Category: Ketamine News

Popular Soap Company–Dr. Bronner’s– Plans To Explore The Psychedelic Space

Dr. Bronner’s, a well-known liquid soap company that has evolved into a household name, is making waves in the industry. A new campaign is coming that promotes the benefits of psychedelics.

The brand is famous for its bottles with tiny-font labels that line the shelves of supermarkets across the country. Often, it lists the ingredients of the product and preaches peace and love, and now–for a limited time–special editions of the famous soap will include the pros of mind-altering drugs.

“Let’s face it, the world would be a far better place if more people experienced psychedelic medicines,” said David Bronner, one of the company’s top executives and grandson of the company’s founder.

Keeping to his word, the company’s employee health care coverage became one of the first in the United States to cover ketamine therapy in January. More than that, according to corporate documents, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps has donated more than $23 million to drug advocacy and research organization since 2015.

Ketamine treatment for depression isn’t new by any means, but Dr. Bronner’s is one of the first major companies to normalize its use for employees who struggle with their mental health.

Other companies, like Open Society Foundations, have steered quietly towards drug policy changes, but Dr. Bronner’s is rare in their boisterous tone, speaking to news sources like The New York Times about psychedelics and ketamine therapy for employees.

Moves are being made around the country for drug reform, with Washington State lawmakers introducing the Psilocybin Wellness and Opportunity Act and Maryland attempting to pass a pro-psychedelics bill that would create a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Alternative Therapies Fund, but its well-known companies like Dr. Bronner’s that help move the cause forward in the eyes of the public.

Kaeli Swaggerty holds a B.A. in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Connect with her about bringing awareness to mental health issues on LinkedIn.

Source:
Jacobs, Andrew. “Dr. Bronner’s, The Soap Company, Dips into Psychedelics.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Feb. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/health/ketamine-bronner-bros.html.

The Fed Just Became A Little More Psychedelic.

By David Connell, Ketamine News
Thursday, March 17, 2022

John Hopkins University has always been a leader in the research and development of novel new psychotherapy treatments. Now their prestigious Center of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research will be at the forefront of research into the possible use of the classical psychedelic compound Psilocybin to treat depression.

Psilocybin, for those unfamiliar with the drug, is a chemical found in the Psilocybe family of mushrooms (aka magic mushrooms). While not psychoactive on its psilocybin is the precursor to psilocin, the psychoactive drug responsible for inducing altered states of consciousness in those that consume it.

While psilocybin has been well known and used in Native American cultures for millennia as a sacred and spiritual medicine, its use in the 1960s by the counter culture movement saw it outlawed under the Nixon administration in 1970 as part of the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Along with other classic psychedelics like LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), DMT (dimethyltryptamine), Peyote, and later MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine).

The ban effectively halted research into several of these drugs, which Psychiatrists of the time saw as breakthrough treatments for various mental health conditions. Until its passage, disorders like post-partum depression, bipolar disorder, and treatment-resistant depression had seen a significant quantity of experimental treatment using both LSD and psilocybin.

John Hopkins Receives $4 Million in Federal Grants to Research Psychedelic-Medicine.

Fortunately for researchers at John Hopkins and across the nation, it seems that the Federal Government is slowly beginning to shift its stance on at least a few of these compounds. By awarding $4 million in funding to John Hopkins, the fed takes its first tentative steps towards what researchers hope will be the eventual rescheduling and legalization of certain psychedelic compounds for therapeutic use.

The historical importance of this grant is monumental,” says principal investigator Matthew Johnson, Ph.D., Susan Hill Ward Professor in Psychedelics and Consciousness in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Matthew Johnson of John Hopkins University School of Medicine believes that this shift was bound to happen. A growing body of research accumulated over the last 20 years has repeatedly shown that psilocybin and, thus, psilocin is incredibly safe and has significant potential for treating conditions such as depression and end-of-life anxiety, PTSD, and addiction.

Findings from research conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the National Institutes of Health, The Imperial College of London, and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelics Studies support these studies.

Although John Hopkins Center of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research is the first organization to receive a federal grant for psychedelics research in 20 years, many other organizations continue to add new studies to a growing roster of work indicating psychedelics could provide novel treatments for psychological issues.

MAPS, for example, is entering Phase 3 Clinical trials for the treatment of severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In 2018 Compass Pathways, NASDAQ: CMPS, received an FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for their use of psilocybin therapy to combat treatment-resistant depression. They are currently in Phase 2b of their clinical trials. Other companies like Revitalist, CSE: CALM now offer ketamine infusions and injections paired with therapy to treat depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and others.

With the dizzying number of companies entering the psychedelic-medicine front, it is no wonder that experts like MAPS founder Rick Doblin believe that FDA approval and legalization of drugs like MDMA and Psilocybin will happen in the next several years.

David Connell is a U.S. Air Force Veteran writer and author of Cooking with Magic: The Psilocybin Cookbook. David holds a B.A. in Communications and Creative Writing from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Connect with him about drug policy reform, his thoughts on research in novel psychedelic therapies, creative writing, and his unabashed love for Science Fiction on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Sources:

Gabay, M. (2013, June). The Federal Controlled Substances Act: Schedules and Pharmacy Registration. Hospital pharmacy. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3839489/.

Johns Hopkins Medicine receives first federal grant for psychedelic treatment research in 50 Years. Johns Hopkins Medicine Newsroom. (2021, October 18). Retrieved Nov 8, 2021, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/johns-hopkins-medicine-receives-first-federal-grant-for-psychedelic-treatment-research-in-50-years.

