even blinked in the fact of criticism over this issue:

"Admitted drug use is admitted drug use," says Mike Milne, spokesman for U.S. border and protection, based in Seattle. "Anyone who is determined to be a drug abuser or user is inadmissible. A crime involving moral turpitude is inadmissible and one of those areas is a violation of controlled substances." If there's no criminal record, as in Feldmar's case? Not necessarily the criterion, Milne said. You can still be considered dangerous.

Read more (it gets worse when you look at the bigger picture) over at The Tyee.