Substance educates their audience about current clinical research into psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, highlighting a graph detailing the variety of medical conditions that may benefit from therapeutic applications of psychedelics.
Originally appearing here.
Research into the medicinal properties of psychedelics has been under way for decades. Studies suggest that MDMA, LSD and “magic mushrooms” can be used to treat conditions including anxiety, depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and even addiction. Yet the government continues to block further research and enforce policies that criminalize these drugs.
Currently, psychedelics are categorized as Schedule I—meaning they are believed to have high potential for problem use and are banned for medical use. Despite this, there has been a recent resurgence of research into their potential healing properties. Proponents include the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and public figures like former CNN journalist Amber Lyon, who this year launched Reset.me, a website dedicated to the healing properties of psychedelics. Swiss researchers also published the results of a drug trial exploring possible medical uses of LSD—the first of its kind in nearly 40 years.
For a clearer sense of how different psychedelics work on the brain, and their potential clinical benefits, check out this handy chart from Scientific American. With more and more states approving medical marijuana, maybe medical acid and medical ecstasy aren’t so far behind.
