Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 21, 2024
Peter Kenneth Gillman, Brian S. Barnett, Curtis J. Koons et al.
9 citations
A 42-year-old man with treatment-resistant depression experienced a hypertensive emergency with chest pain, palpitations, headache, and ST-elevation on electrocardiogram about half an hour after taking 1 g of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms while on tranylcypromine, extended-release dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, and other medications. He was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, treated with lorazepam, nitroglycerin, and aspirin, and underwent cardiac catheterization that showed no significant abnormalities. He was discharged after overnight hospitalization with no lasting physical effects. The authors suspect phenylethylamine in the mushrooms interacted with the MAOI and amphetamine to cause the event, noting past studies suggest classic serotonergic psychedelics alone with MAOIs should not produce such emergencies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 22, 2023
Natalie Gukasyan, Sasha K. Narayan
9 citations
Three women aged 27 to 34 reported distinct changes in menstrual function after using classic psychedelics: resumption of menses after amenorrhea, early onset of menses when psychedelics were used in the mid to late luteal phase, and improved menstrual regularity in a woman with irregular cycles later diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The mechanisms remain unclear but may involve 5-HT2A receptor effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. These effects, largely overlooked in psychedelic research, may have therapeutic potential and need further investigation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 1, 1985
Ronald K. Siegel
9 citations
LSD, derived from ergot alkaloids, produces hallucinations by interfering with serotonin neurotransmission in the brain. The article traces the history of LSD from its synthesis by Albert Hofmann in 1938 through its use in psychiatric research and later as a recreational drug in the 1960s counterculture. It describes how LSD's effects vary with dose, setting, and the user's psychological state, and notes that while early research suggested therapeutic potential, political and cultural controversies led to its prohibition and the end of most clinical studies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 6, 2024
Aleksandra Barstowe, Petri J Kajonius
8 citations
A systematic review of nine studies on psychedelic-assisted therapy found that masking success was rarely reported and almost 78% of the studies had at best poor masking. Among active placebo studies, 60% showed large effect sizes, and among inactive placebo studies, 75% showed large effect sizes. Masking influences, including benign unmasking, cannot be excluded. Therefore, the efficacy of psilocybin, ayahuasca, or LSD is only one possible interpretation of large positive changes in symptoms for conditions like alcohol use disorder, anxiety, depression, and treatment-resistant depression. The authors recommend improving masking procedures and considering alternative trial designs.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 31, 2023
Benjamin A. Korman
8 citations
People who have used psilocybin at least once in their lives work fewer overtime hours than those who have never used it. Analyzing data from 217,963 full-time U.S. employees surveyed between 2002 and 2014, the study found a significant negative association between lifetime psilocybin use and overtime hours worked in the past week, after accounting for demographics and other substance use. This translates to an estimated 44,348,400 fewer overtime hours per year across the full-time working population. The finding may help explain why prior research linked lifetime psilocybin use to reduced sick leave.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 20, 2021
M. Earleywine, Brianna R. Altman, Joseph A. de Leo
8 citations
People with depressive symptoms find a combination of ketamine and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as credible as CBT alone, and both are seen as more credible than ketamine alone. Those who have had psychotherapy before tend to view ketamine as less credible. Depression severity does not relate to credibility ratings. The findings suggest that potential clients are cautious about ketamine despite media attention, and that providing balanced treatment descriptions may reveal important credibility information.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 18, 2023
Raul Escamilla, María Eva González-Trujano, Jesús M González Mariscal et al.
7 citations
Psilocybin, a natural alkaloid in Psilocybe mushrooms endemic to Mexico, represents a novel and breakthrough therapy for major depression. Current antidepressant treatments require prolonged use with modest effects, adverse effects, and relapse upon discontinuation. This report presents a research project design that includes preclinical toxicity and pharmacological evaluation of a Psilocybe cubensis extract in mice, chemical analysis of the mushroom's constituents, and a clinical study. The clinical component will assess safety and tolerated doses in healthy adults via pharmacokinetic measurements, followed by an open trial in patients with major depressive disorder comparing two single doses of Psilocybe cubensis with assisted psychotherapy to traditional care at a Mexican institute.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 3, 2017
Mallory Loflin, Mitch Earleywine, Stacey Farmer et al.
7 citations
Telling people they are consuming a cannabis-infused edible can produce feelings of intoxication even when the product contains no active drug. In a study of 20 participants who were given a placebo lollipop but told it contained a high dose of THC, measures of cannabis intoxication and negative mood showed significant changes over 60 minutes, while positive mood and a general intoxication measure did not. This provides preliminary evidence that the placebo effect extends to edible cannabis products, which have a delayed onset of effect.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 1, 1993
Thomas J. Riedlinger
7 citations
A review of unpublished letters from the Tina and Gordon Wasson Ethnomycological Collection challenges the identification of Vedic soma as the psychoactive mushroom Amanita muscaria. In these letters, Wasson considered and rejected other psychoactive plants as candidates, including the mint Lagochilus inebrians, morning glory seeds, ergot, and the psilocybin mushroom Stropharia cubensis. The letters show that Wasson remained open to refinements of his theory.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 1981
Francesco B. Di Leo
7 citations
A case report describes the use of psychedelic drugs as an adjunct to psychotherapy for a single patient. The treatment involved administering a psychedelic substance during therapy sessions to facilitate emotional insight and psychological healing. The report details the patient's background, the therapeutic process, and the outcomes observed. The authors suggest that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may offer benefits for certain individuals, particularly those who have not responded well to conventional treatments. The case illustrates the potential for these drugs to enhance the therapeutic experience and promote lasting psychological change, though the findings are limited to this single case and cannot be generalized without further research.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 13, 2024
Reza Ghaffarzadegan, Mokhtar Karimi, Behnaz Hedayatjoo et al.
