Are Psychedelic Mushrooms the Key to Happiness?

Are psychedelic mushrooms the key to solving treatment resistant Anxiety and Depression? Yes, according to a new clinical study in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms. It has proven to alleviate depression when delivered as a single dose in a controlled, clinical setting. The study included 233 adults with severe depression. Adults with severe depression reported “significant improvements” in their depression symptoms when administered 25-miligram dose of psilocybin. That relief seems to last up to three months for some patients. This finding opens the door to further exploration into the clinical efficacy of mind-altering substances.

Of course, all of this research must be done in a controlled setting. (Think talk therapy under the influence of a hallucinogen.) In an uncontrolled setting it can be downright terrifying (and dangerous) for the patient. The Feds still categorize all psychedelics as a Schedule I Narcotic under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Getting caught by the Fuzz with a bag of mushrooms is the equivalent of getting caught with Heroin.

Mind altering substances can be therapeutic in re-visiting certain traumatic experiences in an effort to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Yes, experimenting with mind-altering substances is a thing again. And, not just at Dead & Company concerts. While there is important research taking place, there’s also plenty of recreational experimentation. Shrooms are the party drug of the post-pandemic era.

Some are calling it The Great Shroom Boom. There are over twenty states aggressively moving towards some form of study, decriminalization or legalization of mushrooms and other psychedelic substances. In fact, psychedelic mushrooms are completely legal in Washington, DC. You can even order them on an app and they’ll be delivered right to your door – in about an hour.

The use of LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs has been on the rise since 2015. The latest data shows that 5.5 million people have taken psychedelic drugs in the last year. Global sales in 2021 topped $2.9 billion. For now, the US government is choosing to our federal laws related to the sale and distribution of mind altering substances.

When I was in college I watched many try to find enlightenment at the bottom of a zip-lock bag of dried mushrooms. Watching them was enough to deter me from ever wanting to take that long, strange trip. It scared the hell out of me.  I’ve heard it is like opening every drawer in your house. Each drawer represents your thoughts. And the house is your mind. Sounds hideous to me.

A recent article in GQ magazine described a magic mushroom experience as follows: “My friends described bamboo shoots turning into the creatures of Avatar. The leaves of an oak tree above their heads grew faces and giggled at them splayed on the ground beneath. The ground gave way as though the grass was astroturf draped across a tray of jelly. Hard pass.

Last week, Colorado voters approved the Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022. It effectively decriminalizes psilocybin mushroom possession for adults. The good news is there won’t be any retail dispensaries, like those used to distribute marijuana. Instead, certified “facilitators” will administer the drug at newly licensed “healing centers” or existing health care facilities. Psilocybin can’t be taken off premises and there are limits on the number of centers. I guess legalized Marijuana really was the gateway drug.

Washington, DC has a clinic aptly named Field Trip where licensed therapist dose patients with Ketamine and perform psychedelic assisted therapy sessions. They hope to have 75 clinics open by 2024. Click here to make an appointment.

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In hindsight, it turns out that Timothy Leary, the so-called “hero of American consciousness\”, was on to something. Leary was the spokesperson for psychedelic drug use in the 60’s. He also led the Harvard Psilocybin Project to research the positive impact of psychedelics on the brain. LSD  and  psilocybin were legal in the US at that time.  

Early research into these substances suggested that mind-altering drugs could show promise as treatments for alcoholism and mental disorders. The project grew controversial in 1961 when two Harvard students in the study ended up in a mental hospital. I guess they opened one too many drawers. Additionally, Leary took LSD  with the students during the experiments. They frown on that kind of “research” at Harvard. 

See, taking certain psychedelics leads to an altered state of consciousness. (How else could anyone like Electronic Music festivals?) Researchers suggest that micro-dosing psilocybin, can lead to a greater awareness or sense of perspective. Netflix even has a documentary about Psychedelics called How to Change Your Mind. In the documentary, author Michael Pollan carefully explains the science behind this growing trend.

Johns Hopkins is picking up where Timothy Leary left off. They’re getting on board the magic bus. In 2019 a group of donors gave Johns Hopkins $17 million to fund the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. The research is focusing on psychedelic’s ability to influence behavior, mood, cognition, brain function, and biological markers of health. It is believed to be the first research center of it’s kind in the world.

According to Paul B. Rothman, M.D., Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine:

The Johns Hopkins Center is doing groundbreaking research on the impact of psilocybin on depression associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. I have a hard time imagining the Docs trying to convince my grandmother to take an acid trip. But, hey, she had Alzheimer’s and I’m open to the possibility that it could have helped her.

Future research on Psilocybinat Johns Hopkins is focusing, oddly enough, on addiction. For example, one study at the Center will focus on psilocybin as a new therapy for opioid addiction. (By the way, if you haven’t watched Dopesick on Hulu you are really missing out. It’s a great lesson on how Oxy became such a devastating epidemic.)

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Yes, the folks at one of the nation’s premier healthcare institutions are studying the positive impact of ‘shrooms to treat drug addiction. And, you thought the world couldn’t get any more bizarre.

Since 2000, Johns Hopkins has published many groundbreaking studies on psychedelic drug treatment in more than 60 respected scientific journals. If you are interested in learning more about this important research, click here.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is also conducting controlled, clinical trials with psilocybin to treat mental health issues.

Venture Capital Meets Woodstock

The nation’s Venture Capital firms are getting on board the magic bus. They’re pouring tens of millions of dollars into psychedelic-based bio-tech startups.

According to Business Insider, eleven Venture Funds have invested roughly $140 million in the category. One psychedelic startup, Compass Pathways, raised an astounding $146 million in it’s 2020 IPO.  It piled on another $144 million in April of 2021.   Another startup called MindstateDesign Labs is focusing on a different compound. Their first product is based on the everyone’s favorite college drug, Ecstasy. The research is using the active ingredient to break down mental barriers to effective therapy and recovery. These barriers keep patients from fully exploring the root causes of PTSD. They will be launching clinical trials by mid-2023.

All this positive research raises important questions about our bias. Back in the early 60’s the Harvard Psilocybin Project was shuttered. The research wasn’t respectful of Harvard’s rigorous clinical protocols. But, more importantly, the research ran into a buzz-saw of negative public sentiment. Driven largely by negative press coverage. Leary and his colleagues were an easy target at a time when hippies were taking over the planet. Whether you support legalization of drugs or not, there is clearly some clinical benefit to the research. Just imagine if the research had continued. Imagine the progression and culmination of 50 years of research into anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s and addiction. Perhaps millions of Americans suffered from these terrible afflictions unnecessarily.

It’s safe to say that we are on the precipice of a new frontier. Where scientists can explore groundbreaking research into the efficacy of these controlled substances. Hopefully this time the naysayers will get out of the way and let the clinical research continue.

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