The ever expanding medicinal uses and properties of psychedelic substances

Source: The post is based on the article “The ever expanding medicinal uses and properties of psychedelic substances” published in The Hindu on 2nd May 2023

What is the News?

Psychedelic drugs banned in India under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act are emerging in research as promising ways to treat treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

What are Psychedelic Drugs?

Psychedelics are a group of drugs that alter perception, mood and thought processing while a person is still clearly conscious. Usually, the person’s insight also remains unimpaired. 

Psychedelics are non-addictive, non-toxic and compared to illicit drugs, they are less harmful to the end user. 

In India, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 prohibits the use of psychedelic substances. 

Ketamine, a dissociative anaesthetic with psychedelic properties, is used under strict medical supervision, for anaesthesia and treatment-resistant depression.

Can Psychedelic substances cause harm?

Synthetic psychedelics have been associated with acute cardiac, central nervous system and limb ischaemia as well as serotonin syndrome. There have been reports of death attributed directly to synthetic psychedelic use.

The psychological effects of psychedelics depend on the interaction between the drug and the user’s mindset (together called a set), and the environmental setting. People with a personal or family history of psychosis are strongly discouraged from experimenting with psychedelics.

There is also no evidence that psychedelics cause physiological or psychological dependence — nor has any withdrawal syndrome been identified.

Can psychedelics be used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders?

Several studies and trials have shown that psychedelics can be the “breakthrough therapy” in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or in people with treatment-resistant depression.