Editing Brian Epstein (section)

===Drug use===
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After the start of his management career, Epstein started taking [[stimulant]]s, usually [[Phenmetrazine|Preludin]], which did not require a prescription at the time. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr had also taken it since their days in [[Hamburg]]. Epstein explained his use of the drug as the only means of staying awake at night during numerous concert tours.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=301–302}} In 1964, Peter Brown suspected that Epstein was taking too many pills, as he would often cough at parties, which Brown realised was Epstein's way of secretly putting pills into his mouth without anyone noticing.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|p=518}} McCartney often met Epstein at late night clubs in London, and remembered that Epstein would often grind his jaws (possibly due to [[bruxism]]), once saying to him, "Ugghhh, the pills".{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=131}} Epstein also developed dependencies on the drug [[carbromal]], a [[barbiturate]]-like [[sedative]]/[[hypnotic]] drug.
[[File:Brian Epstein home-24 Chapel St. London.jpg|upright|thumb|24 [[Chapel Street, Belgravia|Chapel Street]], London, where Epstein lived, and later died]]
In 1964, after having been introduced to [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] by [[Bob Dylan]] in [[New York City|New York]], Epstein was observed by McCartney standing in front of a mirror, pointing at himself and repeatedly saying "Jew!", while laughing loudly, which McCartney found hilarious and "very liberating".{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=188–189}} Epstein later became heavily involved in the 1960s drug scene. During the four months when the Beatles' album ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper]]'' was being recorded, Epstein spent time on holiday, or at the [[Priory Group|Priory Clinic]] in [[Putney]], where he tried unsuccessfully to curb his drug use. He left the Priory to attend the ''Sgt. Pepper'' launch party at his house on 24 [[Chapel Street, Belgravia|Chapel Street]], but returned to the Priory immediately after.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&GridE=-0.15093&GridN=51.49997&lon=-0.15093&lat=51.49997&place=Chapel%20Street%2C%20CITY%20OF%20WESTMINISTER%2C%20SW1&db=GB&scale=5000&search_result=Chapel%20Street%2C%20CITY%20OF%20WESTMINISTER%2C%20SW1&lang=&db=GB&keepicon=true|title=Location of Epstein's Chapel Street house |publisher=multimap.com|access-date=27 May 2011}}</ref>{{sfn|Miles|1997|pp=337–338}}

Epstein added his name to an advertisement that appeared in ''[[The Times]]'' on 24 July 1967, which called for the legalisation of cannabis, the release of all prisoners imprisoned because of possession, and research into marijuana's medical uses. The advertisement was sponsored by a group called Soma and was signed by 65 people, including the Beatles, Scottish psychiatrist [[R. D. Laing]], sixteen doctors, and two members of Parliament.<ref name="Tokyo">{{cite web |url=http://www.taima.org/en/hemplib3.htm |title=Paul McCartney's arrest in Japan |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927152218/http://www.taima.org/en/hemplib3.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Epstein responded to questions about the advertisement by saying, "My opinion is that pot smoking is definitely less harmful than drinking alcohol. I am not addicted to either, but I have been very drunk and very 'high'."<ref name="BrianEpsteinDies" /> In June 1967, after McCartney had admitted to [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]] use, Epstein defended him to the media, stating that he too had taken the drug.{{sfn|Spitz|2005|pp=699–670}}