More than 150 studies on ayahuasca now appear on PubMed, the federal database of peer-reviewed research. People generally know serotonin as a neurotransmitter that regulates emotions and serves as a mood stabilizer. Serotonin transporters are proteins that aid in the facilitation of serotonin throughout the nervous system, and what McKenna and his team discovered in…
Drug-war passions are fading … in that shifting social context, companies and public employers, including the military, might want to take a second look at whether pre-employment drug testing actually does the job it was designed to do. It’s possible, though far from certain, that hiring applicants who test positive for opioids is riskier than…
Another route to legality may shorten the wait for suffering patients, however: including the drugs in the “right to try” and Expanded Access programs. Psychedelics fit the criteria. People living with incurable conditions — cancers and neurodegenerative conditions, such as ALS — often experience anxieties, grief and depression associated with the progressive debility and impending…
The problem is now so prevalent the researchers suggest public officials declare it a “public health crisis.” (via NPR) Alcohol abuse has long been a problem in the United States, but recent studies have shown that it’s increasing among women and people of color. According to a 2017 study in JAMA Psychiatry, the number of people engaging in…
In a recent update of its official position on the botanical kratom, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) affirmed that, “Kratom by itself is not associated with fatal overdose,” explaining that only when the natural ingredient is contaminated or “laced with other compounds” has it been associated with death. NIDA’s position clarifies and corrects an earlier statement…
*Hemby is the author of a new study on kratom published in the journal Addiction Biology, and his results suggest that the chief compound in the plant could offer therapeutic benefits. “It makes sense that this product [kratom] would mitigate the symptoms of opioid withdrawal or allow someone to transition from a higher dose to lower dose, or…
She realized she was on the wrong path while working in a prosecutor’s office that was charging a suspect who had turned to heroin to blot out childhood memories of being raped by her father and brothers. When Watts asked the prosecutor what sort of life the defendant could look forward to in jail, he…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have hailed methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) a breakthrough treatment for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception … David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist at Imperial College London, told Science, “This is not a big scientific step. It’s been…
“Because the range and quality of cannabis studies—and just the variability of the data collection techniques—whatever you want, you can find support for it,” says Dr. Josh Kaplan, a postdoc fellow in neuroscience at the University of Washington who specializes in medical cannabis research. Joelle Puccio, a nurse and researcher who sits on the board…
After his treatment with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, Lubecky managed to heal from his PTSD to the point that he became National Veterans Director for Senator Rand Paul’s 2016 presidential primary campaign. His recovery is not unusual. The treatment being tested by the study involved three day-long administrations of MDMA about a month apart, and 12…
Recent Comments