The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future.

Plant-based psychedelics like psilocybin have ancient medicinal roots. After LSD's first English-language report in 1950, psychedelics briefly aided psychotherapy for mood disorders and alcohol dependence before prohibitive legislation in the mid-1960s halted major research. Since the early 1990s, human psychedelic research has revived, with recent reports including the first modern brain imaging study with LSD and three clinical trials of psilocybin for depressive symptoms. The authors offer opinions on the promises and pitfalls of renewed research, focusing on developing psilocybin as a depression treatment.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Plant-based psychedelics, such as psilocybin, have an ancient history of medicinal use. After the first English language report on LSD in 1950, psychedelics enjoyed a short-lived relationship with psychology and psychiatry. Used most notably as aids to psychotherapy for the treatment of mood disorders and alcohol dependence, drugs such as LSD showed initial therapeutic promise before prohibitive legislature in the mid-1960s effectively ended all major psychedelic research programs. Since the early 1990s, there has been a steady revival of human psychedelic research: last year saw reports on the first modern brain imaging study with LSD and three separate clinical trials of psilocybin for depressive symptoms. In this circumspective piece, RLC-H and GMG share their opinions on the promises and pitfalls of renewed psychedelic research, with a focus on the development of psilocybin as a treatment for depression.