PROJECT (DELETED) WITH TWO ATTACHED REPORTS TITLED LYSERGIC ACID DIOTHYLAMIDE (LSD 25) DATED 24 FEBRUARY 1954

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00146419
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: January 17, 2025
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: February 19, 1954

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Director of noeurity
Chiof, Security ::ascarch Staff .
Dainty Director of Zecurity
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Project
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3.9 r cbr.:ary 13:14
� 3., Rt.:fere:12o 13 =do to t!...o attached report on propo�:ed
dovelepnont of Project
2. This project is ar. operational application of
ar.d I foul that wo s'::ould clearly be 4n tht picture fro.a &tart to
finis'n encruleing control fcat....roson acsatal c:7;errinentat4 on.
3. 1.s st.ated in .tho report, the principal c:.:estion 1 ether
,or not an iniivieual cn b 3 cantrollud into the Patnro by the
nr2lication of "U" techniz. IPurther feel that thio cor.not be
done In Uko United Statne cn a clinical basis, and the only anr....:er
is to caroentrato on fio'-e. applications. Zo this end could
.sup:%lonant t'ae c.r.d c.tr:7 cut t.:.ece erpuri-
rw,ntatIor..s whora I underztand hlvs so: ri
prospouts rtect U. the re..ruirnonto and are not "friendly."
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I recorzzord that wo lay on this projoet with
obtain a full workin; aEraer.er.t and c.-....pport this activity in every
possible way.
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24 February 1954
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SUBJECT: Lysergic Acid Diothylamide (LSD 25)
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24 robruary 1954
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SUDJLCTi Lysergic Acid Dicthylamide (LSD 25)
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kSource is ..-=.g1".......=,0e-kr.
N :1:,?4,4061270,�41.4talreil. .
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ma'4� 3614**140.-V . +�-� .:WerieV-4�-� "1.'� - -��� - tl-ra� - �-�
4.4.������ .473.�4 :"--2r715.1"*.� .v.
Viikapaasoee-4114tel'etf.f..1rAt�tiq.-:4,74rair�itir.04.:-.4'01"' � 1�4'gaiXii
4111���";*-1;-1147.;'`zo,,Lk.s.4.,�irk, . ar-or. ��77-4-?,�-nvoilelgreq-14�1:;47.ist'
sw,,.. 4..1;,. .;.4:77..,,w,_..:::.%*. t.....47.4,..t. 7,...40441' ,....--.V. ;$.:13:.:"' Z.*:�� - 44:taea%N.k......... ;4,,� ..,,,,,,,,.,
l'?..:2�4 _ ..�._., .... L .,
prir,e.N.....;:rit=',�:r.,,,*44�4�7:::::.:0:4�-�.-,,w_4�_treglremnilks. v_ . .
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�ist,g},i)Nil.Arrau...-.2,�:Ct,,.....iA.r.e.v.,...,-7,....-Aztrieripx,_
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LI.. In early December 1953 source went to
. . .
.. .- for the purpose of learning the mount.'of LSD 25 hold in -steel:11,y
.. -.At.
......V.trtri.Mratro:. f....romee..
' .v.::;,..��-7..7.Z.r'%;3;-1-. , and 'the pi chase of .it if avail. able on a preclusive
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2. Several reetings were held trith the kr.,,:-..f.6:40�2.:...:�.., ,
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()Meals. Present: at. these meetings we.---arsi���;.........i.1.--i�-
,:e4rait
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.(President),..iirmagertXmCamoft=22-(Vice-Fresident and General
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, ger)st&-''�""....11,....4k1-4,V="4107Director of Pharmacological nesearch).�....)-
. ...rid...L. --1.7,...-_.� .. .
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t-t--.-. -- -....4,�). Source vas perionally
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�-: ' acquainted with the first three men, ha't,ng dealt uith them. on
several occasions in the past. �
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1PV 4.43;;;A:z1Z4;4;.1."alisi .
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3. .4...5.50.,-s:x.; ..., -.:-:-7 - !was then told that the discovery of
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LSD 25 by ih .0 r.�...4....0...,,rio ad core to the attention of a ni=bor
of 4epartneat3 in the U. S. government and that there %ere rIrlors
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of the production or a quantity of tho matorial in 'which the source
was interested. rurthc:r, tho wcro ruaore in the United Statez to
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the effect that the 2had. produced 10 Id.logra,r.S of this
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subetance. /t was then. explained that -the misoion was one of pre-
elusive buying by the eource.
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4. stated that the had never
produced Vas material in quantities even remotely resembling the
19 idlograms which were mentioned. Ho said that to date over a
. .
period of years, a total of about 40 grans of this raterial had been
produced in various batches. 'rho last batch, included in the total
of 40 ram= produced to date, amounted to 20 grans. Of these 20 gr=s,
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10 grer.-:3 remained in stcck ate:. ;Z=11- end 10 grams had been
sent to thearanct".); ,, te United States. Iny transW=ent of
this material will i=adiately be =EXI.9 kz�e�an to the source.
,,,,1167-"41=ttit4WN
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5, stated that to the best of his belief,
this material is not being produced any�there else in the world, and
he armeA that he Certnin.-th.,t thero vbra
nO In/w.'n'tCri" t.'""r.A
the Iron Curtain with the kneneledge, knew-how, or capability of
producinz it at present.
