Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
Daniel J. Kruger, Nicolas G. Glynos, Christopher W Fields et al.
10 citations
People who use psychedelics and have higher education, lower age, greater frequency of use, male gender, White/Caucasian identity, higher income, and experience with more types of psychedelics tend to know more about legal status, active compounds, and therapeutic efficacy. A survey of 1,435 participants recruited at a psychedelic advocacy event and online showed overall high knowledge, but gaps remain, highlighting the need for targeted education and harm reduction outreach, especially in under-represented communities.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 19, 2022
Marcio S. C. Longo, Bheatrix Bienemann, Marco Multedo et al.
10 citations
People who currently use ayahuasca/DMT, psilocybe mushrooms, LSD, cannabis, or MDMA/ecstasy score higher on nature relatedness than those who have never used these substances. After accounting for sociodemographic factors, only current and past use of ayahuasca/DMT remained positively associated with nature relatedness. Among those who reported an intention to use psilocybe mushrooms in the future, that intention was also linked to higher nature relatedness. The findings suggest that classic serotonergic psychedelics may have a unique relationship with nature relatedness, but the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 9, 2019
Lorenzo Moccia, A. Tofani, Marianna Mazza et al.
10 citations
A 23-year-old man developed a substance-induced psychotic disorder after intravenously injecting an unspecified amount of methoxetamine (MXE), a ketamine derivative hallucinogen. Clinically, he showed blunted affect, diminished social drive, loss of sense of purpose, and detachment from the environment. Psychometric tests revealed severe dissociation, lack of motivation, and mild impairments in verbal fluency, working memory, and attention. Brain scans using 18F-FDG PET/CT showed significantly reduced tracer uptake in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a region critical for goal-oriented cognition, working memory, and attention. This case indicates that a single acute MXE intoxication can cause severe brain impairment.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 1, 2009
Jason P. Lott, Douglas B. Marlowe, Robert Forman
10 citations
Over a 25-month period starting in March 2003, researchers conducted eight Google searches using the term 'psilocybin spores' and scored the first 100 nonsponsored links from each search. Of the 800 links examined, 58% led to websites offering to sell psilocybin spores, and some sites also offered whole Psilocybe mushrooms. The authors did not verify whether the marketed products were genuine. The findings indicate that psilocybin and its spores are widely available for purchase online, which may facilitate illicit use of this potent psychoactive substance. Further studies are needed to determine whether advertised products are actually delivered.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 6, 2024
Rotem Petranker, Valentyn Sobolenko, Zeina Beidas et al.
9 citations
People who exclusively microdose psychedelics differ from those who also take larger doses. Exclusive microdosers are older (average 46.4 vs. 42.0 years), more often female (68.4% vs. 44.7%), non-Caucasian (25.4% vs. 14.7%), and urban residents (43.9% vs. 38.5%). They report using fewer non-psychedelic substances over their lifetime (3.8 vs. 4.7 substances). Most microdose multiple times a month (52.5%), commonly using psilocybin (74.5%), LSD (34.4%), or ketamine (15.8%), and 64.6% do not test their substances. The main reason for microdosing is improving general wellbeing (73.0%).
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 19, 2024
Anne Baker, Niloufar Pouyan, Julie Barron et al.
9 citations
A survey of 107 people who provide psychedelic support services outside clinical trials found that 40.2% held a full or in-progress license and 44.9% lacked a relevant graduate degree. Almost all practitioners pre-screened clients, offered preparation, integration, and trip-sitting, and used primarily non-directive approaches. Clients most often consumed psilocybin for conditions similar to those in clinical research. Practitioners perceived mostly positive symptom changes, though a small proportion reported worsened personality disorder symptoms. Further research on naturalistic psychedelic-assisted therapy is needed.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 13, 2024
Ar Wilson-Poe, Ka Hoffman, Jb Luoma et al.
9 citations
Experts with a mean of 15.2 years of experience facilitating psilocybin experiences overwhelmingly view first-hand experience with psychedelics as important for facilitators in emerging state-legal frameworks. Personal experience may indirectly improve care quality by enhancing facilitators' wellbeing and helping them understand clients' experiences. One participant questioned this necessity. The current legal frameworks in Oregon and Colorado do not address facilitators' personal psychedelic experience, creating an opportunity to study its association with service safety and outcomes.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 21, 2024
Peter Kenneth Gillman, Brian S. Barnett, Curtis J. Koons et al.
9 citations
A 42-year-old man with treatment-resistant depression experienced a hypertensive emergency with chest pain, palpitations, headache, and ST-elevation on electrocardiogram about half an hour after taking 1 g of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms while on tranylcypromine, extended-release dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, and other medications. He was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, treated with lorazepam, nitroglycerin, and aspirin, and underwent cardiac catheterization that showed no significant abnormalities. He was discharged after overnight hospitalization with no lasting physical effects. The authors suspect phenylethylamine in the mushrooms interacted with the MAOI and amphetamine to cause the event, noting past studies suggest classic serotonergic psychedelics alone with MAOIs should not produce such emergencies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2024
Daniel J. Kruger, Carlton Cb Bone, Meredith C Meacham et al.
