 It was designed to test whether the combination of sex and the hallucinogenic drug LSD might

influence the men to reveal information that the government wanted. What information, nobody
is sure.

 They were used to lure men into brothels for undisclosed narcotics testing. The punters’
cocktails would be laced with LSD and officials would watch from behind a two-way mirror.
Recording devices were also used. Recently, renovations began at one of the San Francisco
houses used in the experiments and microphones, wires and other recording instruments were
found in the walls.

 He wished to test the drug as officials wanted to use hallucinogens to induce confessions from
prisoners. The agency had also heard that the Soviet Union was using the tactic and it didn’t want
to fall behind.

 Test subjects were not only clients of prostitutes. Sometimes they just happened to be people who
crossed paths with agents tasked with running MK-Ultra. The New York Times believes the
agency conducted 149 separate mind-control experiments, and as many as 25 involved
unwitting subjects.

 While intelligence agencies had often used female agents to seduce targets, "Gottlieb wanted to
systematize the study of how sex, especially in combination with drugs, could loosen men's
tongues," journalist Stephen Kinzer wrote in his 2019 book, "Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb
and the CIA Search for Mind Control

 But after some experiments involving voluntary participants, the agency decided to see what
would happen when subjects were given LSD without their knowledge.

 Whitey Bulger, a former organized crime boss, wrote of his experience as an inmate test subject
in MK-Ultra. “Eight convicts in a panic and paranoid state,” Bulger said of the 1957 tests at the
Atlanta penitentiary where he was serving time. “Total loss of appetite. Hallucinating. The room
would change shape. Hours of paranoia and feeling violent. We experienced horrible periods of
living nightmares and even blood coming out of the walls. Guys turning to skeletons in front of
me. I saw a camera change into the head of a dog. I felt like I was going insane.”

 Bulger claimed he had been injected with LSD. Lysergic acid diethylamide, or acid, had become
one of the CIA’s key interests for its “brain warfare” program, as the agency theorized it could be
useful in interrogations. In the late 1940s, the CIA received reports that the Soviet Union had
engaged in “intensive efforts to produce LSD,” and that the Soviets had attempted to purchase the
world’s supply of the chemical. One CIA officer described the agency as “literally terrified” of
the Soviets’ LSD program, largely because of the lack of knowledge about the drug in the United
 States. “[This] was the one material that we had ever been able to locate that really had potential
fantastic possibilities if used wrongly,” the officer testified.

 With the advent of MK-Ultra, the government’s interest in LSD shifted from a defensive to an
offensive orientation. Agency officials noted that LSD could be potentially useful in “[gaining]
control of bodies whether they were willing or not.” The CIA envisioned applications that ranged
from removing people from Europe in the case of a Soviet attack to enabling assassinations of
enemy leaders. On November 18, 1953, a group of ten scientists met at a cabin located deep in
the forests of Maryland. After extended discussions, the participants agreed that to truly
understand the value of the drug, “an unwitting experiment would be desirable.”

 Three principles, or general prescriptive judgments, that are relevant to research involving human
subjects are identified in this statement. Other principles may also be relevant. These three are
comprehensive, however, and are stated at a level of generalization that should assist scientists,
subjects, reviewers and interested citizens to understand the ethical issues inherent in research
involving human subjects. These principles cannot always be applied so as to resolve beyond
dispute particular ethical problems. The objective is to provide an analytical framework that will
guide the resolution of ethical problems arising from research involving human subjects.

 Against this historical background, it can be seen how conceptions of justice are relevant to
research involving human subjects. For example, the selection of research subjects needs to be
scrutinized in order to determine whether some classes (e.g., welfare patients, particular racial
and ethnic minorities, or persons confined to institutions) are being systematically selected simply
because of their easy availability, their compromised position, or their manipulability, rather than
for reasons directly related to the problem being studied. Finally, whenever research supported by
public funds leads to the development of therapeutic devices and procedures, justice demands
both that these not provide advantages only to those who can afford them and that such research
should not unduly involve persons from groups unlikely to be among the beneficiaries of
subsequent applications of the research. – VIOLATION OF JUSTICE/USE OF PROSTI/EASILY
AVAIALBLE

VIOLATION OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLES UNDER BELMON REPORT

RESPECT FOR PERSON

  Acknowledge Autonomy
 There was no informed consent given and it was not clearly stated and explained to the
subjects the effects of LSD to their body.
 The fact that the experiment aims to control the minds of the subject is unethical. They
were subjected to mind-altering substances without their knowledge or consent.
 Participants were recruited or targeted under false pretenses. They were often led to
believe they were involved in activities unrelated to the true nature of the experiments.
 Participants were administered mind-altering substances, such as LSD, without their
knowledge. The substances were often added to drinks or administered in a way that
concealed their presence.

 Protect those with Diminished Autonomy

 Operation Midnight Climax targeted vulnerable populations, including individuals
involved in the sex industry.
 In the first part of the experiment, the researchers used inmates as test subjects.
 The experiments lacked appropriate safeguards to protect the well-being and rights of
participants.

BENEFICENCE

 Do no harm
 The experiments involved the administration of drugs to individuals without their
knowledge or consent, leading to potential physical and psychological harm.
 There were no physicians, psychologists, or psychiatrists observing the experiment in
case of unpredictable and intense psychological effects, including anxiety, hallucinations,
and disorientation.

 Maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms

 Operation Midnight Climax did not contribute meaningfully to scientific knowledge or
societal well-being. The lack of a scientifically valid and socially beneficial purpose
raises questions about whether the potential benefits were maximized for the participants
and society.
 The potential for physical and psychological harm was not adequately minimized.

JUSTICE

 Fair Subject Selection

 Exploitation concerns may arise with the inclusion of "johns" in the research. Their
participation could be seen as a result of their engagement in an illegal or stigmatized
activity rather than a genuinely informed and voluntary decision.
 Operation Midnight Climax targeted individuals involved in the sex industry, a
population that was often economically disadvantaged and socially marginalized.