Some pathologies or addictions would be treatable by the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs, such as magic mushrooms, LSD, or even MDMA, scientists believe.
More and more researchers would look into the question, including Dr. Joe Flanders, psychologist and professor at McGill University and founder of the Mindspace Clinic.
According to him, the general public’s perception of these drugs « is not necessarily the truth ». In an interview with Qub radio on Monday, he said that magic mushrooms, seen by the majority of people as « dangerous », are not addictive and have very concrete results in countering alcohol and nicotine addictions. However, for these treatments to be effective, they must be supervised by health professionals, in a “safe environment”.
« [The substance] affects the system of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is involved in mood management, » explained the psychologist, ensuring that several patients who have experimented with magic mushroom treatment in a research context would have quit smoking for years.
Certain hallucinogenic substances would also be effective in countering post-traumatic stress, depression, or anxiety. However, these drug treatments are not legal and are only tested in research projects, Dr. Flanders said.
“These drugs come with risks. You can always have a « bad trip », « he warned, adding that it is important to educate the population and professionals on the use of these. The practice, for it to become accessible to the general public, must be regularized by governments or by orders of psychologists, believes the specialist.
