[7] He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1956 and conducted some graduate work at the University of Oregon School of Psychiatry.

[7] Mikuriya directed the drug addiction center of the New Jersey Neuropsychiatric Institute in Princeton, New Jersey from 1966–1967 before becoming a consulting research psychiatrist in charge of non-classified marijuana research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Center for Narcotics and Drug Abuse Studies in 1967.

[7][10] After two months, Mikuriya left the NIMH due to its lack of funding and support for research into positive applications of marijuana.

[7] He moved to Berkeley, California where he opened a private psychiatric practice specializing in biofeedback therapy and substance abuse.

[6] Mikuriya was involved early on in political and civil movements focused on changing cannabis laws.

19 in 1972, and helped Dennis Peron organize San Francisco's Proposition P which supported medical marijuana use and passed with 79% of the vote in 1991.

He declared: "As one of the authors of the Prop 215, my claim to fame is getting the phrase ‘for any other condition that Cannabis is helpful’ included.

"[3] In 1980, he ran in the House of Representatives elections as a member of the Libertarian Party, against incumbent Ron Dellums, a Democrat, and Republican Charles V. Hughes for California's 8th congressional district seat.