Today marks the end of the first half of 2020. It’s crazy to think that so much happened in just six months, but here we are. Between a global pandemic and worldwide protests for racial justice, it might seem like nothing else has been going on. But we can’t forget the murder hornets, toilet paper shortages, Australian bushfires, the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, and so much more that has already happened this year. If the last six months are a reliable indicator of what’s to come, we definitely need to strap in before the ride really gets going.
The psychedelic world has been busy too. This month there was a ton of psychedelic news, including scientific research findings, innovations in the psychedelic industry, and some small wins on the drug policy reform front.
Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:
Without further ado, let’s jump into the news:
A Follow-Up Study Demonstrates Long-Term Benefits of Treating PTSD with MDMA
First up is a story about a new follow-up study that observed impressive long-term benefits that came from treating people who had PTSD with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Compiling followup data from six clinical trials, the researchers found that not only do the positive effects of the therapy hold up for more than a year after the completion of the treatment, but patients also continue to improve as time passes following the active MDMA sessions.
This study just adds more evidence to the ever-growing pile of data backing up the idea that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is an effective treatment for PTSD.
The World’s First Psychedelic Stock Index
Although the emerging psychedelic industry is still fairly new, several businesses have gone public, which means they can actually be traded on the stock market. But for a while it has been difficult for investors, bankers, analysts, journalists, and other market participants to find out which companies are selling shares.
However, this month CFN Enterprises launched PsyIndex, a new psychedelic stock index that aggregates and tracks the market performance of the multi-billion dollar industry. If you’d like to invest in psychedelic companies, I advise you to check out PsyIndex to become familiar with the overall landscape and read The Trip Report for constructive analysis about the various players in the industry.
A Phase 2 Clinical Trial of LSD for Suicide Headaches Begins Treating Patients
Cluster headaches, also known as “suicide headaches”, are said to be one of the most painful conditions that a human can experience. The pain typically occurs on one side of the head—or above an eye—and a single attack can range from 15 minutes to 3 hours. These attacks often occur in clusters which usually last for weeks or months, and occasionally they go on for more than a year.
Anecdotal reports suggest that LSD can halt an attack in its tracks in addition to decreasing their overall frequency and intensity, but until recently there hasn’t been much modern research into using psychedelics to treat cluster headaches. However, this month a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating whether LSD is an effective treatment for the condition started treating patients.
MindMed and University Hospital Basel’s Liechti Lab are collaborating on that research in addition to other LSD studies: a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating microdosing LSD for adult ADHD and an initiative named “Project Lucy” which is going to focus on LSD experiential therapy for anxiety disorders.
Can DMT Be Used Therapeutically?
MindMed and the Liechti Lab aren’t stopping with LSD. In the final quarter of 2020 they plan to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial that will test various intravenous dosing regimens of DMT to see if the drug can be used therapeutically, with a focus on its efficacy for treating addiction. MindMed hopes that the Phase 1 study will set the stage for future potential Phase 2a proof-of-concept trials.
These two organizations aren’t the only ones interested in exploring the healing potential of DMT. The Yield Growth Corporation announced this month that its subsidiary NeonMind has filed a patent application for the therapeutic use of DMT. The company is planning to investigate whether DMT can be successfully used to treat compulsive eating disorder and other illnesses.
Spanish Porn Star Charged with Manslaughter Following 5-MeO-DMT Ritual
A Spanish porn star named Nacho Vidal was arrested and charged with manslaughter for his connection with a mysterious death following a 5-MeO-DMT ritual. Vidal was one of three people who were arrested due to their involvement with the July 2019 death of Jose Luis Abad, a Spanish fashion photographer.
Abad died after smoking the dehydrated toad venom from Colorado River toad, with contains the psychedelic compound 5-MeO-DMT. At this point we still don’t know exactly what caused the death, but it may have been due to physiological issues like respiratory depression or convulsions related to the ingestion of the venom, rather than any foul play on the behalf of Vidal or the other two people involved.
Drug Policy Activists Are Still Collecting Signatures Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic
Although some drug policy reform efforts had to put an end to their signature collection due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, not every initiative has shared the same fate.
Activists in Montana submitted 130,000 signatures to legalize cannabis and the George Floyd protests actually helped the psychedelic decriminalization campaign in Washington, D.C. It seems that the racial justice protests may have actually counteracted the loss of potential signatures caused by the pandemic.
Psilocybin and the Human Ego
A breakthrough psilocybin study uncovered a new neurochemical mechanism that enables the drug to generate psychedelic effects and dissolve the ego. The study found that psilocybin can change levels of glutamate in the human brain, which in turn determines which type of ego dissolution the patient will experience—positive or negative.
Positively-experienced ego loss is related with heightened mood and euphoria whereas negatively-experienced ego dissolution involves a loss of autonomy and self-control of thought processes. The researchers were able to predict which type of experience the patient was going through by reading the levels of glutamate in the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
And a meta-analysis of four prior studies found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can engender large reductions in anxiety and depression after the completion of treatment. These benefits were also present at the six-month follow-up.
Ketamine Can Temporarily Shut Down the Brain
Another study found that high doses of ketamine are capable of temporarily shutting down the brain, which may help explain why some people report getting stuck in a “k-hole” after using the drug.
The study didn’t originally set out to study ketamine’s effects; the researchers initially wanted to find a cure for Huntington’s disease, which is a progressive disease that causes a progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. And it wasn’t conducted with humans, either. Sheep were given injections of ketamine and hooked up to an EEG machine, which found that brain activity in the animals shut down entirely following the administration of ketamine. After the effects wore off, brain activity resumed, indicating that the brain can be effectively turned on and off (like a light switch) with ketamine.
That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.
Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.