Psychedelics had great promise as a potential treatment for a broad range of mental health issues, including alcoholism, schizophrenia, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and depression, with active research being conducted in the 50s and 60s. Psilocybin (what we know as "magic mushrooms") was considered a magic bullet for several conditions.
The hippie movement was considered a threat to the establishment, and by 1968, the establishment had enough of the hippies, and the war on drugs began. In June 1971, Nixon officially declared a “War on Drugs,” stating that drug abuse was “public enemy number one.” His motives were politically and racially motivated, disrupting and devastating whole communities of people, and putting hundreds of thousands of black people in jail for minor drug offenses.
The Controlled Substances Act, which was a result of the war on drugs, classified psilocybin as a Schedule I drug, which has the highest potential for abuse and dependence. Schedule I drugs also have no accepted medical use. Psilocybin fit neither of these criteria, and is one of the least toxic drugs known. By the early 1970s, psychological and psychotherapy research using magic mushrooms and other psychedelics had stalled completely. It was increasingly difficult to obtain the drugs needed to conduct proper academic research, and funding was non-existent. In fact, psychoactive drugs were completely written out of academia and deemed a joke by the scientific community. Psilocybin went from being a promising new medical treatment for many mental health issues to being labelled a poison.
After 50 years of research desert, there is a “psychedelic renaissance” happening. Psilocybin may be able to provide therapeutic solutions for many mental health issues without the addictiveness or overdose risk of other psychoactive substances. The need for new therapies is urgent as addiction, overdose and suicide deaths continue to rise. Sales of the top 12 selling psychiatry drugs in the United States (2013 – 2014) were estimated to be $23 billion, despite the underwhelming efficacy of these drugs. FINALLY, the promise of psilocybin therapy has drawn the attention of the FDA. The FDA designated psilocybin and MDMA as “Breakthrough Therapies” for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, respectively, a status reserved for drugs that display advantages over current options for serious or life-threatening conditions. Hopefully, this will mark the change in direction for psychoactive assisted therapies. Research studies and clinical trials are underway, with the hopes of psychoactive legalization in the US on the horizon.
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