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Psychedelic Mushrooms Are Closer To Medicinal Use (nytimes.com)
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have recommended that psilocybin, the active compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms, be reclassified for medical use, potentially paving the way for the psychedelic drug to one day treat depression and anxiety and help people stop smoking. The New York Times: The suggestion to reclassify psilocybin from a Schedule I drug, with no known medical benefit, to a Schedule IV drug, which is akin to prescription sleeping pills, was part of a review to assess the safety and abuse of medically administered psilocybin [Editor's note: the story may be paywalled; alternative source]. Before the Food and Drug Administration can be petitioned to reclassify the drug, though, it has to clear extensive study and trials, which can take more than five years, the researchers wrote. The analysis was published in the October print issue of Neuropharmacology, a medical journal focused on neuroscience.
The study comes as many Americans shift their attitudes toward the use of some illegal drugs. The widespread legalization of marijuana has helped demystify drug use, with many people now recognizing the medicinal benefits for those with anxiety, arthritis and other physical ailments. Psychedelics, like LSD and psilocybin, are illegal and not approved for medical or recreational use. But in recent years scientists and consumers have begun rethinking their use to combat depression and anxiety.
The study comes as many Americans shift their attitudes toward the use of some illegal drugs. The widespread legalization of marijuana has helped demystify drug use, with many people now recognizing the medicinal benefits for those with anxiety, arthritis and other physical ailments. Psychedelics, like LSD and psilocybin, are illegal and not approved for medical or recreational use. But in recent years scientists and consumers have begun rethinking their use to combat depression and anxiety.
Many cultures use hallucinogens. Changing how the brain works for a limited amount of time, can have profound effects on how people view themselves and society around them. Harnessing this to help people isn't a new thing, its simply a return to things that have worked over time.
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Here we go round the mulberry bush
It's like that pill to help you end restless leg syndrome- side effect of death.
Exactly like that, except the side-effect is pretty much nothing.
Let's help you stop smoking by sending you on a Magical Mushroom Tour!
Sure. Why the hell not?
He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
Try them before you make uninformed statements, AC.
"...The heavens parted. God looked down and rained down gifts of forgiveness onto my being, healing me on every level, psychically, physically, emotionally.
... You can see why the government is cracking down on the idea of experiencing unconditional love.”
And I realized that our true nature is spirit not body, that we are eternal beings that God’s love is unconditional. There is nothing that we can ever do to change that, It is only our illusion that we are separate from God or that we are alone. In fact, the reality is, we are one with God and he loves us.
Now if that isn’t a hazard to this country? How are we going to keep building nuclear weapons? What’s going to happen to the arms industry if we realized that we’re all ONE?
It’s going to fuck up the economy. The economy that’s fake anyway. Which would be a real bummer
Let's help you stop smoking by sending you on a Magical Mushroom Tour!
That seems a lot more sensible than the currently approved pill that has an 8% success rate and occasionally triggers a literally homicidal rage in otherwise normal people.
You *do* know "Reefer Madness" is not scientifically accurate.
As for psilocybin, both it and LSD have very low toxicity AND very low addiction potential. If you compare them to caffeine on both those scales (toxicity and dependence), they stand in relation to caffeine roughly as caffeine stands to alcohol. And while individual cases of post-usage psychiatric problems have been reported in the literature, when the use is examined statistically the prevalence of self-harm and psychological distress is actually lower in psychedelic drug users.
This doesn't mean that users of such drugs can't come to harm; schizophrenics should especially avoid them. But I personally see very little medical or public health justification in preventing most interested individuals in experimenting with pharmacy grade psychedelics.
I could easily imagine licensed facilities for people interested in LSD. These facilities would be responsible for dosage and purity and could handle routine bad trips that would result in emergency room visits.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Some of the medical benefits 'shrooms provide are already well studied and known.
For example, we know that aerobic exercise is good for you. Which is just the kind of exercise you get when running from the angry bull or cows in the field, or the farmer, or ....
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos
Especially with that asshole Jeff Sessions as the AG. I didn't mind him when he was first appointed, then he started talking about all that same old Neo-Con 'drug warrior' BS about state level legalization of marijuana. And given that I highly doubt he would support rescheduling psilocybin.
We'll be sure to get off your lawn, sir.
Actually the treatment associated with MDMA isn't exposure therapy. It's radically more effective than exposure therapy and shares nothing in common.
There are clinical guides available regarding the application of MDMA in the treatment of patients with PTSD that you can access for free.
The short version is that the hypothesis for PTSD is it is a condition of excessive self doubt and detachment, in other words the patient loses the ability to trust or accept their own feelings and come to terms with reality and as a result develops intense delusions in response to their cogitative dissonance. MDMA reduces or limits our natural distrust of others which is why it is known as having the effect of making people seem more friendly or accepting of one-another. What has been newly discovered is the fact that this effect also applies to the self. It isn't commonly recognized that self is comprised of many disparate elements that operate both cooperatively and combatively. MDMA seems to effect a shift toward trust and cooperation which can lead to a solution for dissonance.
Please do put in the time and read the published papers.
Chantix can be even worse. There have been actual homicides and suicides.
Where are these special pot bars..? Indoor smoking laws in Washington prevent them.
-Myke
No, there are emergency room visits caused by caffeine too, some of which require hospitalization. Look it up.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
Except that the research shows that psilocybin works well, without the ongoing side effects typical of standard drugs, and it works in situations where other treatments fail.