In a small, prematurely terminated study, six women with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from sexual assault received low doses (50–75 mg) of MDMA during psychotherapy. The treatment was psychologically and physiologically safe for all participants. The study was originally planned for 29 subjects but closed early due to political pressures. The authors present these preliminary results and call for future research with larger samples and higher doses to better assess MDMA's safety and efficacy for PTSD.
Salvia divinorum, a plant containing the potent kappa-opioid receptor agonist salvinorin-A, is increasingly used recreationally outside its traditional Mazatec context. Among 32 recreational users surveyed, smoking the extract was the preferred method. Effects were intense but short-lived, appearing within one minute and lasting 15 minutes or less. Users reported psychedelic-like changes in visual perception, mood, and bodily sensations, along with a marked alteration in the perception of external reality and self, resulting in impaired ability to interact. While some effects resembled those of classical psychedelics, the intense derealization and impairment appear unique to salvia. High scores on both LSD and PCAG subscales of the ARCI support kappa-opioid receptor activation as the underlying mechanism.