Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
December 10, 2020
Monnica T. Williams, Alan K. Davis, Yitong Xin et al.
100 citations
Psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA may reduce symptoms of racial trauma among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) after a racist experience. In a cross-sectional survey of 313 diverse BIPOC in the US and Canada, participants retrospectively reported mental health symptoms 30 days before and 30 days after using a psychedelic. Analysis showed significant decreases in traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and stress following the experience. A strong positive relationship emerged between acute psychedelic effects (mystical-type, insight, and challenging experiences) and reductions in psychopathology, even after controlling for prior discrimination and time since the experience. The findings suggest psychedelics could lessen the negative impact of racial trauma, though further research on psychedelic-assisted therapy for race-based trauma is needed.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
April 30, 2021
Johannes Thrul, Albert Garcia‐romeu
78 citations
Research into the therapeutic potential of highly restricted Schedule I hallucinogens, such as the classic psychedelic psilocybin and the entactogen MDMA, is expanding. These substances, long prohibited under federal law, are now being studied for possible benefits in mental health treatment, though their legal status limits investigation.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
June 1, 2004
Sarah Riley, Emma Hayward
52 citations
Among 124 clubbers aged 14–44, past-year drug use was widespread: over 80% used alcohol, cannabis, and ecstasy; 63% used cocaine and 53% amphetamine. Most bought drugs through friends or family, and main reasons were relaxing, socializing, and dancing. Risk behaviors included drug driving (19%), unprotected sex (39%), and taking too many drugs (44%). At least 40% reported anxiety, nausea, and paranoia. Focus groups revealed strategic drug use across a night and that negative experiences may alter but not stop use. Cocaine and alcohol use have increased, and older participants had more cocaine experience and fewer negative experiences.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
May 7, 2019
Marc Aixalà, Genís Ona, Òscar Parés et al.
16 citations
A survey of 564 natural psychoactive drug (NPD) users from 52 countries found that the typical user is a well-educated adult who uses these substances sporadically. Psilocybe mushrooms (88.5%) and ayahuasca (51%) were the most used. Users reported positive life influences and good mental health. The authors argue that NPDs differ from synthetic new psychoactive substances (NPSs) in safety and use patterns, and should not be legally classified together with NPSs.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
August 25, 2011
Beatriz Caiuby Labate
14 citations
An agreement between a US branch of the Brazilian ayahuasca religion União do Vegetal (UDV) and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) settled a dispute over the religious use of ayahuasca. Although the UDV prevailed in a 2006 Supreme Court decision, the DEA continues to treat ayahuasca as a toxic and hazardous compound rather than a religious sacrament. The agreement reflects the UDV's increasing institutionalization, formalization, and bureaucratization as it expanded beyond the Amazon since the 1970s, shifting from its popular origins. The agreement imposes levels of control and interference that would not be tolerated in Brazil, raising concerns for human rights, religious freedom, and cognitive liberty.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
September 4, 2022
Jason B. Luoma, Brian Pilecki, Alan K. Davis et al.
13 citations
Psychologists' attitudes toward psychedelics vary with individual characteristics. Men, younger psychologists, those living in the West or Northeast US, those with greater knowledge of risks and benefits, those who are religiously unaffiliated, and those with direct or indirect experience with psychedelics report more positive attitudes. Previous addiction treatment training was not associated with more positive attitudes. These findings can help inform efforts to improve attitudes, such as using case studies in public education.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
June 4, 2024
Eli Kraiem, Marc J. Diener, Jeffrey Guss et al.
4 citations
Psychoanalysts are cautiously supportive of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and open to their clients engaging in it, but they believe PAT would be ineffective for substance use disorders. Those who had personally used psychedelics held significantly more positive attitudes. The findings suggest misinformation and cultural stigma about psychedelics persist among psychoanalysts, indicating a need for education on risks, benefits, and evidence limitations.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
September 10, 2020
Jan Van Amsterdam, Johannes G. Ramaekers, Ton Nabben et al.
4 citations
Ecstasy (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug with low abuse and dependence liability compared to several other illicit drugs and alcohol, and there is little evidence of long-term harm. A potential health risk is acute hyperthermia, which occurs at an unknown incidence rate and is more prevalent when ecstasy is consumed with heavy exercise at high ambient temperatures or with other substances including alcohol. However, illegal production and trade in the Netherlands have developed into a serious public order and ecological problem, with organized crime related to production and trafficking growing. This review provides a science-based summary to assist debate on future Dutch ecstasy policy to reduce organized crime while maintaining harm reduction.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
October 30, 2023
Henry Harder, Fabian P. Steinmetz, Maja Kohek
3 citations
As many jurisdictions decriminalize plant- and fungus-based psychedelics like psilocybin-containing mushrooms, Oregon has become the first U.S. state to legalize and regulate their cultivation, supply, and use in designated service centers. A non-profit legal framework for production, supply, and non-medical use may be more advantageous than a for-profit one, especially for a naturally occurring mushroom that is not frequently used. People who use drugs can demonstrate agency in self-supply and in adopting responsible use and harm reduction practices. Community or peer-based structures may offer a viable approach to ensuring controlled supply and a safe environment for non-medical use.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
October 14, 2024
Felipe Krause
2 citations
Ayahuasca gained popularity in early twentieth-century northern Brazil, sparking political tension due to moral hostility. Despite the prohibition of DMT and the intensification of the War on Drugs, three phases of cumulative political gains led to full regulation of ayahuasca in 2010. Ayahuasca churches first constructed a religious frame emphasizing Christian pedigree. When harassment intensified, they reframed ayahuasca as a charitable endeavor. Finally, during the transition to democracy, they added a scientific frame, collaborating with the state to review evidence and set policy.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
October 9, 2024
Jesper Dunell
2 citations
At a Swedish retreat offering psychedelic ceremonies for personal growth, staff and participants portrayed psilocybin as an inherently benevolent substance, distinct from illegal drug use. Positive experiences during ceremonies were attributed to the substance, while negative experiences were seen as personal shortcomings. The setting, described as a haven, combined with participants' desire for transformation, shaped this meaning. Discourses at the retreat condemned purely recreational use, framing psilocybin use as legitimate transgression unrelated to other illicit drugs.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
July 16, 2013
Judith Aldridge
1 citation
The international spread of ayahuasca use offers a valuable case for critically examining current approaches to drug use, supply, and policy. The text argues that this phenomenon prompts reflection on how societies understand and regulate psychoactive substances across cultural and national boundaries.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
March 22, 2026
Jordan J. Negrine, Stephen Bright, Monica J. Barratt et al.
In interviews, twenty Australian psychologists expressed that a therapist's own lived or living experience with psychedelics could enhance empathy, confidence, and therapeutic rapport in psychedelic-assisted therapy, especially given lingering stigma. They noted that the intense, altered states of PAT demand deeper therapist familiarity, which lived experience may uniquely improve beyond standard training. Most supported optional, safe, and structured inclusion of such experience in formal training, respecting ethical considerations. The findings indicate growing professional openness to experiential learning as a valuable, though not mandatory, component of preparing psychedelic therapists.