JDr. Ornes Hopkins was founded in 2000 by the late Roland Griffiths, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, who began the first FDA-approved study of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in so-called magic mushrooms. He pioneered modern research on psychedelics. Since then, ongoing Hopkins research has explored the therapeutic potential of psychedelics in treating a variety of conditions, including multiple forms of depression, PTSD, addiction disorders, anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and more. He has produced over 150 peer-reviewed papers. His Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research opened at Hopkins in 2019, strengthening the institution’s leadership role in the field. More than 40 Hopkins researchers are currently studying the psychoactive effects and potential benefits of psilocybin as well as other psychedelic drugs such as MDMA (ecstasy) and DMT.
Despite growing evidence that psychedelics have therapeutic effects when safely administered in controlled, medically supervised environments, most are still subject to the highest level of federal regulation as controlled substances. However, it continues to be surrounded by public misunderstanding. Promoting and funding such research remains difficult.
video credit: Johns Hopkins University
To discuss the current state of psychedelic research, its expectations, policy hurdles, and potential economic impact, three Hopkins University experts will host a virtual public event on November 16 called “What’s Next for Psychedelics?” The event was also about the latest services currently in progress. Johns Hopkins University Congressional Report Series. The participants were Frederick Barrett, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sandeep Nayak, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the same school, and Matthew Eisenberg, associate professor. He received his PhD from the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Laney Latkow, vice provost for interdisciplinary initiatives, served as moderator.
Important points
Psychedelics have the potential to transform mental health treatment
“What’s so interesting and compelling about this is that when this treatment works, it tends to work quickly,” Nayak says. “What we’re talking about is treatments that are administered in one to just a few doses, and there’s little precedent for traditional treatments like those done in psychiatry and psychology. There are risks, but… Many of the risks can be managed well by well-selected people in carefully controlled environments.”
Psychedelics could save the healthcare system a lot of money
“One in five adults in the United States has a mental illness, one in 25 has a serious mental illness…and the treatment disparities are just huge,” Eisenberg said. “about [half] People with mental illnesses are treated every year in this country. The current standard of care involves not only cognitive therapy but also the long-term use of drugs, which are quite expensive and require continued use for very long periods of time. [With] For psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, efficacy in clinical trials is achieved in much shorter treatment cycles. So when we’re talking about the economic impact, if it lasts long term, we’re talking about reducing drug costs, reducing the need for inpatient care, and importantly, costing the health care system millions or tens of dollars. Potential savings of billions of dollars. People with mental illness are less dependent on long-term disability benefits. ”
Psychedelics are moving towards wider medical use and general acceptance than marijuana
“Marijuana has a wide range of medical and recreational applications,” Eisenberg said. “Psychedelics are primarily used for specific treatments in supervised clinical settings, which require professionals to be on hand to help patients receive treatment. took a dual path toward commercialization, both in its medical form and with the promise of eventual recreational legalization.” Rather than penetrating a wide market, psychedelics are integrated more directly into health care systems, similar to pharmaceutical models and face-to-face care models that focus on therapeutic efficacy. There is a possibility.”
Psychedelics do not appear to be addictive
“Addiction can apply to a variety of drugs, but generally refers to people increasing their intake of drugs in the face of increasing social, economic, legal, and other consequences. It then means that the drug starts controlling their lives,” Nayak said. “Perhaps they’re doing it every day, or maybe they need to take more drugs to get the same effect. And that pattern may be alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, etc. It’s seen in all kinds of drugs. But just calling a drug a drug is ambiguous, isn’t it? Not all drugs work the same way. With psychedelics, this kind of pattern actually We don’t see that much. Tolerance is growing, but that doesn’t mean people are taking the drugs. Again, to be clear, there are significant risks in using these drugs. But classic addiction doesn’t seem to be one of them.”
Bipartisan bills to ease federal regulations on psychedelic research have been introduced in the House and Senate.
“Some of the bipartisan and bicameral legislation; [the Breakthrough Therapies Act]… suggests a Schedule I drug. [the most restrictive federal designation] “A drug that receives breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA will automatically be moved to Schedule II,” Barrett said, adding, “The rationale behind this is that by definition, it is a Schedule I drug. The drug is [considered] It is incredibly toxic, highly addictive, and has no known medical uses. The FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy designation recognizes up-and-coming drugs that show a high degree of early efficacy and promise. The transition from Schedule I to Schedule II should have minimal impact on the availability of these drugs outside of controlled settings, but the potential to conduct research and clinical trials on these compounds should increase significantly. The barriers to obtaining Schedule I drugs for researchers are significant. ”
Psychedelic expectations should not lean toward hype
“There is a misconception that if we study, then we should. [something]”It’s bound to work, but it’s unlikely to be the case all together. We don’t know if it will work, how it will work, for whom, in what circumstances, or How long? We need to make it clear to those participating in clinical trials, and indeed to the general public, that there are still absolute risks with these drugs. It’s a powerful compound with hidden sexual potential, but it’s not without its risks. There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of hope, but we’re careful to keep that hope from turning into unwarranted expectations. ”
Watch the full conversation in the archived video of the briefing at this link and visit the Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research website to learn more about the Center’s mission.
