The recent relaxation of psychedelic drug regulations has prompted extensive clinical investigation into their potential use to treat diverse mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and substance-abuse disorders. Most clinical trials have relied on a small number of known molecules found in nature, such as psilocybin, or long-known synthetic analogs of...
This article provides an intercultural transdisciplinary perspective on the Indigenous roots of the resurging field of psychedelic science in the management of substance use disorders (SUDs). Ritual uses of entheogens (i.e., psychedelics of natural origin) are elaborate technologies for navigating, containing, and therapeutically directing non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by these...
Psychedelics have been used therapeutically for thousands of years by various cultures, and the term "novel therapeutic agent" should not describe them. The classic psychedelics are mainly tryptamines (e.g., psilocybin, DMT, LSD) and phenethylamines (e.g., MDMA, mescaline, 2C-B), with tryptamines being more studied currently. While most psychedelics are medically safe, some like ibogaine and...
SSRIs may not block the subjective or therapeutic effects of psychedelics, but more research is needed. MDMA is completely blocked by SSRIs and SNRIs, while ibogaine has strong QT prolonging effects and should not be combined with other QT prolonging drugs. Ayahuasca contains an MAOI and may cause serotonin syndrome if combined with antidepressants. Lithium and psychedelics may increase seizure...
An increasing number of US states and localities are implementing or considering alternatives to prohibiting the supply and possession of some psychedelics for non-clinical use. Debates about these policy changes will probably differ from what we saw with cannabis. Andrews et al. correctly note that: 'The current push to broaden the production, sale, and use of psychedelics bears many parallels...
Despite advancements in policies governing psychedelic substances globally, our understanding of real-world psychedelic use and its variations across international jurisdictions remains limited. We implemented the Global Psychedelic Survey (GPS) to capture information about psychedelic consumer characteristics, access, and usage patterns around the world. The GPS was administered online in...
When the Saskatchewan-based British psychiatrist Humphry Osmond first wrote to his fellow British émigré, novelist Aldous Huxley, he could have had little idea of how the ripples of their private correspondence of the early 1950s would reverberate across the world and into the future. But here we are in 2024, and the term that Osmond coined—‘psychedelic’—is quite literally everywhere, from...
The pace of psychedelic treatments continues to increase. Regulation and coherent clinical guidance have not been established. A philosophical divide limits effective resolution of a practice delivery quandary: is this primarily a pharmacological or psychotherapeutic intervention? Lykos (formerly MAPS) has submitted its new drug application (NDA) request to the FDA for...
AbstractBackground and aimsPsychedelics show promise for treatment of mental health conditions (MHCs). But there is relatively little research on indigenous psychedelics conducted in the Global South (GS). Much research is carried out in the Global North, where there are different cultural perceptions of mental health and psychedelics. Therefore, this paper appraises research on psychedelics...
PsychiatriaJune 5, 2024Anna Stankiewicz, Jan Szewczyk, Julia Truszkowska et al.1 citation
Drug therapies for many psychiatric conditions do not meet patients’ expectations. New agents are being sought to treat depression and anxiety disorders, among others. Scientific interest in psychoactive substances has increased over the past few decades. Recent studies provide evidence that psychedelics may find use in the treatment of a range of mental disorders. This paper describes new...