Why it matters: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has awarded Ohio State University and Inner State Inc. a license to cultivate psilocybin mushrooms for use in scientific studies, marking the first license issued by the DEA for the cultivation of whole psilocybin mushrooms for research. Studies of psilocybin normally use forms of the drug that have been synthesised in a laboratory. However, in this instance, researchers will grow whole psilocybin mushrooms to produce the compound naturally, allowing participants in mental health studies to have the advantage of other compounds besides psilocybin that may offer additional therapeutic benefits.
What they are saying: Multiple studies have shown that psilocybin, the primary psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, could have extraordinary potential as a treatment for several serious mental health conditions, such as depression, addiction, and anxiety. Ohio State researchers Dr. Jason Slot and Dr. Kou-San Ju will use genomics and metabolomics techniques to obtain a high-resolution picture of the chemical diversity of mushrooms. One study found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy was an effective, quick-acting treatment for 24 participants with major depressive disorder, and separate research determined that psilocybin treatment produced substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.
The big picture: Continuing research into psychedelics, including psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine, has shown potential therapeutic benefits for serious mental health conditions. In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designated MDMA as a breakthrough therapy for PTSD. The following year, the FDA granted the same status to psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy for treatment-resistant depression. In Ohio, the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education has been launched and provides a 25-hour continuing education program and an undergraduate minor in psychedelic studies. It has already launched its first clinical trial to explore the use of psilocybin as a treatment for military veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
What to watch: Other universities are also studying the therapeutic value of psilocybin and other psychedelics, but Ohio State is the first to create such a center in a social work setting. Educating professionals with social work degrees is essential because they are the biggest part of the workforce dealing directly with patients in a clinical setting.
My take: This license awarded by the U.S. DEA allows for a significant breakthrough in the study of psilocybin and its potential to treat serious mental health conditions. By growing whole psilocybin mushrooms to produce the compound naturally, the study of psilocybin will provide additional insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of other compounds. The establishment of centers such as Ohio State’s Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education indicates promising prospects for the advancement of research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs and the destigmatisation of these drugs.
