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Your weekly dose of drug facts while dispelling fiction
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you're listening to locally produced programming created in KUNV Studios
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on public radio KUNV 91.5 please be advised that the voices and opinions you may hear do not necessarily represent the views of KUNV Las Vegas the University of Nevada Las Vegas or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education
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Welcome to the Chemical Collective. I'm Kendra McLaughlin. And I am April Contreras. And this is a radio show where every week we dive into the fascinating and complex world Hosted by experienced neuroscientists and experts in the field, this show covers a range of topics, including the latest research on drug use, the neural mechanism of drug action and abuse, and the cultural significance of drugs in society.
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Whether you're a casual listener
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or a professional in the field, the Chemical Collective will offer you your weekly dose of valuable insights and perspectives on one of the most pressing issues of our time. Okay, I can't hold it in any longer. I'm super excited, because today we're talking about a very hot topic, the state of the current
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psychedelic renaissance.
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Yeah, Kendra, believe me, I feel exactly the same way. I'm always itching to talk about this topic. Psychedelic substances are making major headlines in both science and culture, popular culture. So the psychedelic renaissance is a great topic for our very first episode of the Chemical Collective. Couldn't agree more. And lucky for us, April here has a research background in psychedelics and can help us take a deep dive into understanding what psychedelics are and the recent interest in psychedelics. So, April, can you tell us a little bit about what the current quote unquote psychedelic renaissance even is? Because when I think about the renaissance, I think about either the Harlem renaissance or Beyonce's albums deserve their own radio shows. To begin, I think it's really critical to acknowledge that we're face-to-face with a mental health crisis. Absolutely. Yeah. And mental health disorders are actually one of the largest contributors to the global burden of disease. And psychopharmacology has, despite a lot of time and money, failed to develop novel, efficacious treatments for patients that are living with these mental health conditions day to day. And the Renaissance is a resurgence of interest and research into the therapeutic and medicinal potential of substances like LSD, psilocybin, or probably more well known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, and other compounds that might be a little less known like DMT. Oh, okay. Wow, that's super cool. How did all of this start? Yeah, great question. This resurgence was really ignited in 2010, following the first published randomized controlled trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for severe post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. And it's still being driven by new scientific studies that are being published and talked about every single day, it's really hot, that have shown that the potential benefits of these substances are really exciting and can be used to treat a range of mental health conditions. Okay. Now, my head is spinning a little bit. You did earlier just kind of list off a handful of substances. I think that it was something like LSD, you mentioned psilocybin, I think, and DMT. Do you mind unpacking like what these drugs are and kind of like maybe the differences between them? Yeah, absolutely. So first, you want to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. So psychedelics are a class of hallucinogenic substances. And the term psychedelic itself is loosely derived from the Greek words meaning mind manifesting. And these drugs change the way you perceive reality, they can change your mood, and even your way of thinking. Second, while LSD, psilocybin, and DMT fit under the umbrella of psychedelics. There are some key differences in their origin, the plant they came from, or whether they're brand new novel synthetic compounds, how they act or work in the brain. And each of these factors lend them to having their own unique benefits.
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Wow, okay.
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So how do psychedelics work? Yeah, great question. So psychedelics work by interacting with specific receptors in the brain. And so what's a receptor? Yeah, receptors are proteins that are existing on the surface of cells in the brain. And when serotonin molecules float around and bind to these receptors, it initiates change in neural activity and can alter the way that sensory information is being processed. And so this is why psychedelics can induce changes in perception and thoughts and emotion. Okay. I do think it's really common to hear about psychedelics as this sort of umbrella term, but after your explanation of their origin and kind of like how they work, it kind of seems like they're unique in their own way. Earlier you mentioned that these substances may have beneficial effects in treating a variety of mental health conditions. Do you mind telling us a little bit more about the potential benefits of psychedelics? Like are these benefits just as unique as the substances themselves? Yeah, there's a lot of evidence that's trying to examine the utility of different types of psychedelics for different mental health conditions. And the current scientific evidence suggests that psychedelics may have a number of therapeutic benefits. For example, yeah, they've been shown to reduce symptoms of severe depression, anxiety, and like I mentioned earlier, post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. But besides treating mental health conditions, psychedelics are known to have benefits in enhancing other factors like creativity, general feelings of your well-being, your insight into yourself, and can even induce spiritual experiences. And studies are taking a look into all of these factors. That's really cool. Yeah. However, it is important to note that the evidence that we have right now is promising. More research is still needed to fully understand the therapeutic potential of psychedelics so that we can figure out the most effective ways of using these substances in clinical settings, because everybody's different, right? Yeah, for sure. That's certainly something that I think is important to keep in mind. But what exactly are some of these challenges or like risks that can be associated with psychedelics as a therapeutic? Because I know that when you're bringing this kind of topic to like a general population, people are going to have questions. And I think that'd be like one of the main ones. It's not all probably rainbows and sunshine, right? Yeah, exactly. And that's something that clinicians and scientists are really thinking about because psychedelics aren't the end-all, cure-all for everything. And not everybody should probably be taking a psychedelic to treat a mental health condition. But things to consider is that the primary risks associated with psychedelics are related to their effects on behavior and perception. And this can potentially lead to accidental harm or dangerous situations. And there's even a risk of developing what's called a bad trip. Oh, wow. Okay. So what does experiencing a bad trip entail? Like, is a bad trip like always something that's negative? That's a really great question. So a bad trip refers to a difficult or really unpleasant experience, which occurs