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Abstract
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Research interest in the therapeutic use of psilocybin, or "magic mushrooms," is growing alongside a "wild west" of dispensaries in Canada and the United States.
The past decade has seen a revival of research exploring the clinical use of psychedelics in treating depression, addiction, eating disorders and other psychiatric conditions. Studies have shown potentially positive benefits with minimal safety concerns, but have often had major limitations, in part because of difficulties securing funding and regulatory approvals.
Now, the field appears to be gaining a measure of legitimacy.
The National Institute of Health in the United States recently awarded its first federal grant for psychedelic treatment in more than 50 years to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins, along with scientists at New York University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, received more than $4 million to study the use of psilocybin and psychotherapy to help people quit smoking.
In a pilot study, 9 of 15 people who had previously failed to quit smoking and then received psilocybin-assisted therapy were able to quit and maintain that change over 2.5 years. According to lead author Matthew Johnson, the "deeply introspective experiences" associated with psilocybin appear to increase mental flexibility and openness to change, as well as reduce irritability and cravings in people quitting smoking.
In Canada, Toronto's University Health Network (UHN) recently announced it would establish a psychedelic psychotherapy research centre with $5 million in backing from tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Sanjay Singhal. According to Dr. Susan Abbey, psychiatrist-in-chief at UHN, psychedelics hold promise for difficult-to-treat disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder and end-of-life distress. "Every major academic centre in mental health in the world is trying to begin to conduct research in psychedelics, particularly psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy," she told CTV News.
In Western Canada, the University of Calgary is conducting an international search for Canada's first psychedelic research chair after establishing the position last summer...
Language: en |