18-09-2024 06:30:04 - Updated: 18 September, 2024
In a world where methamphetamine addiction continues to devastate lives, a light of hope emerges from an unexpected place: psychedelics. Yes, those substances that have been viewed with suspicion for decades are now at the center of an innovative study funded by the federal government of the United States. With a generous grant of $2.4 million, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have decided to invest in researching how psychedelics could be the key to treating methamphetamine use disorders, an addiction that has proven resistant to conventional treatments.
🚀 Why Psychedelics?
For many, the word “psychedelic” evokes images of the 1960s counterculture, with young people exploring the limits of consciousness. But today, those same compounds are being reconsidered as powerful therapeutic tools. Psilocybin, the active ingredient in certain hallucinogenic mushrooms, and other entheogens are under the scientific spotlight for their ability to help those suffering from psychiatric disorders and addictions.
Researchers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), Louisiana State University (LSU), and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), who have been the main beneficiaries of this grant, have a clear goal: to unravel the mysteries of how psychedelics can alter brain chemistry in such a way that they help overcome addiction.
💎 A Public Health Crisis
The context of this research is alarming. Deaths from methamphetamine-related overdoses nearly quintupled between 2015 and 2022. In some regions of the United States, such as the South and West, methamphetamine even surpasses opioids as the most common drug in overdose deaths. With current treatments showing limited results, the need for new solutions is urgent.
🔰 The Role of the 5-HT2A Receptor
One of the focuses of the study is the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, which plays a crucial role in the effects of psychedelics. Understanding how these compounds interact with this receptor could be the key to developing new therapies that retain the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, but without the psychoactive effects that often limit their clinical use.
Dr. John McCorvy from MCW explains that their work could “pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to treat stimulant use disorder, impacting the lives of so many people struggling with addiction“.
🎯 A Promising Future
Although psychedelics can have intense and, in some cases, unwanted side effects, the hope is that this research will lead to the creation of new medications that offer all the benefits without the “trip”. This could open the door to more regular or even daily treatments for those struggling with methamphetamine addiction, without the burden of psychoactive effects.
The government’s interest in this research is not new. Back in 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense funded a project with $26.9 million to create new medications based on psychedelics that treat depression, anxiety, and substance abuse without negative side effects.
👾 Conclusion and Pevgrow’s Opinion
Methamphetamine addiction is a public health crisis that requires innovative and effective solutions. Psychedelics, once marginalized, now present themselves as a possible solution, backed by significant investment in scientific research. This is a bold step towards a future where addiction can be treated more effectively, potentially changing the fate of thousands of people who today struggle to escape the clutches of this devastating drug. A new era of hope looms on the horizon, driven by science and the determination to find solutions where there was once only despair.
At Pevgrow, we are excited about this research, and we are confident it can work because addictions are based on looping thoughts that compel the person suffering from them to repeat behaviors or habits, in this case, drug use. The best part is that in many cases we are not talking about a treatment, as a single dose may be enough to “break” that loop and allow the person to think freely without falling again and again into that toxic thought.
News video: Use of hallucinogenic mushrooms may help cure addictions
What a crazy thing, dude! I never imagined that in the USA they would use magic mushrooms to treat meth addiction; that sounds like something out of a movie.