6 citations
Chronic unpredictable mild stress for four weeks impaired spatial learning and memory and reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of rats. Injecting a Psilocybe cubensis extract (20 mg/kg) 24 or 48 hours before training restored spatial learning, and injection 48 hours before training also restored spatial memory. The extract given 24 or 48 hours before training increased hippocampal BDNF in stressed rats. However, when given at other times (5 minutes before training, 5 minutes after training, or 5 minutes before the probe test), the extract impaired spatial learning and memory and decreased BDNF in non-stressed control rats. The timing of administration appears critical for the extract's effects on memory and BDNF.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 10, 2024
Alyssa F. Harlow, Peter S. Hendricks, Adam M. Leventhal et al.
6 citations
Among 2,396 young adults aged 18-22 in Southern California surveyed in 2018-2019, 12% had heard of microdosing psychedelics and 3% had ever tried it. Of those aware of microdosing, 79% correctly defined it as taking a much lower than standard dose, but 15% mistakenly thought it meant a standard dose. Psilocybin was the most commonly microdosed drug (70%), followed by LSD (57%). About 18% of those who microdosed reported using doses far higher than a typical microdose. Factors associated with having ever microdosed included white race, male/masculine gender identity, bisexual identity, past 6-month other drug use, greater ADHD symptoms, mindfulness, and sensation-seeking. The findings suggest microdosing merits attention to prevent misperceptions and potential harms while exploring therapeutic uses.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 15, 2024
Oliver Rumle Hovmand, Mathias Ebbesen Jensen, Tobias Søgaard Juul et al.
6 citations
A Danish translation of the Revised Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing mystical-type experiences in Danish-speaking individuals. The questionnaire showed excellent internal reliability across three samples: healthy volunteers receiving psilocybin in a lab (N = 47), recreational users reporting on their most recent psilocybin experience (N = 834), and users reporting on their most memorable psychedelic experience (N = 500). A four-factor structure provided the best, fair fit to the data. MEQ30 total scores correlated with dose and spiritual or religious intention, but not with setting.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 3, 2023
Marija Franka Žuljević, Antonija Mijatović, Stjepan Ljudevit Marušić et al.
6 citations
Analysis of 7317 online psychedelic experience reports, mostly about psilocybin, shows that the use of mystical language increases with the self-reported intensity of the experience. At the same time, negative sentiment rises and positive sentiment falls as intensity increases. These results suggest that mystical experiences may coexist with challenging elements during a psychedelic session, a possibility that warrants further qualitative investigation. A new mystical language dictionary is provided for future research.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 31, 2023
Alexsandra Kovacevich, Jeremy Weleff, Benjamin Claytor et al.
6 citations
Three individuals with smell loss—one from a respiratory infection, one from childhood, and one from COVID-19—reported improved olfactory function after using psychedelics: 6 g of psilocybin mushrooms, 100 µg of LSD, or microdosing 0.1 g of psilocybin mushrooms three times. These are the first such cases recorded in academic literature. Possible mechanisms include serotonergic effects, increased neuroplasticity, and anti-inflammatory actions. The authors suggest that the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for olfactory impairment warrant further investigation.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 31, 2023
Haley Maria Dourron, Heith Copes, Agasthya Vedre-Kyanam et al.
6 citations
The subjective experiences of diphenhydramine (DPH) misuse, based on 32 first-hand YouTube accounts analyzed with thematic analysis, are predominantly unpleasant, featuring alterations in most sensory modalities, confusion, and dysphoria. Positive effects were rare and often overshadowed by negative aspects. Video makers frequently warned against misuse and occasionally reported adverse post-acute effects. Despite the prevalence of adverse experiences, patterns of repeated misuse were sometimes discussed. Motives for misuse included accessibility, affordability, and legality. The findings suggest DPH misuse can produce substantial, often distressing psychoactive effects that share phenomenological overlap with experiences produced by psychosis.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 17, 2021
Dimitri Daldegan‐bueno, Vanessa Manchim Favaro, Luís Fernando Tófoli et al.
