Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
May 1, 2023
Matthew E Rossheim, Cassidy R Loparco, Doug Henry et al.
41 citations
Since the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill created what some call a legal loophole in cannabis regulation, many new psychoactive cannabinoid products have appeared, along with inconsistent terminology to describe them. The authors propose the term "derived psychoactive cannabis products" to classify these substances. "Derived" distinguishes them from naturally grown cannabis, "psychoactive" clarifies their effects, and "cannabis products" avoids the racist origins of the word "marijuana." The term aims to be broad enough to cover all related products yet specific enough to exclude other substances. Adopting consistent terminology would reduce confusion and strengthen scientific literature.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
January 1, 2020
Mark Haden, Birgitta Woods
31 citations
Three accidental LSD overdoses led to unexpected positive outcomes. One person experienced lasting mood improvements and reduced mania with psychotic features for nearly 20 years. Another took LSD early in the first trimester of pregnancy without harming the pregnancy or causing obvious birth defects. A third person survived intranasal ingestion of 550 times a normal recreational dose, which was not fatal and reduced pain and morphine withdrawal symptoms. The cases suggest that LSD overdoses can have unpredictable, beneficial effects on mental illness symptoms, physical pain, and withdrawal, and may not harm a fetus in early pregnancy.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
July 1, 2022
Timothy I. Michaels, Lebert Lester, Sara de la Salle et al.
19 citations
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are greatly underrepresented in ketamine clinical trials for mood disorders, despite experiencing high rates of such conditions. A review of double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized ketamine trials from 1993 to 2020 found that among 380 participants, 73.7% were non-Hispanic White, 9.2% Black, 5.0% Hispanic/Latinx, and 0.8% Asian. Higher BIPOC inclusion was negatively correlated with the number of recruitment methods used. The lack of reported demographic information may further underestimate BIPOC participation. These disparities mean reported treatment outcomes may not generalize to all groups, and unequal access to novel treatments worsens health inequities.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
July 1, 2020
Ilana Berlowitz, Heinrich Walt, Christian Ghasarian et al.
19 citations
The Amazonian medicine-based therapy attracts a diverse group of patients, including those from outside the region, and may be especially appealing to individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) who have a history of unsuccessful treatment. The cultural diversity of the sample indicates international interest in such therapies among SUD treatment-seeking patients. These findings are relevant to the need for improved SUD therapies and add to the growing research on ayahuasca-based treatments.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
May 1, 2019
Mark A. Prince, Maeve B. O’donnell, Linda R. Stanley et al.
16 citations
American Indian youth who use alcohol or marijuana in the past 30 days are more likely to use peyote, whether for spiritual or recreational purposes, though the link is stronger for recreational use. Youth who report higher religiosity and stronger cultural identity are more likely to use peyote spiritually but not recreationally. Grade, sex, and religious affiliation did not predict either type of peyote use. The findings come from a secondary analysis of survey data from 3,861 American Indian youth and suggest that prevention and treatment models should distinguish spiritual from recreational hallucinogen use in this population.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
September 1, 2024
Brian Rush, Olivia Marcus, Sara García et al.
12 citations
One year after completing an ayahuasca-assisted, integrative addiction treatment program at the Takiwasi Centre in Peru, 52 participants showed significant reductions in alcohol and drug use severity, depression, and anxiety, and improvements in some quality-of-life dimensions. The majority rated all program aspects as important, particularly the spiritual and therapeutic significance of the ayahuasca experience. However, there was considerable individual variation in outcomes and treatment duration. Within the limitations of an uncontrolled observational study, the findings suggest promise for ayahuasca's effectiveness in a multifactorial treatment context for individuals with significant treatment histories, high comorbidity, and treatment motivation.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
September 1, 2024
Anja Loizaga-Velder, Armando Loizaga Pazzi
4 citations
Ritual uses of natural psychedelics (entheogens) such as ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin mushrooms, 5-MeO-DMT, and iboga show therapeutic potential for substance use disorders. Observational research and preliminary clinical studies indicate these compounds are relatively safe when used with careful screening and psychotherapy. A pilot intercultural clinical program by the Yaqui tribe in Sonora, Mexico, applies some of these entheogens for addiction and mental health treatment. Integrating entheogenic medicine with culturally attuned therapy may have value, but more interdisciplinary research is needed.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
September 1, 2024
Sisi Li, Taylor Kurtzweil, Shahin Shams et al.
3 citations
Efforts to patent psychedelic compounds for addiction treatment risk privatizing public knowledge and raising costs. The nonprofit Porta Sophia has identified 170 patent documents covering psychedelic addiction therapies, many of which could restrict research and access if granted. Patent examiners must reject false claims, but prior knowledge about psychedelics is often hard to find, leading to overreaching patents. As the FDA approaches key decisions, stakeholders must use available tools to determine prior knowledge and maintain an ethical patent landscape to ensure access to these potential treatments.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
September 1, 2024
Svět Lustig Vijay, Magdalena Harris, Fabio Friso et al.
1 citation
Ayahuasca, a plant-based entheogen from the Amazon, is increasingly studied for treating substance dependence, but little research has examined the act of purging (mainly vomiting) considered central to healing in ayahuasca rituals. At the Takiwasi Center in Peru, interviews with 11 healers, plant preparers, and psychotherapists revealed that purging is understood as a fluid concept beyond vomiting. Their narratives fell into three themes: spiritual-oriented (purging aids spiritual development), Amazonian-oriented (purging expels embodied 'cargas' that cause sickness), and clinical-oriented (purging yields observable therapeutic benefits). All models emphasized purging's pivotal connection to healing during ayahuasca-assisted treatment for substance dependence.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
August 23, 2024
Bethany A. Gray, Olivia L. Bolts, Deborah J. Fidler et al.
1 citation
People who use psilocybin outside of clinical settings show diverse patterns of consumption. Three distinct user profiles emerged, differing in how often and how much psilocybin they used, and these profiles were linked to specific demographic traits. The findings suggest that psilocybin use is not uniform and that future research should investigate what influences different use outcomes and explore the variability in how people use the substance.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
May 20, 2025
Mark A. Prince, Brandon Paez, Jessica L Morse et al.
American Indian (AI) and non-AI youth living on or near reservations show largely similar rates of using substances often grouped as 'other' (inhalants, MDMA, hallucinogens, prescription opioids, over-the-counter cold medicines), though some regional and sex-based differences emerge. In two regions, AI youth had higher odds of using any 'other' substance than non-AI youth, while in the Southeast and Northwest they were less likely to use prescription opioids and over-the-counter cold medicines, respectively. Males in the Southwest were more likely than females to use inhalants, hallucinogens, and tranquilizers. The Southern Plains region reported the highest prevalence of 'other' substance use overall. These patterns can guide targeted prevention and intervention.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
May 28, 2026
Cassidy R Loparco, Matthew E Rossheim, Kayla K Tillett et al.
Retail sales of intoxicating cannabis products (DICPs) like delta-8 THC and hallucinogenic mushrooms are widespread in US smoke shops, including in states where they are explicitly illegal. In a survey of 1,023 smoke shops across eleven states, 51.4% of those that answered reported selling DICPs, with availability ranging from 2.0% in New York City to 93.8% in Jacksonville, FL. Among shops that answered about mushrooms, 59.7% sold them, and over half of those sold Amanita mushrooms. One-third of retailers could not identify the type of mushroom they sold. The authors argue for greater retail surveillance, education, and enforcement.