9 citations
A survey of THC-O-acetate users found that the semi-synthetic cannabinoid produces low to moderate cognitive distortions—altered sense of time, concentration difficulties, and short-term memory problems—with few visuals or hallucinations. Scores on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire were significantly below the threshold for a complete mystical experience across all four dimensions. Users who had previously used classic psychedelics (5-HT2A agonists) scored lower on all dimensions. When asked directly, 79% of respondents said using THC-O-acetate is "not at all" or "a little" of a psychedelic experience. Some reports of psychedelic effects may stem from expectations or contaminants.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2024
Julia M.k. Freind, Fernando R. Beserra, Bruno S Menezes et al.
9 citations
Depression is a widespread mental health disorder that causes severe emotional suffering and increases suicide risk. Ketamine and esketamine have expanded treatment options. A systematic review following PRISMA criteria analyzed existing protocols for treating depression with these substances. Results showed a predominance of medical approaches, with few studies on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy or other psychedelic-assisted therapies. Limited information was reported on psychosocial elements like preparation, psychological support during sessions, and integration of experiences. These findings suggest that treatment practices for depression with ketamine or esketamine diverge from those used with other psychedelic substances, highlighting directions for future research.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 22, 2023
Natalie Gukasyan, Sasha K. Narayan
9 citations
Three women aged 27 to 34 reported distinct changes in menstrual function after using classic psychedelics: resumption of menses after amenorrhea, early onset of menses when psychedelics were used in the mid to late luteal phase, and improved menstrual regularity in a woman with irregular cycles later diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The mechanisms remain unclear but may involve 5-HT2A receptor effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. These effects, largely overlooked in psychedelic research, may have therapeutic potential and need further investigation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
Anja Loizaga-Velder, Cecile Giovannetti, Ricardo Campoy Gomez et al.
9 citations
An outpatient therapeutic program run by Yaqui health professionals and traditional healers for Yaqui tribe members in Sonora, Mexico, combines traditional Indigenous healing practices—including sweatlodge (temazcal), medicinal plants, and ritual use of naturally derived psychedelics such as ayahuasca, peyote, and Incilius alvarius secretions—with culturally adapted group and individual psychotherapy, sports, meals, construction work, and cultural activities. Three case studies from an ongoing observational study show therapeutic progress and improved psychometric outcomes, suggesting this intercultural approach holds promise for addressing substance use disorders and mental health issues in Indigenous communities.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 1, 1985
Ronald K. Siegel
9 citations
LSD, derived from ergot alkaloids, produces hallucinations by interfering with serotonin neurotransmission in the brain. The article traces the history of LSD from its synthesis by Albert Hofmann in 1938 through its use in psychiatric research and later as a recreational drug in the 1960s counterculture. It describes how LSD's effects vary with dose, setting, and the user's psychological state, and notes that while early research suggested therapeutic potential, political and cultural controversies led to its prohibition and the end of most clinical studies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 10, 2025
Ana Cláudia Mesquita Garcia, Lucas Oliveira Maia, Everson Meireles et al.
8 citations
A survey of 517 Brazilian adults found that people who never or almost never used psychedelics reported higher death anxiety than those who had used them. The study also validated the Death Anxiety Scale in Brazil. Death transcendence—especially creative and religious forms—consistently explained variations in death anxiety across all models. A negative relationship emerged between death anxiety and mystical and religious factors of death transcendence. The authors interpret that psychedelics themselves do not directly reduce death anxiety; rather, they may facilitate experiences of transcending death—the sense of continuity beyond physical death, whether spiritual or symbolic—which in turn helps lower death anxiety.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 6, 2024
Aleksandra Barstowe, Petri Kajonius
8 citations
A systematic review of nine studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy found that masking success was rarely reported and almost 78% of the studies had at best poor masking. Among active placebo studies, 60% showed large effect sizes, and among inactive placebo studies, 75% showed large effect sizes. Masking influences, including benign unmasking, cannot be excluded. Therefore, the efficacy of psilocybin, ayahuasca, or LSD is only one possible interpretation of large positive changes in symptoms for conditions like alcohol use disorder, anxiety, depression, and treatment-resistant depression. The authors recommend improving masking procedures and considering alternative trial designs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 31, 2023
Benjamin A. Korman
8 citations
People who have used psilocybin at least once in their lives work fewer overtime hours than those who have never used it. Analyzing data from 217,963 full-time U.S. employees surveyed between 2002 and 2014, the study found a significant negative association between lifetime psilocybin use and overtime hours worked in the past week, after accounting for demographics and other substance use. This translates to an estimated 44,348,400 fewer overtime hours per year across the full-time working population. The finding may help explain why prior research linked lifetime psilocybin use to reduced sick leave.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
Meris Williams, Annie Kingston Miller, Anja Loizaga-Velder et al.
