A Chemist who claimed his human rights were violated when he was jailed for producing illegal substances has failed in a bid to win his freedom.

Casey Hardison, 35, told judges being jailed for taking and producing hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD "denied him autonomy over his body".

American Hardison, formerly of The Vale, Ovingdean, Brighton, was jailed at Lewes Crown Court in February 2005 for 20 years after he was convicted of six charges, including making three class A drugs.

He was also found guilty of possessing a controlled drug, being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of customs controls and the export of a class A drug.

The drugs had a potential street value of £5 million and the lab was one of the most complex found in the country in the past 25 years.

Londons Criminal Appeal Court rejected Hardisons challenge, based on the Human Rights Act, ruling his conviction "safe" - and said he deserved every day of his sentence.

Mr Justice Keith, sitting with Lord Justice Hooper and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones, said: "This was not an amateurish operation in a garden shed.

"It was a sophisticated and calculated attempt to introduce synthetic drugs in the UK market, which could have reaped great financial rewards."

Hardison built a laboratory at his home to manufacture the drugs over a two-year period.

He was arrested after he sent a package containing ecstasy tablets to the US using FedEx delivery service. The consignment was discovered in a random search.

Hardison was then put under surveillance in Brighton and eventually arrested in a city cafe.

Police found quantities of DMT and 2CB at his home as well as 146,000 paper tabs of LSD. Mr Justice Keith said Hardison believed everyone had the "right to take hallucinogenic drugs to alter their consciousness by freeing their minds".

Hardison was "imploring the human race to expand their horizons by exploring the world through hallucinogenic drugs".

Hardison told the judges he was the victim of "chemical apartheid" and that the Misuse of Drugs Act was incompatible with his human rights.