during or after the use of a psychedelic substance. And the effects of a bad trip can range from really intense feelings of anxiety and fear to sometimes disturbing hallucinations and even paranoia. However, it's important to know that a bad trip doesn't always lead to a negative outcome, and that the experience can actually sometimes provide valuable insights and opportunity for growth. Okay. Is there anything that contributes specifically to have a bad trip? Like, are some people more prone to it than others? Yeah, there are a number of factors that contribute to a bad trip or adverse reaction. And this includes the fact that we're all unique individuals, right? We all have individual differences that affect how we respond to different substances. The dose of the substance being taken is also something to consider. The setting or place that you have. And this is why it's really critical for individuals when they're considering signing up for clinical trials or taking psychedelics that their safety is really kept in mind. And a lot of research and intensive training is being done to provide the best patient care possible for patients that are interested in seeking psychedelic assisted treatment. Wow, that's definitely something to keep in mind at the forefront. Like I can't help but think what this might look like in a therapeutic setting. Like maybe there'll be some sort of screening based off of where you start from, but I know that you kind of touched on it a little bit earlier. But do you mind expanding on how psychedelics are being used in a therapeutic setting today? Yeah, this is a really intriguing topic. And I've been hearing a lot of news about it. In therapeutic settings, psychedelics are being used in combination with psychotherapy or talk therapy, to treat different mental health conditions. And this approach is known as psychedelic assisted therapy. Okay, okay. So what does psychedelic assisted therapy look like? Yeah, well, there are a few different psychedelic assisted therapy models that different companies might follow. But generally, the idea is to prepare the patient, the person coming to seek treatment. You want to make them aware of all the benefits and potential adverse effects of taking the psychedelic. You want to make sure that you know that you're best prepared for what you're going to be going into. Then the patient receives the medicine in either one or multiple treatment sessions. That probably depends on the person's individual differences, the treatment that they're actually taking, and the mental health condition that they're hoping to treat. Then afterward, there's this process of what's called integration or reflecting on the medicine session or sessions and how it might inspire changes in their thinking or their behavior that can persist, you know, you know, long after treatment after they walked out of the clinic. It just, it seems like there's a lot of variables to consider. And with that, probably some potential challenges that clinicians and even patients may face in like the future years to come. But what are some of the challenges and obstacles of the mainstream acceptance of psychedelics as medicine, because I feel like it's still kind of taboo, if you
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were just to ask someone, you know?
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Yeah, yeah, for sure. So in parallel with all of the major strides that scientists and clinicians are making in this Renaissance, some main challenges and obstacles in the mainstream acceptance of psychedelics as medicine that clinicians and scientists are trying to overcome include a lot of regulatory and legal barriers. Yeah. And then the fact that our clinical research at present is still limited, you know, the Renaissance started in 2010. And we're trying to make up for all that lost time, but there's definitely a long way to go. And additionally, there still is a lingering stigma associated with these substances. You know, you drop the word psychedelic or shroom or LSD and you never really know how it's going to be received in a room. But hopefully radio shows like this can really dispel some of that uneasiness and even fear. For sure, for sure. You briefly mentioned some of the legal barriers that are faced. But can you tell us a little bit more about maybe the current regulatory landscape for psychedelics in maybe the U.S. and around the world and possibly, like, how can that change in the future? Yeah, that's a complex and ever-changing topic. I feel like it's in flux at all times. Currently in the United States, psychedelics are classified as Schedule I.
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Schedule I.
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Yeah, Schedule I controlled substances by the DEA. Then the DEA is the Drug Enforcement Administration. And this means that they're, one, illegal to use, illegal to possess, and illegal to distribute. But there are some exceptions for research and therapeutic use. So as far as like other places around the world, is this something that's similar or? Yeah, in other countries, including Canada, or even Portugal, psychedelics have a more permissive legal status. Oh, okay. Okay.
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Yeah.
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And additionally, there's a growing interest in reclassifying these substances in the United States to allow their use in therapeutic context. Several cities and states like Oregon and Colorado are already in progress or already have moved to decriminalize the possession of certain psychedelics for clinical and research purposes. And you might be seeing stuff like that on the news like every day. But ultimately, that's pretty much driving these new scientific ideas that have these potential benefits for some of these substances and treating them in a range of mental health disorders. Like I feel like I feel like this is really becoming a hot topic for a good reason because there's such value in the outcome for sure. But I ultimately was curious where all this is pointed. Like, what is the future of psychedelics in medicine and therapy? Like, what's the ultimate end goal for this, do you think? Yeah, Kendra, that's something I think about every day, I think. The future of psychedelics in medicine and therapy looks bright. It's promising. growing body of research which supports their use in treating mental health conditions. And there's new studies, results coming out from studies every single day, and it really gets my mind, you know, mind moving, and I'm just really eager to hear about, you know, all the progress. But more research and larger clinical trials are definitely needed to better understand their safety and efficacy. You know, we don't want to move too fast. We really want to understand the properties of these compounds in treating mental health conditions. And more research is needed so that we can help provide facts and just help psychedelics gain a wider acceptance to the larger audience. And as for the end goal, I really don't think I'm alone in thinking that. It's to provide individuals struggling with severe mental health conditions some hope. Researchers and clinicians owe it to people. Kendra Agreed. Kendra Well, thank you so much. That's all the time we have for today. Kendra Yeah, this was great, Kendra. Thanks so much for joining us and getting your weekly dose of facts about the current state of the psychedelic renaissance. We hope that you found this trip with The Chemical Collective informative and thought-provoking. Until next time, stay curious.
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I move up never gonna win a Royal Rumble, but when I come through you know I love to. I move up never gonna win a Royal Rumble, but when I come through you know I love to. I send shots for your team and leader.