Psychedelics For Sale in Europe
The report, which looks broadly at emerging issues involving the use and supply of psychedelics for nonclinical purposes, suggests that as state and local officials ease regulations on the substances, federal policymakers must decide whether they want psychedelics to follow in the footsteps of the for-profit cannabis model or take another path.
“The current situation with psychedelics reminds me of where we were with cannabis policy 12 years ago” said Beau Kilmer, lead author of the report and a senior policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “Now is the time for federal policymakers to decide if they want to shape these policy changes or stay on the sidelines.”
Researchers caution that there is concern that if efforts to expand nonclinical supply of psychedelics do not go well, it could generate a backlash that may have a chilling effect on research and potential therapeutic uses.
DMT
DMT
Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) comes from certain types of mushrooms found on nearly every continent.1 The mushrooms, which are also known as shrooms or magic mushrooms, are typically consumed dried or powdered. Psilocybin is part of a group of drugs called psychedelics—or hallucinogens—that have the potential to change a person’s sense of reality, leading them to see, hear, and feel things that are not happening in real life, or to experience reality in a different way.2
The mushrooms have a long history of use. There is evidence that indigenous people in Central America used them for healing and spiritual rituals as far back as 3000 B.C.3 Scientists began studying psilocybin decades ago, along with related substances like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), to examine their potential to treat mental illness, including substance use disorders.2,4
Now, there is a new surge of interest in discovering how psilocybin works and its potential to help treat conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, pain, and neurodegenerative disorders.5 Individuals are also curious to see how psilocybin might affect their way of thinking and living. According to a survey published in 2021 of more than 7,000 people, some 7%—or about 500 people—reported having used psilocybin mushrooms in the past year.6 People who use them may hope to have an enjoyable, meaningful or spiritual experience, to improve their well-being, or to self-treat a medical disorder such as depression or anxiety.
When a person takes psilocybin, their body converts it to another substance, psilocin.1 Psilocin attaches to and activates receptors, or binding sites, for the brain chemical serotonin, primarily the serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5HT2a) receptor. Researchers think this action is responsible for much of a person’s subjective experience when they take the mushrooms.4
Psilocin activity at the 5HT2a receptor affects how the brain works and how different brain regions communicate with each other. These altered patterns of brain activity contribute to a person’s profound change in consciousness. Some regions increase in activity and connectedness while others decrease.4 Studies suggest that psilocybin can temporarily disrupt communication among regions of the brain known as the default mode network, which is most active when we self-reflect.4,8 Reducing a person’s focus on their self may lead to a greater feeling of openness and increased connectedness to the world.
Psilocybin has a low level of toxicity, which means that it has a low potential of causing potentially fatal events like breathing problems or a heart attack.1 However, studies show there are health risks associated with taking psilocybin, particularly when unsupervised and outside of a research study and clinical supervision. These include:
Dangerous Behavior
People may do things that put themselves or others at risk of physical harm after taking mushrooms in an unsupervised environment—driving dangerously or walking in traffic, for example—as they may be less aware of their physical surroundings13 and have an impairment in their ability to think clearly.
Physical Side Effects
Psilocybin typically raises blood pressure and heart rate, which may be dangerous for people with heart conditions. People may also experience side effects like agitation, confusion, vomiting or nausea, which may be severe and require medical attention.14 With more public interest and, in some areas, fewer legal restrictions on psilocybin use, exposures reported to poison control centers have increased over the past few years.15
There is also the risk of misidentifying mushrooms and taking a toxic mushroom instead of one containing psilocybin.16 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC), some commercial products such as candies marketed as containing psilocybin have also been found to contain toxic chemicals and have caused severe illness.
Microdosing means regularly taking a very small amount of a hallucinogenic substance, usually 5-10% of a typical recreational dose, low enough so that people do not experience hallucinogenic effects. Some people microdose psilocybin hoping that it will improve mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Though some people claim psilocybin has improved their symptoms, research to date has not established that microdosing is safe or effective.
Researchers are investigating psilocybin as a potential treatment for many health disorders. These include:
Substance Use Disorders
Preliminary research indicates that psilocybin may be helpful in treating substance use disorders, including tobacco use disorder.19,20 NIDA is funding a large, multi-site study on the effectiveness of psilocybin versus a nicotine patch, in combination with therapy, to help people stop smoking.
Depression and Anxiety
There is evidence that psilocybin may be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety disorders.21,22 To support further research, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for a few formulations of psilocybin being studied for safety and efficacy as a medical treatment for depression.
Anxiety Related to Illness and End-of-Life
Research suggests that some psychedelics can reduce anxiety and depression in people with cancer, and can promote well-being, quality of life, and acceptance of their illness and related issues.23,24,25 The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding a follow-up multi-site clinical trial to investigate the use of psilocybin to treat cancer-related mental health issues.