DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Psilocybin
ACS Chemical Neuroscience June 29, 2018 Haden A. Geiger, Madeline G. Wurst, R. Nathan Daniels 139 citations
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in the late 1950s and marketed as Indocybin for clinical research. After a rise in popularity and classification as a Schedule I drug in 1970, research declined. Recent preliminary studies suggest psilocybin may help treat obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol and tobacco addiction, major depressive disorder, and depression in terminally ill cancer patients. This review covers the compound's synthesis, metabolism, pharmacology, adverse effects, and its historical and current importance to neuroscience.