Dr. Williams wondered if the drug could be helpful for black and brown people suffering from PTSD. She notes how the most currently accepted treatment — prolonged exposure (PE) — can be difficult for many patients, and especially for racial or demographic minorities. Even in the field of psychedelic research, her study stands out as…
Last August 2017, the agency streamlined that process by deeming MDMA a “breakthrough therapy,” meaning it “may demonstrate substantial improvement” over current options. MDMA, which was banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1985, could be available by prescription as soon as 2021. The rehabilitation of MDMA, a.k.a. “ecstasy” or “molly,” is directly related to…
Working backwards, they discovered that psychedelic-users were not at an increased risk of developing eleven key indicators of serious mental health problems. A second study done at the University of Alabama and Johns Hopkins confirmed this finding. This study used the National Survey as core data, but examined responses from 2008 to 2012. Here too,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a request from an anti-legalization group to place marijuana and its derivatives on a list of restricted substances that are not “generally recognized as safe and effective.” The organization had filed its petition requesting the cannabis crackdown in December 2017, writing that the move would “send…
“One way to think about that is, it’s not the drug that’s having the useful effect for the addict… it’s the experience that the drug is giving them.” -Michael Pollan One Pollan tidbit that’s grabbed attention on his press tour is a revelation about Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Wilson partially credits his…
“I don’t know a mom or dad in their right mind who is going to change what’s already working,” said Heather Jackson, CEO of Realm of Caring, a charitable group affiliated with Colorado-based CW Hemp, one of nation’s largest CBD companies. “I really don’t think it’s going to affect us much.” Jackson’s group estimates the…
In its pure form, however, MDMA is not only a relatively safe drug, but also one that could provide surprising mental health benefits. In a 2018 paper, researchers describe how American veterans and first-responders who suffered from PTSD showed improved conditions after undergoing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy over a long-term period. The results encouraged the Food and…
Although often overshadowed by its reputation as a dangerous “party” drug, MDMA has long been recognized by the mental-health clinicians for its therapeutic benefit. But there remains a conflict between the DEA, which contends MDMA has no medical benefits, and the medical community, which considers the DEA’s scheduling a “largely blind decision.” Historically, disagreements between…
In a blinded, randomised phase II trial published in Lancet Psychiatry (1 May 2018), researchers tested the efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in 26 veterans and emergency service members with chronic PTSD. “MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with 75mg or 125mg resulted in marked improvement of PTSD symptoms in veterans and first responders with chronic PTSD who had failed…
The state has taken another massive step toward embracing cannabis’s medical benefits—by allowing children to take medical marijuana at school. The law only applies to cannabis oil and other “non-smokeable” marijuana like CBD oil, and requires that students have a medical marijuana card and written permission from their parents and school principal. Basically, the law…
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