Authors Sean M Viña and Amanda L Stephens Published June 23, 2023 Abstract Although there is a growing support for the use of psychedelics to improve the health of marginalized groups, there are some critical gaps. First, no empirical studies have examined the effects of psychedelics on Black Americans. Second, there is little research on  …

Authors Rayyan Zafar, Maxim Siegel, Rebecca Harding, Tommaso Barba, Claudio Agnorelli, Shayam Suseelan, Leor Roseman, Matthew Wall, David Nutt and David Erritzoe Published June 12, 2023 Abstract Psychedelic therapy has witnessed a resurgence in interest in the last decade from the scientific and medical communities with evidence now building for its safety and efficacy in  …

Authors Adriana D’Arienzo and Giorgio Samorini Published June 6, 2023 Abstract In recent years, the historical record of psychedelic therapy in Europe and the Americas has undergone considerable revision. In this article, we contribute to this re-interpretation by sharing documentation relating to psychedelic therapy carried out in Italy during the period 1927–1966. Our library research  …

  Join us on this enlightening episode of the Drug Science podcast as we delve into the fascinating world of serotonergic pathways and their potential applications in treating psychiatric disorders and combating inflammation. Our special guest, Charles Nichols, a distinguished professor of pharmacology at LSU New Orleans, shares his groundbreaking research on the psychedelic 5-HT2A  …

Written by Tiago Vasconcelos Psychiatric disorders can be considered to disturb the brain’s equilibria, emerging when different factors converge to push the brain towards inefficient states. Depression and anxiety are two of the most pervasive mental health conditions, and are challenging to treat; an estimated 30% of depression sufferers prove resistant to first-line treatment (Al-Harbi,  …

By Alice Lineham *Note that throughout this article the term ‘teenager’ is used to refer to individuals between the ages of 13-18. Since the turn of the century, an influx of psychedelic trials have taken place at renowned institutions across the globe. Weekly news stories are lauding these compounds for their benefits in treating adults  …

Article written by Jemima Lowe and Kirran Ahmad Indigenous populations¹ are active stewards of our planet and resources, safeguarding 80% of global diversity. They make up 6% of the world’s population and occupy roughly 25% of the world’s surface meaning they are often positioned in resource-rich locales. However, indigenous rights, responsibilities and values are often  …

Author Christina Sagioglou, Matthias Forstmann Published October 2, 2022 Abstract Lifetime psychedelic substance use has previously been linked to nature relatedness and pro-environmental behaviour. Yet, participants’ responses to the self-report measures in these studies may have been affected by stereotypical associations or confirmation bias. We therefore re-examined this link by measuring three pro-environmental dependent variables:  …

Written by Orla Mallon  Things were really ramping up in Europe this September, with the OPEN Foundation hosting their 5th Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) in Haarlem, Netherlands. This time, with their largest crowd yet. The three-day conference, running from 22nd – 24th September, brought together world-leading academics, therapists, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and members  …

  This week’s episode features Andrew Gold of the On the Edge with Andrew Gold podcast. Andrew Gold is a journalist and TV presenter who lived in 6 countries, producing documentaries on bizarre and controversial subcultures. His documentaries range from the award-winning Exorcism: The Battle for Young Minds to stories on hunted UFOs. Join us  …

By Professor David Nutt and James Bunn The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently withdrew a proposal to ban five psychedelic substances: 4-Hydroxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (4-OH-DiPT), 5-Methoxy-alphamethyltryptamine (5-MeO-AMT), N-Isopropyl-5-Methoxy-N-Methyltryptamine (5-MeO-MiPT), N,N-Diethyl-5-methoxytryptamine (5-MeO-DET), and N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT). Earlier this year, the DEA proposed that these substances ought to be moved to schedule 1 (the most restrictive schedule in the Controlled  …

Authors Robin Carhart-Harris, David Nutt Published July 30, 2010 Abstract This study used a web-based questionnaire to investigate user perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use. Over 600 forms were submitted. Users were asked to comment on the acute and prolonged effects of different drugs and to provide more specific information on  …

Authors Sam Gandy, Valérie Bonnelle, Edward Jacobs, David Luke Published May 16, 2022 Abstract Creativity, that is the creation of ideas or objects considered both novel and valuable, is among the most important and highly valued of human traits, and a fundamental aspect of the sciences. Dreams and hypnagogic states have been highly influential in  …

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  …

 This week’s episode features yet another great speaker at the ESPD55 conference Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist, advocate for tropical forest conservation and the host of Plants of the Gods podcast. Following research at Harvard under Richard Evans Schultes and years of working in a close relationship with the native communities of Amazonia, Mark with  …

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  …

The last decade has seen a new focus on psychedelics as powerful medicines for treating severe mental health issues, including the use of psilocybin for conditions such as PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. However, many of these potentially life-saving treatments, including psilocybin, remain difficult to research due to overly strict drug laws. In this blog, Professor Jo  …

 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,  …

What is ayahuasca? Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew originating from the Amazon, originally used by indigenous populations and later involved for local syncretic purposes. Since it’s origins, ayahuasca has spread across the world and has developed a more varied list of uses. The two hallmark ingredients of ayahuasca are: 1) the leaves of the Psychotria  …

Increasing Diversity in Psychedelic Science Research In order to generate research that is relevant to the masses, it is imperative that the field of psychedelic science involves a level of diversity that is representative of those it intends to treat. This renaissance of psychedelic research thus far has not sufficiently involved people of colour, in  …

 Have you ever felt moved by a song? Have had music affect your mood? For many of us music has a therapeutic quality to it. So what about combining that with psychedelics? In this week’s episode we’ll meet Dr Mendel Kaelen, CEO of Wavepaths, a London-based company researching and developing methods for music-assisted psychotherapy.  …

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,  …

Authors Annie Howard, Joanna C Neill, Anne Katrin Schlag, Charlotte Lennox Published October 25, 2021 Prior to the 1970s, psychedelics such as LSD were used and researched extensively. However, with the introduction of the UN convention Misuse of Drugs Regulations in 2001, all drugs were placed into one of five categories or ‘schedules’ based on  …

Dosing in psychoactive drugs Dosing represents one of the three critical elements that determine the quality of a drug experience, alongside set and setting. Determining appropriate dosages can be difficult due to ambiguity in drug purity, drug experience of the individual, tolerance, and the aforementioned set and setting. While these represent general guidelines, experience, variability  …

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  …

What Is Ayahuasca? The word ayahuasca is derived from the phrase “vine of the dead”, or “vine of the soul” in Quechuan languages – succinctly capturing its mystical and spiritual role in South American cultures. Ayahuasca is a psychedelic plant brew composed of two primary ingredients: 1) Banisteriopsis caapi and 2) Psychotria viridis. N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT),  …

 Today’s episode features Dr Peter Gasser, the president of the Swiss Medical Society for Psycholytic Therapy.  Professor Nutt and Dr Gasser talk about the rather unusual and innovative attitude to psychedelic research in Switzerland.   How can Britain learn from the Swiss? What are the drug policies in the Albert Hofmann’s – the discoverer of LSD –  …