Authors Octavian Dixon Ritchie, Cameron N Donley and Gabrielle Dixon Ritchie Published September 6, 2023 Background On February 3, 2023, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, announced that on July 1, 2023, the psychedelics 3′4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin will be medically accessible and regulated for psychiatric use in …
Authors Paul McCrone, Henry Fisher, Clare Knight, Rebecca Harding, Anne K. Schlag, David J. Nutt and Joanna C. Neill Published June 2, 2023 Abstract Background: There is growing evidence to support the use of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for difficult-to-treat depression. This paper compares the cost-effectiveness of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) with conventional medication, cognitive behavioural …
Author FL Smith, JC Neill and V Wainwright Published September 7, 2022 Abstract Veterans are at increased risk of experiencing symptoms of trauma. Although many benefit from available treatments, some find treatment inaccessible or ineffective and explore alternative substances. One such substance is psilocybin. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study aimed to provide an initial insight …
What is the Special Access Programme? On January 5th 2022, Health Canada amended the Food and Drug Regulations and the Narcotic Control Regulations to allow previously excluded ‘psychedelic’ drugs such as Psilocybin to be included on the ‘Special Access Programme’ (SAP). The SAP allows healthcare practitioners to request limited access to drugs that are not …
Authors Fabian Pitter Steinmetz, Maja Kohek Published May 3, 2022 Background The supply chains addressing the global demand for major recreational drugs are hardly addressed due to international contracts, particularly the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Currently applied regulatory changes have several disadvantages ranging from political tensions to the neglect of ecological aspects. The …
Topline Results from COMPASS Pathways Phase IIb Trial By Olivia Gorzynska In November 2021, COMPASS Pathways, a mental health care company, published a press release announcing results from its phase IIb trial on psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus. “Magic …
Authors Jeremy Roscoe, Olivia Lozy Published March 16, 2022 Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychoactive chemical produced by various species of mushroom, mainly in the psilocybe genus. Human consumption of psilocybin, primarily for its psychoactive properties, dates back thousands of years (Tylš et al., 2013). It was first isolated in 1958 by Albert Hoffmann, who was later …
Authors Anne K Schlag, Jacob Aday, Iram Salam, Jo C Neill, David J Nutt Published February 3, 2022 Psychedelic medicines are a rapidly developing area of clinical research and public health policy. Despite an increasing body of studies highlighting their efficacy to treat a broad range of medical conditions, psychedelic drugs remain a controversial issue …
Who is James Fadiman? James Fadiman is a true man of many talents. Wikipedia calls him an ‘American writer’, but actually, he’s worked in multiple fields, from psychology, through to IT and, finally, to psychedelic research. He studied Psychology at Harvard University and obtained a PhD from Stanford University. As a graduate student at Stanford, …
Access to Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy This week’s episode features Spencer Hawkswell the CEO of TheraPsil – a non-profit coalition dedicated to helping Canadians in medical need access legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat end-of-life distress. Spencer believes that responsible drug policy requires effective organization and leadership and is dedicated to bringing together the experts and advocates, …
A fascinating Q&A on the ethical and philosophical considerations in psychedelic science and explanations of the psychedelic experience. Prof David Nutt David is a leading Neuroscientist and drug policy reform advocate. Formerly the Chief Drug Advisor to the UK government he is currently the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and director of the …
In this webinar from the Student Psychedelic Conference, we hear from two groups doing amazing harm reduction work! PsyCare Amanda Guzinska started working with PsyCare since 2013 having discovered them at a festival a couple of years prior while helping a friend through a difficult experience. Among her friends or even strangers in need, …
In this webinar, you will learn about the medicalisation of both psychedelics and cannabis, from two of the biggest experts in these respective fields; Prof Jo Neill, and Prof Mike Barnes. We expect these industries to grow to tremendous size and want to prepare the next generation for a new economy of medicine and psychiatry. …
A personal Q&A from two patients of psychedelic therapy: Psilocybin for depression – Michael Bourne Michael Bourne is a 57-year-old website designer from the North East of England, who tried several unsuccessful depression treatments, including talking therapy and prescription medications, before turning to psilocybin clinical trials. Michael took part in research into psilocybin treatment …
