A 19-year-old male who insufflated the designer drug 2C-I developed recurrent seizures, hyperadrenergic state, and serotonin syndrome, leading to prolonged respiratory failure. Comprehensive drug testing confirmed 2C-I. The patient ultimately made a full recovery. This case highlights the potential for severe toxicity from this emerging phenethylamine, with effects including seizures and serotonin syndrome, and underscores the need for awareness among clinicians.
Classic psychedelics carry both greater acute challenging effects and persisting negative effects compared to cannabis, but also produce greater positive acute and persisting effects. In two studies using quota-based sampling to approximate US Census demographics, participants reported on their first or most memorable experiences with either substance. Predictors of psychedelic outcomes—such as dose level, presence of others, religiosity, and personality—explained only a small degree of the variation. The findings offer a more nuanced characterization of the risks and benefits of psychedelic experiences relative to cannabis.
Classic psychedelic-assisted therapies show initial promise for treating substance use disorders (SUDs) and may become legally available options. This article describes how these therapies could fit within current evidence-based SUD treatments, suggesting broad compatibility with most mainstream clinical approaches.