Psychedelic Medicine

A unique placebo-controlled clinical trial has investigated the popular phenomenon of psychedelic microdosing. The trial found tiny doses of psilocybin resulted in no changes to signs of anxiety or depression compared to placebo.

A first-of-its-kind clinical trial has shown that ketamine infusions, combined with psychotherapy, is more effective in helping people suffering from severe alcoholism avoid relapse than any other current treatment.

A study is reporting the results of a clinical trial testing the safety of administering psilocybin in a group setting. Exploring the psychedelic therapy in groups of up to six, the trial found no adverse effects from simultaneous drug administration.

From the first published data out of large clinical trials testing MDMA and psilocybin, to some incredible work investigating what psychedelics actually do to a mammalian brain, here are the highlights from a truly landmark year in psychedelic science.

Data from the largest trial to date testing psilocybin for depression indicates the psychedelic is effective at reducing symptom severity. However, concerns over adverse effects indicate more work is needed before psilocybin is ready for clinical use.

Johns Hopkins Medicine has been awarded a grant by the National Institutes of Health for research investigating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat tobacco addiction. The grant is the first federal funding in 50 years for psychedelic therapy.

New research systematically investigating the anticonvulsant effects of a number of rare compounds in cannabis is reporting cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), known as the “mother of all cannabinoids”, may be more effective at reducing seizures than CBD.

The usual suspects, like steroids, are closely monitored in sports but what about other drugs such as psychedelics, not commonly thought to be performance-enhancing? Can LSD improve athletic performance, and if so what does this mean for elite sport?

New research lends support to a controversial hypothesis dubbed the entourage effect, which claims the medical benefits of cannabis are not due to single cannabinoids such as THC or CBD, but rather the interactions between various compounds in the plant.

An extraordinary new study is reporting the first direct demonstration of a psilocybin dose inducing neural plasticity in a mammalian brain. The researchers hypothesize this mechanism playing a role in the drug’s antidepressant qualities.

How much of a problem is it if participants in psychedelic clinical trials can easily tell they have been given a placebo? Researcher Suresh Muthukumaraswamy suggests it is, and many findings from recent psychedelic trials may be over-estimated.

A Phase 2 clinical trial has found a single treatment session with nitrous oxide can deliver significant and rapid improvements in patients with treatment-resistant depression, and the research indicates these benefits can last for at least two weeks.