Psychedelic Medicine

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.

With psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy on the cusp of broad clinical approval, millions of people may soon experience these hallucinogenic drugs for the first time. Can a genetic test help predict how individuals will respond to psychedelics?

The first results from Phase 3 trials testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD have been announced. The promising data are the first Phase 3 results to be revealed for any psychedelic-based therapy paving the way for a landmark FDA approval in 2023.

A new study presents results from one of the first placebo-controlled trials exploring the influence of CBD on sensations of acute pain. The mixed results suggest CBD may reduce feelings of unpleasantness, helping one tolerate pain more effectively.

A first-of-its-kind trial has pitted a common antidepressant against psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms. The results are mixed but suggest the drug is at least as effective as common antidepressants in treating depression.

New research suggests cannabis use can be linked to higher rates of "rebound headaches" in migraine sufferers. The research is observational and retrospective, but it is yet another finding questioning how helpful cannabis is for chronic migraine patients.

A landmark "self-blinded" trial testing the effect of psychedelic microdosing has found the practice may be an example of a strong placebo effect. The research suggests there is little difference in reported benefits between a microdose and a placebo.

A new, small open-label trial is the first to test MDMA therapy as a treatment for addiction and the results suggest it is safe, well-tolerated and significantly more effective than any current treatment for alcoholism.

A broad reform bill has been proposed in California that would see the possession and use of a number of psychedelic drugs decriminalized. The bill proposes to expunge all psychedelic-related criminal convictions and allow “social sharing” of the drugs.

Canadian researchers are reporting the results of a clinical trial testing the efficacy of CBD in helping cocaine addicts kick the habit. The results suggest CBD does not reduce cocaine cravings or help prevent relapse into addiction.

A novel trial is set to investigate the popular yet still deeply unproven practice of microdosing psychedelics, and promises to be the first exploration of naturalistic psilocybin microdosing in a lab-setting using a cutting-edge neuroimaging technique.