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Questions about the Pickard LSD Case

by K. Cole - full story...

I receive large numbers of e-mails from people asking me questions about all sorts of different topics. I will share the answers to this particular e-mail because many people are interested in the details of the Pickard LSD bust. If you don’t know about this case by name, it was the largest LSD lab ever busted in the United States. Pickard and Skinner had the lab in a missile silo in Kansas. When it was busted by the DEA (with Skinner as their primary informant), it was reported to have been producing 90% of the world's supply. Jacob asked me the following questions:

J: First, I am curious as to your opinion regarding the legitimacy of the Pickard case. From reading your post on the neurosoup forum regarding it, as well as the description on your neurosoup bio, you quite clearly admit to having been associated with these men and having consumed the "fruits of their labor". My question mainly has to do with your view on Pickard's having (in Shulgin's words) "pulled a Leary", ie sacrificing his reputation and credibility in order to make the psychedelic experience more widely known. Though he was a well respected chemist and policy analyst, he also had a record dating back decades for false identity, concealed weapons, LSD manufacture, forgery, etc. I have no fundamental objection to any of these charges per say (except the concealed weapons charge...you yourself even said you oppose all violence), but it's hard to argue he went about his business in the proper manner when so much evidence opposes his account. You even admitted to sampling his drugs. His defense was that he was not operating a lab, though he clearly was (this should not be a crime, yada yada) yet even you say he was.

K: To clarify, I will refer to Pickard by his middle name, which is Leonard; I will also refer to Skinner by his middle name, which is Todd. They always went by their middle names, or the first initials of their middle names, so any eavesdroppers or acquaintances would be confused about their identities. In my opinion Leonard and Todd both were involved in the LSD lab. However, it is difficult to be able to pinpoint the level of either of their involvement. This is because you can’t tell when they are lying or when they are telling the truth. I will tell you what I know, and then you can draw conclusions for yourself. Here are the conflicting stories... full story

 

For More Information on the Pickard Case and my life after the bust check out my books Lysergic: 2nd Edition and After the Trip: Thoughts on Entheogens, Spirituality, and Daily Life.