Scientists say restrictions need to be softened on research into the use of psychedelics
Psychedelic drugs could be used to treat two common health problems, the Government’s former chief drugs adviser claims.
Magic mushrooms and LSD could be cure to treat alcoholism and depression and in fact were used as treatments, before being banned around 50 years ago.
Prof David Nutt, a neuropharmacologist at Imperial College London said the substances could be a powerful tool to tackle mental health conditions.
The professor is part of a group of scientists, who believe psychedelics could treat alcoholism and are are calling on the regulators to “revisit drugs that were once used but fell out of use because of political machinations, especially the war on drugs”.
Professor Nutt said: “If we changed the regulations, we would have an explosion in this kind of research – an enormous opportunity has been lost, and we want to resurrect it.
“It’s an outrageous insult to humanity that these drugs were abandoned for research just to stop people from having fun with them.
“The sooner we get these drugs into proper clinical evaluation, the sooner we will know how best to use them and be able to save lives.”
In the article, he and his colleagues discuss the “psychedelic revolution in psychiatry”, exploring specific questions in research, including what is known about the receptors in the brain affected by these drugs and how stimulating them might alter mental health.
Read the full article at TheDailyStar