Magic Mushrooms the next legalization push?

 

woo, trippy...

 

A British study shows that magic mushrooms pose "no short or long-term detrimental effects" when taken under controlled circumstances.

The trial is the first of its kind to thoroughly investigate the simultaneous administration of psilocybin. 89 healthy participants with no recent (within 1 year) use of psilocybin were recruited. 60 individuals were randomly picked to receive either a 10mg or 25mg dose of psilocybin in a controlled environment. In addition, all participants were provided with one-to-one support from trained psychotherapists. The remaining 29 participants acted as the control group and received a placebo, also with psychological support. Participants were closely monitored for six to eight hours following administration of psilocybin and then followed up for 12 weeks. During this time, they were assessed for a number of possible changes, including sustained attention, memory, and planning, as well as their ability to process emotions. Throughout the study, there were no instances of anyone withdrawing from the study due to an adverse event, and no consistent trends to suggest that either of the psilocybin doses had any short- or long-term detrimental effects on participants.

Important note, I am not saying that psilocybin mushrooms are "safe" for people to take. Alright? Let's not have any "read until offended" idiots saying that. THE STUDY said it was safe, not me. My personal opinion is that I'm not a freakin' doctor, and my personal opinion in this matter is underinformed. Go and read, my friends.

On the whole, these little studies are unconvincing. Small sample size, 12 week follow, it doesn't really show much. About the only thing we know is that 10mg or 25mg of psilocybin is too low a dose to make people immediately sick. Okay, nice to know, but not an earth-shaking revelation. What happens at two years out? How about 5 years? Probably nothing, but again it would be nice to know, right?

What's significant here, after the success in getting cannabis legalized in Canada, parts of Europe and many US states, is that the medical establishment is signaling openness to innovation. Whereas ten years ago this trial would never have been allowed, now it is.

I fully expect a bunch more cheap little studies like this will be done in the next couple of years, and then we will see places like Holland and Canada quietly make magic mushrooms legal for medicinal purposes. Industry will pop up, and eventually the Americans will make it legal too so they can grab some cash.

You thought drug laws were there to keep you safe? Bless your little heart.