By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Fort Hays State University's Science Cafe presentation on Monday was about psychedelic drugs and their effectiveness on depression.
Assistant Professor of Psychology Stephanie Weigel spoke on Monday, briefly highlighting the history and safety of "magic mushrooms."
The initial studies on psilocybin mushrooms, commonly referred to as magic mushrooms, were conducted in the 1950s to 1960s but were subsequently halted.
"It was being looked at as a positive treatment for problems," Weigel said. "However, in the 1970s, it was reclassified as a schedule one drug and could not legally be researched."
Weigel said interest in the drug has increased, corresponding with changes in state laws regarding the legal status of certain drugs, particularly when used under supervision.
"It's also been decriminalized or pending in several other states, meaning that even though it's still illegal in those states, the prosecution has downgraded," she said.
Psilocybin has been designated as a breakthrough therapy by the FDA, allowing researchers to incorporate it into clinical trials without violating legal restrictions.
Weigel presents six methods of safety for drugs like the evaluation for benefit-risk analysis, potential for abuse, side effects, and physical and psychological dependence.
Weigel outlines six safety evaluation methods for drugs, including benefit-risk analysis, potential for abuse, side effects, and both physical and psychological dependence.
"Psychological addiction means that it's important to us and if we didn't have it, we would miss it and seek it out," she said.
Weigel concludes on the safety of magic mushrooms, highlighting concerns about unsupervised injuries, referencing a meta-analysis with no observed long-term adverse effects, and the potential lethality of 1,000 doses.
Two studies Weigel references, conducted by Griffiths and Carhart-Harris, explored the effectiveness of magic mushrooms in treating patients with depression.
The Griffiths study, which employed a double-blind design, reported notable mood improvement and symptom reduction both initially and at the six-month follow-up.
The Carhart-Harris study was a double-blind randomized controlled trial that observed no significant difference between SSRIs, a class of antidepressant drugs, and psilocybin.
"If the SSRIs are helping and there's no difference, that means the magic mushrooms are helping as well," Weigel said, later clarifying that magic mushrooms aren't necessarily more helpful than SSRIs.
Weigel proposes recommendations for future experiments, emphasizing the need for proper supervision and safety measures, given the unknown effectiveness of the drug after controversial and unethical studies from the past.
"The more we know about this, the more we learn about the brain and depression," she said.
Questions Weigel proposes for enhancing the quality of studies include how often doses can be taken and whether it is better or safer than existing medication.
She cautions that even if magic mushrooms are approved for treatment, this doesn't imply their safety for recreational use.
Weigel references the American Psychological Association for the possible use of magic mushrooms for therapeutic purposes.
"There's not adequate evidence at this time for the APA to support it being a treatment but encourages continued research because it has potential," she said.
The next session of the Science Cafe, titled "Ozempic and Wegovy: How the new diabetes and weight-loss drugs function," is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at The Venue at Thirsty's, 2704 Vine St.
The presentation will provide an overview of the new drugs and will include information on their effectiveness, off-label uses and potential side effects.
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