The movement to get psychedelic medicine into the mainstream requires action on multiple fronts. Commercial development, FDA approval, and regulatory changes are all necessary pieces of the puzzle, each doing their part in changing minds and moving the needle towards greater acceptance.
But then there’s the media, our print and digital puppet-masters, pulling the strings and tipping the scales of public opinion. It could be argued that all other aspects — laws, drug approval etc — are dependent on what the media has to say on the subject. Positive coverage leads to positive public opinion which leads to the people in decision making roles being more likely to sign that paper and make that change a reality.
So let’s take a look at recent psychedelic medicine headlines and see what the media has been saying as of late.
The New York Times: Can MDMA Save a Marriage?
“For some couples on the brink of divorce, taking the illegal psychedelic drug was a last resort — but it ended up being the only thing that worked.”
Rolling Stone: How an NHL Enforcer Broke His Body — and Turned to Psychedelics to Heal His Brain
“Over eight years playing pro hockey, Riley Cote suffered countless blows to the head. Now he’s preaching the power of psilocybin to help treat the effects.”
The Economist: Bosses want to feed psychedelics to their staff
“A growing number of firms want to offer psychedelics to staff, either for the sake of mental health or to organise a mind-bending corporate retreat.”
CNN: How psilocybin, the psychedelic in mushrooms, may rewire the brain to ease depression, anxiety and more
“Small clinical trials that have shown that one or two doses of psilocybin, given in a therapeutic setting, can make dramatic and long-lasting changes in people suffering from treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, which typically does not respond to traditional antidepressants.”
Psychology Today: Psychedelics Give a Glimpse of Enlightenment
“Our brains may be filters that are inhibiting us from experiencing reality.”
The New York Times: The Next Big Addiction Treatment
“Several psychedelic drugs are touted as effective treatments for drug and alcohol abuse. But psilocybin combined with therapy is emerging as the most effective.”
The Economist: Is ketamine the answer for treatment-resistant depression?
“Podcast on science and technology. This week, we explore the growing number of clinics offering the anaesthetic—also used illegally as a party drug—as a treatment for mental health-conditions.”
