Learning about STP

Abstract

In 1967, a synthetic psychedelic drug, nicknamed STP, escaped from the archives of Dow Chemical and flooded the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. The resulting public health crisis can be seen as a case study in how new unsanctioned psychoactive substances become legible to society through the efforts of different actors. STP was interpreted by young hip doctors, underground chemists, and the users themselves. While the first group achieved recognition as experts, the others were largely omitted from media reports on the drug. This article brings together contemporary media reports, pharmacology, and first-person accounts to explore how STP came to be understood as a dangerous drug. As psychedelics gain renewed attention, it is timely to use historic events like the STP crisis to understand how knowledge of new drugs is formed and what sources are recognized or overlooked in the process.