182 - Psychedelics & Recreational Drugs

The institution where the guest studied brain science, initially wanting to be a physiologist before realizing the complexity of the brain and moving to neurology and then psychiatry.

The UK political party that faced pressure from the Tory party, leading to the banning of magic mushrooms.

The institution where the guest is a professor of neuropsychopharmacology, focusing on using drugs to study the brain and its disorders.

Mentioned as an organization whose drug policy has historically been influenced and funded by the United States.

A scientific journal that published a flawed paper by Ricardi claiming MDMA caused brain damage, which later required a correction stating methamphetamine was used.

The drug that sparked the guest's initial involvement in drug policy in the 1990s, where research showed its harms were mostly from environmental factors like dehydration rather than the drug itself.

A brain network central to the sense of self, self-referential memories, and plans. Psychedelics are believed to disrupt an over-engaged or malignantly aligned default mode network, helping to break down persistent negative thoughts or compulsive drug-seeking behaviors.

The focus of the guest's PhD research, exploring how drugs manipulate this neurotransmitter system.

A framework developed by the guest to reliably rate the harms of different drugs, considering 16 different factors (9 to the user, 7 to society).

The founder of psychoanalysis, who initially used cocaine himself and believed it could help with heroin addiction, but later became terrified of pharmacology after he and his protégé became cocaine dependent.

The first chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins and father of surgical residency in the US, who became addicted to cocaine while experimenting with it as a local anesthetic.

The host of 'The Drive' podcast, a framework-oriented individual who expresses frustration over the lack of rigorous data on cannabis effects, particularly on adolescent brain development, and introduces his 'state vs. trait' framework for evaluating drugs.

The co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, who found relief from his alcoholism through a psychedelic experience and was instrumental in advocating for LSD as a treatment for alcoholism, leading to six trials in the US.

A top American drug chemist interested in amphetamine derivatives, who synthesized MDMA and recognized its unique properties of clarity of thought and empathy.

The US President who shifted focus to the 'War on Drugs' as a political strategy, diverting attention from the Vietnam War.

A college basketball superstar who died of sudden cardiac arrest after using cocaine in 1985, an event that significantly reinforced the 'War on Drugs' mantra.

The US Attorney General (later Secretary of State) who confronted the DEA and FDA about banning LSD, highlighting the extensive positive research that had already been conducted.

A figure who popularized LSD and encouraged its use for promoting social change, contributing to the political pressures that led to its ban.

Author of 'Brave New World,' who adopted the term 'soma,' which originated from a powerful ancient cocktail believed to include magic mushrooms, ephedra, and cannabis.

Former leader of the Tory party, who initially supported drug reform but adopted an anti-drug stance for political expediency when in opposition, influencing the ban on magic mushrooms in the UK.

US President cited as an example of liberal-leaning politicians who became tougher on drugs under political pressure, leading to policies like 'three strikes and you're out.'

A professor at Yale who used ketamine to model psychosis and observed its mood-elevating effects, leading to research on its use for depression.

A colleague of the guest, with whom he theorized that psychedelics and antidepressants treat depression through different mechanisms: psychedelics disrupt cortical processing, while antidepressants enhance serotonin in the limbic system.

A Netflix series cited as bringing awareness to methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth.

The active ingredient in magic mushrooms, historically used in many cultures. It was initially banned in 1971 but the mushrooms themselves only became illegal in the UK in 2005 due to commercial sales triggering political and media outrage. Currently being researched for depression.

An 'empathogen' developed by Sasha Shulgin, initially called 'empathy' and used in psychotherapy. It became widely popular as 'ecstasy' and was banned due to moral outrage, with flawed scientific claims of harm.

A potent synthetic opioid blamed for the disproportionate number of overdose deaths in the US, often used to cut heroin due to its potency and low cost, making it incredibly dangerous and difficult to dose.

Discussed as a safer and potentially better treatment for chronic pain than opiates, but often unavailable due to federal law and lack of research funding.