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6.
f414,-;:i offered to produce an7 quantity of this material
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required by the source 'with production to begin three weeks after
placement o�,r%, an order and-to continue, at the rate of 100 grams per
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week. then stated that this material, when produced in sr.�all.
quantities, miritt cost in the neighborhomi of 100 to ,12C0 a gram.
iiew of this cost, he p�ointad out that the r=or of a stock of
006,0.
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7.0 kilograno was ridiculous einco it was not likeli that they wulki
havo kept a production-lino going for the length of timo required
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to produce such a large quantity of oxpcnsivo materiel until they
had fully determined that a commercial market existed or could be
developed for it. Their total productian'tO date of 40 gra= has .
proved sufficient material for all clinical investigatiene,.and it
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would have been ridiculous to have produced a quantity =any hundred
times greater.
7.on two occasions expressed appreciation and admira-
tion for the action of the source In volunteering to remove this
material from the market if it had existed in the quantities men-,
� timed. Ha mentioned on several occasions that he and others of the
were sorry that they had discoverd this material
since it had been a source of many headaches and bother. He said
they had no intention of ever letting this material fall into
Communist hands.
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. 8. vit.., ^ ��:-^ .Lnf.u.eave,:: many covert anu s4.deigays approaches had
06;17...:37.-e247."".1rNV
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been rade'to � iS,fief- .'":"7."1:b." various A.ezrixan inclivitha2..s in
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the vast who wished to obtain information on this material.
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- 'Source explained that although heicould not possibly guarantee that_
. no further approaches would be made, he would advise interested
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U. S. individuals.
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9. 6,4 agreed to keep source informed of all future produc-
tion by. of this material and would let him know to whom
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ahipocate wore =ado. Ha would also pees on any inerration which
caws to his attention ccncerning activities behind the Iron Curtain
or elsewhere indicatinz that it was bcine, rzanufixtured or invecti-
gated by anyone else. As a test of this procedure and of
-te!.1.-4.-.*35-ilf* �
doeire to cooperate�he will shortly-be asked by
source to suply a breakdown of past distributien of this material,
including the 'names of recipients) quantities furnished and. dates
Of shipment.
thieb*.ful
10� said that at -.resent the only shipments of this
-4.:row`
material going fromL. 4,44o a destinatien behind tha Iron Curtain
are being --T-'-1==empol""""""ImP:mr"triMtm
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.=v4W:�-"11.1V4412:""""""I�r�r.4,4=1.Pstifili.,
.1.1.a���-�"""andu.���%.454'..74%..� I 41=grim
for any years has cooperated wit.1.4. .4..n the
clinical testing of their products and for a long time has teen
kept. supplied with minute quantities 0: this material. It has
always been Gent to him in ampules containing a solution Of the
material. No shii�ents of the dry material 11,a-re teen mnde to him
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or to anyone else behind the Iron Curtain. g-could act
rone=ber.off-hand whether other small ehipments had been made to
indiiiduals behind the Iron Curtain =any years ago, but was certain
that for the past 'few years only 1,7',:=0'has received shipmente.
De thought that recent sh4;-=nts to r 1:gd:evtiltotaled appreximatftly
100 milligrams.-
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11. Sourco diocusscd with....,_,iiiii ot.hor.44officials the
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desirability of hio purchasing:their entire stook of approximatcli
10 grams of thio material. It was decided that the source would not .
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purchase this material and that, fur-then-rare, the
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would continuo to maintain asnill stock which they would continue
to diotribute to reputable investigators thronEhout the free world
...
At no charge. Such action on the part thus dis-
courage a competitor fro= entering this fieldiand producing this
Gaterial. Since it is =4-rarely difficult to synthesize and vcs7
expensive to produces it is unlikely that a competitor would start
.--production of the minute quantities needed for research if incest.-
&:"4--t114101
gators could obtain their req72irenents at no charge.
In other words, bynnintaining a =all stock and.distributing it at
no ch e,k4rill retain control of the situation and leal be
aware of anyone interested in the aaterial. All of this infernation
trill be passed on to the source. This was entirely agreeable to
.-j and they understand that any connection betweea the source
1.64;st-wole..
and this material is to be
4.m tho very strictest confidence.
. 41,'.112014.1:4�*-
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12. The nource has been a personal fr:end of both-'-
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lom.141711=1.21:12--777461$1"21411 '
for zany years and expressed =plate con-
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fidenee in all statcsents =de by ttem. b:�.-vny of the statenents
Imre cross-checked by questions posed to other rz: 3officials
mentioned abeve, and in no case was there disagreerent as to fact
or figure. It has been suggested that offered 10
grans for parchase or even that they offered 10 milligrons, and'
that an error vas made in reporting and transmitting this offer.
Pritil**41"!"..-4q,
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Confusion botvocn a kilorrsm (one thousand crams) and a L'illicram
(ono-thousandth of a cram) =ay yell hava arisen.
4--4-mmorr"r"F7*74:"--11
13. It =ieht also be c4nificant that
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thic occasion .for the first tine 'invited the source to inspect his
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pharmaceutical plant. Normally a pharmaceutical canufacturer Xauld
never allow a knowledceablc person throuch their plant since even a .
Casual inspection it reveal valuable trado secrete.
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