Being a proponent of the use of psychedelics, especially for medicinal purposes doesn\u2019t attract the stigma it once did.<\/p>\n
When psychologist-turned-psychedelic guru Timothy Leary encouraged people to \u201cturn on, tune in and drop out\u201d, he inspired a counter-culture along with an iconic catchphrase \u2014and also a tsunami of outrage and backlash. <\/p>\n
Since then, the narrative and advocacy for the benefits and potential of psychedelic drugs is changing swiftly and drastically. A number of factors contribute to this shift: how they\u2019re portrayed in pop culture, the increasing amount of promising scientific research, changes in local and federal policies, and on-going historic events unfolding in real time.<\/p>\n
In the past few years, research \u2014along with FDA-approval and fast-tracking\u2014 is showing that these psychedelics, along with others, can be useful therapeutically in the context of treating mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD.<\/p>\n
In turn, policies are changing, making them easier to legally access for research and medical application, while changing the narrative and stigma around them too.<\/p>\n
Research into the psychological effects of psychedelics like LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) was robust in the 1950s, where the drug was initially studied with alcoholic patients, and later, heroin addicts. Psilocin and psilocybin, psychedelic compounds found in the psilocybin group of mushrooms more commonly known as magic mushrooms, were eventually introduced into existing therapies too.<\/p>\n
These studies and treatments came to a halt in the 1960s, when the compounds being used and examined were outlawed. By the 1970s, the Controlled Substances Act was introduced, which created a structure of five drug \u201cschedules\u201d that are still used today. Drugs classified under Schedules I and II must have a special license from the FDA to possess or use in experiment. There are major differences between the two schedules: <\/p>\n
While there were many animal studies into psychedelics during the 70s and 80s \u2014mostly looking into the toxicity of psychedelics\u2014 no human experiments took place. <\/p>\n
In 1986, the non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), was founded and has distributed millions of dollars towards research projects that examine the therapeutic benefit of drugs like ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine and LSD, as well as cannabis. In 1993, the Heffler Institute, another non-profit that funds scientific psychedelic research, was founded.<\/p>\n
The reemergence of human trials involving psychedelics, and their promising findings, is helping to diminish the stigma around their use for therapeutic and medicinal purposes. This has inspired major changes in legislation in some parts of the U.S. and Canada. In 2019, Denver, Colorado, became the first city in the U.S. to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms. Psilocybin mushrooms have also been decriminalized in Oregon, and are also legal in controlled therapeutic settings in that state. MDMA is set to be FDA-approved for therapeutic<\/a> use as early as 2023. <\/p>\n In Canada, certain patients with a terminal illness can receive access to psilocybin treatment for end-of-life anxiety and depression through an exemption from Health Canada.<\/p>\n Author Michael Pollan<\/a> was once most recognized for his research and writing about the socio-cultural impacts of food.<\/p>\n His focus shifted, so to speak, in 2018 when he published How to Change Your Mind<\/em><\/a>, a catalyst in the conversation around psychedelic drugs and their potential. The book explores what science is telling us about psychedelics and their impact on consciousness, dying, addiction, mental health conditions, and transcendence. Pollan\u2019s work helped to reintroduce this concept to the mainstream, and further legitimized the current research being done by organizations like MAPS and independent researchers.<\/p>\n Additionally, podcasts with broad listenerships like The Joe Rogan Experience<\/em><\/a> and The Tim Ferris Show<\/em><\/a> have hosted the world\u2019s foremost experts on psychedelics and psychedelic medicine. These constructive conversations about the potential of psychedelics as a therapeutic solution \u2014including in their own personal experiences\u2014 have helped to move the psychedelic medicine conversation forward.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an understatement to say that COVID-19 has changed life on so many levels. The restrictions and isolation of having to stay at home, combined with the anxiety of dodging a potentially fatal virus left many people in a challenging place.<\/p>\nMedia is Helping to Rewrite the Narrative<\/h2>\n
The COVID-19 Pandemic Changed How We Think About Mental Health Treatment<\/h2>\n