6 citations
A reproducible five-day protocol for freeze-drying ayahuasca produces a stable extract with alkaloid concentrations similar to the original liquid. From two liters of ayahuasca, approximately 295 grams of freeze-dried extract were obtained, with a dry matter content of 14.75%. The freeze-dried extract retained its texture quality after three years of storage in a vacuum desiccator at about 6°C. The protocol includes alkaloid quantification by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for both liquid and freeze-dried forms. Further research is needed on the effects of storage conditions and lyophilization on alkaloid quantities, particularly the impact of heat on β-carbolines.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 6, 2019
Ansgar Rougemont-Bücking, Henrik Jungaberle, Milan Scheidegger et al.
6 citations
Among 4,475 young adult men in Switzerland, those who used psychedelics in the past year showed no significant difference in mental health (depressive symptoms, overall mental health, perceived stress, life satisfaction) compared to those who used no drugs. In contrast, users of MDMA, psychostimulants, and cannabis had poorer mental health. These effects were influenced by stressful life events and past family functioning. The findings suggest that some men may use substances to cope with life adversity, and the lack of a negative mental health association with psychedelics warrants further research in both men and women.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 2, 2025
Petri Kajonius, David Sjöström, Emma Claesdotter‐knutsson
5 citations
A majority of Swedish psychedelic users rank their experience among the most meaningful events of their lives: 58% placed it among the top 5 most meaningful, and 85% among the top 10. Most participants (94%) reported positive life improvements, and factors like a personal growth motive and supportive social networks were linked to better well-being. The findings align with previous international research, though the study's self-selected sample, self-reported measures, and cross-sectional design limit generalizability.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2005
Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Charles S. Grob
5 citations
In a November 2004 telephone interview, Jeffrey Bronfman, representative mestre for the União do Vegetal Church in the United States, discusses the church's legal battle after U.S. authorities seized a large quantity of ayahuasca tea intended for sacramental use. The case, which the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear, pits the church's claim to religious freedom against federal drug laws that classify ayahuasca as a scheduled substance. Bronfman describes the church's efforts to seek remediation through the courts on this freedom of religion issue.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
November 5, 2025
B Brett, Christine Bynum
4 citations
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious chronic condition with limited effective treatments. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AT) has shown promise in earlier trials, but the FDA recently voted against recommending it due to risk-benefit concerns. This systematic review of seven randomized controlled trials involving 280 adults with PTSD (160 received MDMA, 120 received placebo) found that five of six studies (83.3%) reported significantly greater PTSD symptom reduction with MDMA-AT compared to placebo. Across studies, 41.7% to 85.7% of MDMA recipients no longer met PTSD criteria post-treatment versus 25.0% to 33.3% in placebo groups. The treatment was well-tolerated. The findings support MDMA-AT as a potential treatment, but additional research with ethical oversight should inform FDA approval.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 23, 2025
Annika Wirsching, Erwin Krediet, Martijn H.b. Koolen et al.
4 citations
Dutch mental health professionals hold generally positive attitudes toward psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) for conditions like PTSD and major depression, according to a survey of 198 clinicians. Positive attitudes were associated with clinicians' own prior use of MDMA or psilocybin. Respondents considered psychiatrists and licensed psychologists the most suitable professionals to administer PAP, expressed concerns about maintaining therapeutic connection during patients' altered states, and preferred that PAP be delivered in specialized hospital-based facilities. The findings point to implementation needs, including targeted training and clear clinical guidelines.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
September 12, 2024
Katinka Hooyer, Rachel Yehuda, Alan K. Davis et al.
4 citations
About half of U.S. military veterans surveyed reported using psychedelics, most often for healing or treatment (70%) and spiritual purposes (48%). The vast majority (85%) said they benefited from use. Veterans who used psychedelics indicated they would be more likely to use VA services, and they expressed greater interest in psychedelic therapy compared to non-users. However, some adverse outcomes were reported, suggesting that without proper preparation and support, psychedelics may carry risks. The findings point to a potential role for psychedelic-assisted approaches in veteran mental health care.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 14, 2023
Christopher Timmermann, Aki Nikolaidis, Alan K. Davis et al.
4 citations
Spanish translations of three questionnaires measuring acute psychedelic effects—the Psychological Insight Questionnaire (PIQ), Challenging Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ), and Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ)—showed good psychometric properties in a sample of 442 native Spanish speakers. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the factor structures matched the original English versions, and this consistency held across subgroups who had used LSD or psilocybin. Construct validity was supported by positive associations between the PIQ and MEQ and between these measures and changes in cognitive fusion, alongside negative associations with changes in prosocial behaviors. Predictive validity was indicated by strong relationships between persisting effects and scores on the MEQ and PIQ. The Spanish versions can be reliably used in research with Spanish-speaking populations.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 3, 2022
Brianna R. Altman, Mitch Earleywine, Joseph De Leo
4 citations
People with depressive symptoms view cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as more credible than psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT). In a study of 803 adults recruited from Amazon's MTurk, participants read descriptions of each therapy and rated their credibility. Those with prior therapy experience rated CBT higher than those without. Men and individuals who had used hallucinogens rated PAT more favorably than women and non-users. Other demographic and clinical factors explained little of the variation in credibility ratings. The findings suggest that potential clients are cautious about PAT, and researchers and clinicians should consider patients' treatment beliefs as possible predictors of outcomes.