In this webinar, two of the world’s leading psychedelic research experts; Dr Ben Sessa and Dr Meg Spriggs, answer questions on the therapeutic applications of MDMA and psilocybin! Who is Dr Ben Sessa? Dr Ben Sessa is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who has worked with young people and adults in the field …
Psychedelic drugs in the Netherlands In the Netherlands, it’s not difficult to find a shop selling psychedelic drugs – magic truffles, cacti, 5-Meo-DMT, iboga, and the like are all widely available at ‘smart shops’. Retreat centers are also accessible within the country, where individuals can pay to trip in a safe environment, and undergo therapy …
Could psilocybin be used for the treatment of OCD? Psilocybin is currently being researched as a treatment for OCD by Drug Science founder, Prof David Nutt, at the Centre for Psychedelic Research. In this Drug Science webinar, Dr Nick Sireau provides an overview of OCD and the new research being launched into psilocybin as a …
In this Drug Science webinar, Dr Balázs Szigeti explains the current science of microdosing as he presents the results from his self-blinded microdosing research, the largest placebo-controlled microdosing study in the world! Dr Szigeti also explains how participants created their microdoses with a placebo control as part of the revolutionary methodology he developed to reduce …
Summary Full Report Survey Data Does the UK support psilocybin research? Public perceptions of psilocybin-assisted therapy have been revealed in a new YouGov poll, commissioned by Drug Science. This is the first nationally representative poll of UK attitudes towards the medicalisation of psilocybin and support for policy changes (such as rescheduling psilocybin) to make this …
In this Drug Science webinar, expert Neuropsychopharmacologist Professor David Nutt explains how psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and ayahuasca work in the human brain, and the applications for the treatment of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and addiction. Prof Nutt outlines the history of psychedelic research, starting in the early 20th …
There appears to be a growing disconnection between humans and their natural environments which has been linked to poor mental health and ecological destruction. Research shows that psychedelic usage is associated with enduring increases in nature connectedness. What makes psychedelics such as psilocybin promising agents for enhancing nature connectedness, and what are the potential implications …
What is the role of psychological support in psychedelic treatments? In this webinar, Dr Sara Tai will explain why it is essential that psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin are administered in conjunction with psychotherapy. In such treatments, psychotherapy is primarily delivered at three distinct phases: Preparation for the psychedelic experience Guiding the psychedelic experience Integration …
In this webinar, Dr Meg Spriggs explains the potential of psilocybin to treat anorexia nervosa, and offers valuable insights from the clinical trial investigating this application at the Centre for Psychedelic Research. Eating disorders are a complex mental health issue with few effective pharmaceutical treatments available. Meg provides an introductory background to some of the …
After the release of the first comparison of psilocybin with an SSRI antidepressant, Michelle Baker Jones & Leonie Schneider explain what psilocybin therapy for depression involves. Leonie was a patient of Michelle in psilodep 1, and together they provide insight into psilocybin therapy from the perspective of both therapist and patient. Michelle Baker Jones is …
Psilocybin is being heralded as a major breakthrough in the fight against depression, but how does it compare to the most effective treatment that doctors prescribe for depression? This week’s episode features Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, a British neuroscientist who has led some of the most influential psychedelic studies to date. Professor Nutt and Robin …
The Contradictions of Ketamine: results from a new clinical trial treating alcohol use disorder – Prof Celia Morgan Celia Morgan is a Professor of Psychopharmacology and Head of Psychology at the University of Exeter. She started researching ketamine at UCL for her PhD with Val Curran over twenty years ago and branched out into research …
Psilocybin for depression is one of the most promising applications of psychedelic therapy. In particular, psilocybin therapy is being studied as an alternative to antidepressants in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. In this Drug Science webinar, Dr Mourad Wahba explains the science behind psilocybin for depression, which is currently in clinical trials at a number …
Clinical trials are currently investigating psilocybin therapy, as a treatment for depression at research centres around the world. This webinar gives valuable insight into the benefits of psilocybin treatment, from the perspective of a patient who suffered from depression for most of his adult life. Michael Bourne is a 57-year-old website designer from the North …
By Dr Hannah Thurgur an Honorary Research Assistant for Drug Science As we welcome in the new year, Drug Science reflects on the year of 2020 for psilocybin research and celebrates these achievements. Here we focus on the use of psilocybin-assisted therapy in three different conditions to reflect the breadth of research currently taking place …