Could future treatment of depression, addiction, and PTSD include psychedelics - like LSD?
It might sound as crazy as a whacked-out trip, but scientists and doctors are taking more interest in the drugs, amid emerging research, as I discussed on the show in May of 2018.
This week, Vox.com published a lengthy piece on the topic:
Although the most recent studies are still preliminary and the sample sizes fairly small, the results so far are compelling. In one 2014 Johns Hopkins study, 80 percent of the smokers who participated in psilocybin-assisted therapy remained fully abstinent six months after the trial. By way of comparison, smoking cessation trials using varenicline (a prescription medication for smoking addiction) has success rates around 35 percent.
In a separate 2016 study of cancer-related depression or anxiety, 83 percent of 51 participants reported significant increases in well-being or satisfaction six months after a single dose of psilocybin. (Sixty-seven percent said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives.)
A typical psilocybin session lasts somewhere between four and six hours (compared with 12 hours with LSD), yet it produces enduring decreases in depression and anxiety for patients. Which is why researchers like Roland Griffiths at Johns Hopkins believe psychedelics represents an entirely new model for treating major psychiatric conditions. Conventional treatments like antidepressants don’t work for a lot of patients and can come with a host of side effects.
This is a big reason why many researchers believe that psychedelics will eventually be rescheduled by the FDA (more on this below) and legalized for medical use — though the timeline on this is far from clear.
Meanwhile, a petition effort is underway to have Denver residents vote in May on whether to decriminalize "magic mushrooms."
Pete's Prep Sheet: Friday, Jan. 11, 2019
- "A newly-released academic study from the Civitas Institute finds that eliminating the state’s corporate income tax would create more than 43,000 jobs and grow average worker salaries by more than $1,500, over ten years."
- It appears Democratic Senators think the Knights of Columbus is some kind of secret religious cult. They also seem to support the anti-Israel "boycott, divest, sanction" (BDS) efforts.
- Starbucks is considering installing needle disposal boxes in their restrooms.