8 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant medicine from the Amazon, is being studied as a potential novel intervention for eating disorders (EDs), which have high mortality, chronicity, and treatment drop-out rates. Interviews with 15 ayahuasca ceremony leaders revealed two main categories of perspectives. Leaders conceptualized EDs as symptomatic of underlying concerns, serving a function and affecting health across multiple domains. They described ayahuasca's potential therapeutic mechanisms as facilitating energetic healing, helping identify and process the root of the ED, promoting holistic healing, and enhancing relationships. From ceremony leaders' views, ceremonial ayahuasca may offer a useful complementary intervention for EDs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 20, 2021
M. Earleywine, Brianna R. Altman, Joseph A. de Leo
8 citations
People with depressive symptoms find a combination of ketamine and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as credible as CBT alone, and both are seen as more credible than ketamine alone. Those who have had psychotherapy before tend to view ketamine as less credible. Depression severity does not relate to credibility ratings. The findings suggest that potential clients are cautious about ketamine despite media attention, and that providing balanced treatment descriptions may reveal important credibility information.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 1, 2009
Frederick R Dannaway
8 citations
Esoteric Buddhism in Japan preserved and incorporated ancient soma/amrita mushroom lore from the Vedic tradition, traced through Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan influences. The article argues that psycho-sexual drug yoga techniques, often cloaked in alchemical and metallurgical terms, reached sophisticated levels in these traditions. Gordon Wasson's identification of soma as the mushroom Amanita muscaria provides a key link. Despite numerous cultural filters, key components, practices, and symbolism of this plant-based ritualism were retained in Japan's mountain ascetic mysticism.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 18, 2025
Rafaelle Lancelotta, Meghan DellaCrosse, Diana Quinn et al.
7 citations
Among 346 LGBTQIA+ individuals, mostly White and in their early 30s, those who used psychedelics reported improvements in mental health and shifts in gender and sexual identity. Retrospective reports showed large reductions in traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, along with increased psychological flexibility. A significant link emerged between the intensity of the psychedelic experience and greater self-acceptance and sexual identity exploration. Most participants (77%) saw therapeutic potential in psychedelics for gender dysphoria, and 65% reported changes in gender identity attitudes after use. The findings suggest psychedelics may support identity exploration and mental health in this population, warranting further research.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 20, 2025
B A Pagni, A Halman, J Sarris et al.
7 citations
In adults with no prior exposure to ayahuasca who participated in neo-shamanic ceremonies, improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, negative affect, negative emotionality, acceptance of external influence, and self-alienation were observed at all time points up to 12 months. Mental health, self-efficacy, and spirituality improved for up to a year. Individuals diagnosed with depressive or anxiety disorders maintained significant symptom reductions, while those without a diagnosis experienced only short-term benefits. Decreases in alcohol and cannabis use were limited to one month after the ceremony. The findings suggest ayahuasca use is associated with lasting mental health improvements, especially for those with clinical diagnoses, with varying trajectories of change across different psychological constructs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2024
Maria Helha Fernandes-Nascimento, André Brooking Negrão, Karine Viana-Ferreira et al.
7 citations
Ibogaine, a natural psychoactive drug, has been studied for treating substance use disorders since the mid-1960s. A scientometric analysis of publications from 1993 to 2022 found 1523 references, with linear growth in the first and third decades and lower average publications in 1993-2002 than in later decades. Researchers from five continents contributed, with US and Canadian academic centers most productive. Early keywords included cocaine, tobacco, morphine, and alcohol; opioids and psychedelics emerged in the third decade. Only one preclinical meta-analysis and no human meta-analyses were found. Research trends are widespread and growing, underscoring the need for rigorous clinical trials on ibogaine's efficacy and safety.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 18, 2023
Raul Escamilla, María Eva González-Trujano, Jesús M. González Mariscal et al.
7 citations
Psilocybin, a natural alkaloid in Psilocybe mushrooms endemic to Mexico, represents a novel and breakthrough therapy for major depression. Current antidepressant treatments require prolonged use with modest effects, adverse effects, and relapse upon discontinuation. This report presents a research project design that includes preclinical toxicity and pharmacological evaluation of a Psilocybe cubensis extract in mice, chemical analysis of the mushroom's constituents, and a clinical study. The clinical component will assess safety and tolerated doses in healthy adults via pharmacokinetic measurements, followed by an open trial in patients with major depressive disorder comparing two single doses of Psilocybe cubensis with assisted psychotherapy to traditional care at a Mexican institute.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2022
Kristina Domanski, Steven W Fleming, Hayden Maag et al.
7 citations
A 28-year-old man with a history of polysubstance use arrived at an Emergency Department in a dissociated state after snorting 2-fluorodeschloroketamine (2-FDCK), a ketamine derivative available online for as little as $12 per gram. He recovered with supportive care, and urine analysis confirmed 2-FDCK metabolites. This case is the first reported in the United States, highlighting that the drug is easily obtainable online and has significant abuse potential.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 3, 2017
Mallory Loflin, Mitch Earleywine, Stacey Farmer et al.
7 citations
Telling people they are consuming a cannabis-infused edible can produce feelings of intoxication even when the product contains no active drug. In a study of 20 participants who were given a placebo lollipop but told it contained a high dose of THC, measures of cannabis intoxication and negative mood showed significant changes over 60 minutes, while positive mood and a general intoxication measure did not. This provides preliminary evidence that the placebo effect extends to edible cannabis products, which have a delayed onset of effect.