Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 17, 2026
F. van Dalen, S. C. Tap, S. D. Venema et al.
Mental healthcare professionals generally hold cautiously optimistic views about psychedelic-assisted therapy for substance use disorder, though a minority express hesitancy due to concerns about safety, efficacy, and practical integration challenges. A systematic review of six studies with 966 participants found that greater knowledge and familiarity with psychedelic-assisted therapy predict more positive attitudes. The limited knowledge among professionals highlights a need for targeted education and training to support the responsible integration of this treatment into clinical care.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 10, 2026
Bruno Pereira Dos Santos, Vítor Camargo Pôrto, Letícia Birk et al.
In Brazil, ecstasy-type drugs are the most commonly seized synthetic drugs, and recent years have seen a shift from MDMA to its analog MDA, possibly due to changes in synthetic routes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of drug seizures in Rio Grande do Sul found MDA in 31.1% of samples, surpassing MDMA at 25.6%, with MDA detections peaking at 52.6% in 2023. Clinical and forensic cases also showed MDA predominating from 2021 onward. This higher prevalence of MDA indicates a change in ecstasy use patterns, highlighting the need for robust analytical methods and ongoing toxicological monitoring to inform drug surveillance and public health policies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
May 22, 2026
Jamie Walker, Daryle Deering, Bruno Hamish Unger
Ten opioid-dependent people in New Zealand who used ibogaine for detoxification described rapid withdrawal relief, improved mood, reduced anxiety, and periods of sustained abstinence, though some later relapsed. Participants were motivated by desperation to be opioid-free and sought ibogaine because of limited treatment options beyond opioid substitution therapy. They emphasized the importance of safety practices, medical screening, and post-treatment psychosocial support for positive outcomes. The study identified seven themes including motivations, treatment effects on depression and anxiety, and spiritual effects. Ibogaine is legally available by prescription in New Zealand, providing a unique context for understanding user experiences.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 18, 2026
Jonathan Bendz, Linus Schäfer, David Sjöström et al.
People who are enthusiastic about psychedelics report greater improvements in quality of life from their experiences compared to a general population sample, even after accounting for differences in mindset, setting, motivation, and personality. The study surveyed 1,182 participants (583 enthusiasts and 599 general population) with prior psychedelic use. Enthusiasts scored higher on openness, extraversion, and agreeableness, had more favorable mindsets and settings, and were more motivated by personal growth. Sample membership was the strongest predictor of reported quality-of-life impact, followed by setting, motivation, openness, and mindset. These results clarify how recruiting enthusiasts can inflate reported benefits and highlight the need for representative sampling in psychedelic research.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 2, 2026
Frederick D. Sancilio, Maghsoud Dariani, Purvi Chavda et al.
A stable salt of psilocin, psilocin mucate (L-130), delivers increased bioavailability and more precise control of therapeutic levels compared to oral psilocybin. In this study, daily dosing of L-130 led to significant reductions in cortisol levels and improved performance on anxiety-related behavioral tasks, including the Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field Test, and Novel Object Recognition Task, while weekly dosing did not generally produce significant results. Clinical assessments and blood analyses suggest L-130 is safe with no toxicological effects. Larger studies are needed to determine optimal doses and dosing schedules.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2026
Philip Kamilar-Britt, Alyssa B. Oliva, Mitch Earleywine
Familiarity with treatment options predicts how credible nicotine users find both standard cessation methods and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. In a survey of 534 daily nicotine users, those more familiar with a treatment rated it as more credible. Credibility, in turn, predicted interest in trying that treatment. Younger age, lower education, and prior psychedelic use were associated with greater interest in psilocybin-assisted therapy. Tailoring educational materials to increase familiarity may improve treatment engagement and outcomes.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 10, 2025
Mitch Earleywine, Caitlin Holley, Henry A. Macconnel et al.
Veterans receiving care from the Veterans Affairs system hold a mix of hope, curiosity, and concerns about MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. In a story completion task, at least one third of 30 participants mentioned shortcomings of existing treatments, curiosity about the treatment's rationale, hope, and concerns about side effects, subjective effects, and addictive potential. Clear misunderstandings about the molecule, treatment, or its implications appeared in at least 10% of narratives. Allusions to therapist abuse, microdosing, and the role of sitters were rare. These findings can guide development of surveys and psychoeducation materials to address attitudes in larger veteran samples.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 7, 2025
Fernando Espí Forcén
A patient who used psilocybin without psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy required inpatient psychiatric admission. The case highlights the importance of taking psilocybin in controlled clinical settings. The authors discuss how psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy could have changed the outcome and the role of experiential learning for potential prescribers.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 1, 1993
Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Charles S. Grob
This work reviews the book 'Vine of the Soul: Medicine Men, Their Plants and Rituals in the Colombian Amazonia,' which examines the traditional use of psychoactive plants, particularly ayahuasca, by indigenous medicine men in the Colombian Amazon. The book documents the cultural, ritual, and medicinal contexts of these practices, emphasizing the role of plant-based knowledge in indigenous healing and spiritual traditions. The review highlights the book's contribution to ethnobotany and the understanding of Amazonian shamanism, noting its detailed descriptions of rituals and the relationship between plants and healers.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 22, 2024
Estelle Miller, Vida Bojovic, Olivia Maddren et al.
Online sources provide a wide range of information on microdosing psychedelics, covering substances, preparation methods, doses, schedules, and safety strategies. A qualitative analysis of 174 unique resources from medical databases, video websites, forums, drug-specific sites, search engines, and social media found no scientific recommendations exist for microdosing, as it is a relatively new concept. The authors recommend future in-person interviews and sample collection to better understand how people prepare microdoses.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
July 29, 2023
Nicolas G Glynos, D. Kruger, Nicholas Kolbman et al.
Most Canadians who have used psychedelics never discuss that use with their health care provider, even though a third use them to self-treat a health condition. In a survey of 2,384 adults, 81.2% had never talked about psychedelics with their primary clinician, only 4.4% used them with a therapist, and 3.6% in a clinical setting. Although 44.8% knew about substance testing services, only 42.4% of those had ever used them. People were more likely to discuss psychedelic use with their provider if they had a therapeutic motivation, were more inclined to seek therapist guidance, or identified as non-binary.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
January 1, 2023
A special issue presents six articles that argue for expanding psychedelic research beyond conventional biomedical models. The articles emphasize collaborating with indigenous communities and incorporating traditional knowledge systems. They call for innovative, multidisciplinary research methods with culturally relevant outcome measures. The authors advocate shifting from punitive drug policies to public-health and human-rights approaches, enabling multi-country studies and evidence-based community mental health care. Integrating traditional knowledge and community-based methodologies is presented as vital for evolving psychedelic science to improve health outcomes and promote human flourishing.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
April 6, 2022
Baptiste Fauvel, Kangaslampi Samuli, Strika-Bruneau Lana et al.
A French version of the 30-item Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was validated using data from 320 French individuals about their most significant psychedelic experience. The original four-factor structure—mystical, positive mood, transcendence, and ineffability—fit the data best with good to excellent statistical indices. Total scores strongly correlated with subjective ratings of mystical and drug intensity-related qualities but not with non-mystical qualities. The French MEQ30 score predicted positive changes in psychological well-being, relations with self and others, connection with nature, and creativity, while drug intensity and non-mystical qualities did not or only weakly predicted such changes.