Repurposing of recreational drugs: will these new ‘medicines’ (e.g., psychedelics, psilocybin, cannabinoids, LSD, MDMA, ketamine) deliver short- or longer-term benefits for those with depressive or other mood disorders?
Ian B. Hickie, F. Markus Leweke, Allan H. Young
Research Directions Depression October 13, 2023 DOI: 10.1017/dep.2023.21 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractInterest in evaluating the therapeutic value of psychedelic compounds for treatment-resistant depression has grown among research groups and the wider recreational drug-using community. This enthusiasm accompanies advocacy for decriminalization, legalization, and public licensing of these substances for medicinal use.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ketamine MDMA Mescaline Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Repurposing |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key finding | There is growing enthusiasm for evaluating psychedelic compounds as therapies for treatment-resistant depression, alongside advocacy for their decriminalization and medicinal licensing. |
Abstract
In recent years, there has been considerable enthusiasm among research groups focused on developing novel therapies for treatment-resistant depression, and a wider community that has had experiences using recreational drugs, in more systematic evaluation of the therapeutic value of these compounds (Goodwin et al., 2022; Young, 2023). This has also been associated with advocacy for decriminalization, legalization and possible public licensing for their ‘medicinal’ use (Siegel et al., 2023).