A psychedelic manufactured by Sandoz in the 1930s that was extensively researched in the 1950s and 60s, showing promise for treating alcoholism and mood disorders. It was banned for political and social reasons, particularly its association with the anti-war hippie movement, rather than scientific evidence of harm.

A longer-acting and more cardiotoxic derivative formed when cocaine and alcohol are mixed, increasing the health risks of recreational use.

A dissociative anesthetic and Schedule III or IV drug, found to have rapid antidepressant effects lasting a few days. It's used for treatment-resistant depression in specialized clinics and through its enantiomer, esketamine (Spravato). However, heavy recreational use can lead to bladder problems and severe cognitive impairment.

An amphetamine derivative considered a Schedule 1 drug in Britain and generally more harmful to the user than crack cocaine due to its longer duration of action and potential neurotoxicity, distorting dopamine pathways.

A morphine derivative painkiller whose excessive rollout and promotion by pharmaceutical companies contributed to the opioid crisis, leading to dependence and a rise in black market demand for other opiates.

A derivative of Ibogaine currently being developed by a company, hoped to be less cardiotoxic and thus safer for studying its mechanism of action and potential in treating opioid addiction.

Originally developed as a synthetic alternative to ephedra for treating asthma, later used to keep soldiers awake. Its longer-acting derivative, methamphetamine, proved to be more neurotoxic in long-term use.

A patented enantiomer of ketamine formulated for nasal inhalation, licensed for treatment-resistant depression. It offers antidepressant benefits but often requires continued use, and its long-term effects on dependence and tachyphylaxis compared to racemic ketamine are still being explored.

A commonly used SSRI for depression, compared to psilocybin in a New England Journal of Medicine study. While effective, it has significant side effects, particularly sexual dysfunction, which psilocybin seemed to avoid. It works by enhancing serotonin in the limbic system to block the stress response.

North London shops that started selling freeze-dried magic mushrooms, contributing to political expediency that led to psilocybin mushrooms being made illegal in the UK in 2005.

The US state that voted in November last year to make psilocybin mushrooms a medicine within two years, representing an alternative pathway to legalization outside traditional pharmaceutical development.

An institution associated with flawed research where Ricardi claimed mdma caused brain damage in monkeys, later revealed to have used methamphetamine instead of MDMA.

The prestigious medical journal that published the guest's study comparing psilocybin to Lexapro for depression, marking a significant milestone as the first psychedelic study in the journal.

Ranked as the most harmful drug overall in Western jurisdictions due to its wide use and extensive social impact, despite potential pro-social psychological benefits.

A Schedule 2 drug with high harm to the user, often leading to paranoia and addiction, and heightened cardiotoxicity when mixed with alcohol to form coca-ethylene. The guest considers it generally not worth the risk due to physical dangers and lack of trait-altering benefits.

While deadly over time, it kills people later in life and causes less social harm than alcohol. Nicotine itself has the paradox of both calming and improving attention.

A Schedule 1 opiate derivative considered extremely harmful to the user, with high risk of acute and chronic mortality, particularly when laced with fentanyl.

An alkaloid derivative of the iboga plant, used in some countries for opioid withdrawal due to its potential efficacy, but with cardiac risks that complicate scientific study. There's interest in a less cardiotoxic derivative, noribogaine.

A book mentioned by the host for its distinction between drugs that only alter a 'state' versus those that have the potential to alter a 'trait' (how one behaves off the drug).

The journal where a paper titled 'A Tale of Two Receptors' was published, conceptualizing two ways to treat depression (psychedelics vs. antidepressants).

A company conducting a multi-center, dose-finding study for psilocybin in Europe and the US, whose positive results are anticipated to open floodgates for further research and funding. The company aims to make psilocybin a medicine through conventional routes, drawing some scrutiny over intellectual property.

A self-report measure used in the psilocybin vs. Lexapro study as a primary outcome, which showed no significant difference between the two treatments at six weeks, leading to the study being "undersold" as negative.