Hallucinogens include many different drugs, which are often called “psychedelic” drugs. The US National Institute on Drug Abuse categorizes these drugs into 2 categories: classic hallucinogens and dissociative drugs. Both types of psychedelics can lead to hallucinations - sensations and images that seem real although they are imaginary. In addition, an indiv...
A psychedelic drug is one that “produces thought, mood and perceptual changes otherwise rarely experienced except in dreams, contemplative and religious exaltation, flashes of vivid involuntary memory, and acute psychosis”1. It does so “without causing physical addiction, craving, major physiological disturbances, delirium, disorientation or amnesia”1. The “...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ViewpointsFull AccessThe Return of Psychedelics: Still Time to Prevent TragedyStanley N. Caroff, M.D.Stanley N. Caroff, M.D.Published Online:31 Mar 2021https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2021.4.8AbstractRecently, a movement reviving psychedelic drugs has emerged among physicians, echoed by activists like M...
Adolescence is a period of profound developmental changes, which run the gamut from behavioral and neural to physiological and hormonal. It is also a time at which there is an increased propensity to engage in risk-taking and impulsive behaviors like drug use. This review examines the human and preclinical literature on adolescent drug use and its consequenc...
Psychedelics have inspired new hope for treating brain disorders, as they seem to be unlike any treatments currently available. Not only do they produce sustained therapeutic effects following a single administration, they also appear to have broad therapeutic potential, demonstrating efficacy for treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a...
Abstract Background: The misuse of illicit substances is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; thus, substance abuse is a global health concern. However, a lack of laboratory-based research has limited the scientific assessment of drug misuse in the Arabian Gulf region. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to assess the problem of illicit dru...
IntroductionDespite the relative reduction in opioid and other illicit substance overdoses in the past few years, clinicians must remain vigilant in keeping up to date on emerging trends with regard to potential substances of abuse. As overdoses of traditional drugs of abuse decrease in light of legislative and de-prescribing initiatives, it stands to reason...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessPsychedelics for Psychiatric Disorders: More Research NeededNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:13 Apr 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.4a14AbstractAPA’s Work Group on Biomarkers and Novel Treatments suggests that psychede...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessCan Psychedelics Radically Change SUD Treatment?Katie O'ConnorKatie O'ConnorPublished Online:20 Mar 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.2a12AbstractThough the field is young, psychedelics appear to hold promise as a treatment for addiction, even as barriers to research...
Though there was initial interest in the use of psychedelic drugs for psychiatric treatment, bad outcomes and subsequent passage of the Substance Act of 1970, which placed psychedelic drugs in the Schedule I category, significantly limited potential progress. More recently, however, there has been renewal in interest and promise of psychedelic research. The ...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article ProfessionalFull AccessJohns Hopkins Opens Research Center on PsychedelicsNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:28 Oct 2019https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2019.10a16AbstractA total of $17 million in private donations to the Hopkins center is expected to provide ...
psilocybin; depression; terminal cancer; CME; CNE: psilocybin; depression; terminal cancer; CME; CNEPsilocybin is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in more than 200 species of mushrooms. This compound, which was first isolated by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofman in 1959, is the active constituent of psychedelic mushrooms which are thought to have been util...
The prototype 5-HT2A receptor agonist hallucinogens LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin are classified as Schedule 1 drugs of abuse by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Accumulating clinical evidence has also suggested that acute or repeated "microdosing" with these drugs may have utility for treatment of some mental health disorders, including drug abuse...
The United States is a leader in world-wide medical innovation, but currently we face an epidemic of mental health disorders. Serotonergic psychoactive compounds such as psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, and LSD are currently being studied as potential treatments to be used in psychiatric medicine. Currently these substances are prohibited and designated to the st...
Health professional students frequently use alcohol and narcotics. The potential impact on academic performance and professional behaviour is concerning. This study aimed to determine self-reported use of alcohol, illicit substances (e.g. cannabis, lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD], magic mushroom, cocaine, crack, ecstasy, methamphetamine and heroin), prescri...
This review assesses the abuse potential of medically-administered psilocybin, following the structure of the 8 factors of the US Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Research suggests the potential safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating cancer-related psychiatric distress and substance use disorders, setting the occasion for this review. A more extensive...
In recent years, new drugs, commonly known as new psychoactive substances (NPS), appeared on the market, which include, among others, synthetic cannabinoids, cathinones, and tryptamine analogs of psilocin. The aim of this work was to develop and validate a new method for simultaneous screening and quantification of 31 NPS in oral fluid by ultra-high-performa...
Given the plethora of new studies and published papers in the scientific press and the increasingly emerging presence of articles about positive psychedelic experiences appearing in the popular media, there is little doubt that we are in the midst of a Psychedelic Renaissance. The classical psychedelic drugs LSD and psilocybin and the entactogen MDMA are sho...
Plant-based drugs of abuse are as old as recorded human history. Although traditional addictive substances, such as opium, cannabis and coca, have been controlled by the United Nations anti-drug conventions, many, if not most, natural plants with addictive or abuse liability remain elusive. Therefore, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has ...
Recently there has been a surge in interest in the research of hallucinogens, particularly serotonergic hallucinogens. While some preliminary research has shown some promising applications in the treatment of anxiety, these compounds are still poorly understood, and their reputation as drugs of abuse make clinical research challenging. Zebrafish, a popular m...
