Support for the legal use of psilocybin mushrooms (23%) is much lower than it is for cannabis (65%), according to a new RAND research report, released Feb. 24. For LSD and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted therapy, support for legal use is closer to 10%.
This article corrects an idea in psychedelic science and culture that the ancient Eleusynian Mysteries used psychedelics, as claimed by Carl Ruck and co-authors in (1978), revitalized by Brian Muraresku's (2020), and popularized by social media heavyweights such as Joe Rogan. It begins by exposing critical methodological flaws in the arguments, namely, a pat...
Importance: Psilocybin use has surged in the US following decriminalization efforts and promising clinical trial results. Mirroring early cannabis legalization, public access and enthusiasm are outpacing regulatory oversight and scientific understanding, posing potential risks to public health. Objective: To review emerging evidence on the public health impl...
The emergence of microdosing introduced a novel approach to consuming classic psychedelic substances, such as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and psilocybin mushrooms, in ways previously unconventional. Whereas traditional illicit substance use often seeks euphoric experiences, microdosing deliberately avoids such effects in favor of perceived self-enhancin...
Established by the 1971 United Nations (UN) Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the prohibition of the recreational use of psychedelics (lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD], psilocybin, N, N -dimethyltryptamine [ N, N -DMT], and mescaline) has two premises. First, recreational use poses a serious threat to public health because psychedelics are highly liable...
This study examines the relationship between psilocybin reforms and usage patterns of prevalent psychedelics in the United States. Given decriminalization efforts in several cities and legalization in Oregon, the author analyzes drug use panel data from University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future project to assess changes in self-reported use of psilocybi...
While the movement to liberalize psychedelics bears many parallels to that of cannabis, there are important differences that must be considered in development of regulatory policy. It is critical to avoid conflating debates about liberalization for therapeutic and recreational purposes. As with cannabis, this conflation has been driven by advocates of recrea...
With its catchy title, historian Benjamin Breen's Tripping on Utopia brings together controversial findings about the human mind, social engineering, and professional responsibility. He delineates the time frame and focus of an inquiry into psychoactive drug research by stating that “Timothy Leary and the Baby Boomers did not usher in the first psychedelic e...
In the past few years, psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms" (psilocybin mushrooms), has undergone decriminalization in numerous cities across the US and has been legalized in Oregon and Colorado. Proponents of psilocybin decriminalization have emphasized its therapeutic potential in treating mental health disorders. Furthermore, psil...
As psychedelic use expands, the number of adverse effects will increase proportionally. New frameworks for monitoring safety outcomes on a population level are required to limit potential harms. Darke et al. characterized 33 lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 10 psilocybin-related deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2023 using the country's sophisticated ...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessPsychedelics' Use as Medicine Hits Significant RoadblockLinda M. RichmondLinda M. RichmondPublished Online:12 Jun 2024https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.07.7.54AbstractA key FDA committee vote against the approval of Lykos Therapeutics' MDMA-facilitated PTSD treatment may...
Psilocybin fungi, also more informally known as psychedelic mushrooms, have a rich, cultural history and were criminalized in the 1970s. However, recent developments, including Food and Drug Administration breakthrough status and state-level legalization, revive interest in these substances. They may be able to treat many disorders without the addictiveness ...
Back to table of contents Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessCalls to Poison Centers Involving Psilocybin Rising in YouthTerri D'ArrigoTerri D'ArrigoPublished Online:10 May 2024https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2024.06.6.2AbstractDecriminalization, legalization of psilocybin likely play roles in both increased exposure and poisoning.Getty Images/iStock...
When Oregon's first psilocybin service center opened in June 2023, allowing those over 21 to take mind-altering mushrooms in a state-licensed facility, the psychedelic revival that had been unfolding over the past two decades entered an important new phase.Psilocybin is still illegal on the federal level. But now, as researchers explore the therapeutic poten...
In recent years, policymakers have proposed and implemented regulatory changes promoting the deprioritization, decriminalization, or state-level legalization of one or more psychedelic substances, usually referencing data from clinical trials as reasons to support liberalizing drug control policies. As psychedelic policies continue to be drafted, personal po...
In recent years, there has been considerable enthusiasm among research groups focused on developing novel therapies for treatment-resistant depression, and a wider community that has had experiences using recreational drugs, in more systematic evaluation of the therapeutic value of these compounds (Goodwin et al., 2022; Young, 2023). This has also been assoc...
Background Psilocybin has been studied for its potential therapeutic benefits, particularly for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. While more research is needed as psilocybin-assisted therapy becomes more prevalent, future pharmacists will probably be involved at some level. At present, phar...
Despite the recent and sharp rise in psychedelic research, few studies have investigated how classic psychedelic use relates to employees' work-related outcomes. This is surprising given that the increased use, decriminalization, and legalization of classic psychedelics in the United States (U.S.) has the potential to impact both employees and their organiza...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual MeetingFull AccessExperts to Discuss the Ethics of PsychedelicsTerri D'ArrigoTerri D'ArrigoPublished Online:27 Mar 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.04.3.10AbstractA session at APA's Annual Meeting will cover the current state of psychedelics research and offer points to consider in the ev...