Phase 3 program: MDMA-Assisted therapy for PTSD. MAPS. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://maps.org/research/mdma/ptsd/phase3.

Robhern. (2020, March 2). Treatment-resistant depression study: Depression clinical trials. Compass Pathways. Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://compasspathways.com/our-research/psilocybin-therapy/clinical-trials/treatment-resistant-depression/.

Psychedelic and Plant Medicine Decriminalization Efforts Spread to the Midwest.

By David Connell, Ketamine News
Thursday, January 27, 2022

A pair of state legislators in Oklahoma recently filed a bill that, if enacted, would decriminalize adult use and possession of psilocybin and other psychedelics while also encouraging and regulating research into their possible therapeutic benefits.

Reps. Daniel Pae (R) and Logan Phillips (R) introduced the legislation last week. Their proposed bill is designed to give the state legislature various options to expand scientific and medical studies in the state. Furthermore, Pae’s bill would also decriminalize possession of up to one and a half ounces of psilocybin. Possession of these amounts would be punishable by a fine, vs. the current criminal charges that possession carries

Pae’s bill also streamlines studies using psilocybin and other psychedelics. Specifically, it would authorize research into psilocybin’s potential use and efficacy for treating ten different conditions, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as substance abuse disorder.

“Even for Oklahoma—a place that people traditionally consider us extremely conservative Republican(s) — we’re not above helping,” he said. “We want to see measures and methods, even for those non-traditional medicines, if it brings peace of mind mental health to our communities, our citizens. We’re going to be for that.”

Rep. Daniel Pae (R)

These proposed changes to how Oklahoma handles psychedelics have the potential to be beneficial for the state’s veteran population. U.S. military veterans have a nearly 50% greater risk of developing PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation vs. the countries’ non-veteran population.

Decriminalization and streamlining the research process for substances like psilocybin present caregivers with new and better avenues into medical research around psilocybin’s efficacy in treating PTSD, depression, and substance abuse disorder. That said, there are some strings attached for individuals interested in participating in potential studies.

Individuals who participate in any studies that would occur if the legislation passes would be required to obtain a written certification. Researchers would also be required to obtain a license. At the same time, any studies conducted without the proper licensing and authorization would carry a maximum fine of $400 but would pose no risk of jail time.

Oklahoma is Just One of Many States Proposing Psychedelic and Drug Policy Reform.

The Sooner State is just one of the many states where legislation pushing drug policy reform has been proposed. In late January, a committee of the Virginia state senate discussed and reviewed and bill to decriminalize psilocybin. This measure, like others, has some bi-partisan support, and like the Oklahoma bill, it would decriminalize possession of small amounts of psychedelic mushrooms and some other naturally occurring psychedelics.

Elsewhere, both Utah and Kansas have seen state legislators introduce bills that would either decriminalize possession of a small amount of psychedelic drugs or set up task forces to study the potential benefits of therapeutic uses of psychedelic drugs. These bills wouldn’t just cover psilocybin. A proposed bill in Michigan would also decriminalize mescaline, and other plant-based psychedelics, including psilocybin.

Further west, California Sen. Scott Wiener (D) has proposed a bill to legalize the possession and adult use of psychedelics. Wiener has stated that his bill has a good chance of being passed, believing its chances to be around 50/50. If passed, the bill would be one of the most progressive pieces of drug reform legislation passed in any state in decades. The bill has already passed through two state Assembly committees in the last twenty-four months.

Other states with significant psychedelic drug reform bills on the table include Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Colorado. In Oregon, voters passed an initiative in 2020 to legalize psilocybin treatment for mental health. Neighboring Washington State currently has a similar bill on the books, while Seattle, WA, has legalized psilocybin for supported adult use.

State Drug Reform Efforts Match up With Shifting Public Opinion regarding Psychedelics and Psychedelic Based Medicines.

Efforts by state legislators to reform drug control and criminalization policies closely follow a trend of shifting public opinion. A recent survey conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) polled 800 respondents. The survey showed that 83% of respondents believe the war on drugs to be a massive failure. 82% percent of all respondents, including independents, democrats, and republicans, supported federal drug policy reform.

Recently a survey of Americans with major mood disorders like depression showed that 53% of respondents would be interested in trying psychedelic-based medications as an alternative therapy to treat their conditions. 73% of Americans feel that medical psychedelics should be legalized on a federal level.

Past Drug Criminalization has Been Political in Nature and Has an Outsized Impact on Minority Communities.

Unfortunately, drug criminalization policies are often politically motivated and often have the heaviest impact on minority communities. This has long been the case in the U.S. since Nixon and the early days of the War on Drugs. Policies that criminalize marijuana, psilocybin, ibogaine, and peyote disproportionately impact people of color, particularly African Americans, who are significantly more likely to face jail time for possessing similar amounts of drugs as their white counterparts.

At the same time, these policies have served as a way to effectively criminalize the religious practices of a swathe of Native American tribes, who have used peyote, ibogaine, and psilocybin as central pieces in spiritual and shamanistic practices for thousands of years.

“A different reality—one where we treat people who use drugs with dignity and respect, and one where drugs are no longer an excuse for law enforcement to surveil, harass, assault and even kill Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people—is 100 percent possible, and these results clearly prove that. Fifty years later, it is no secret the devastation the drug war has caused to our communities, and yet drug possession remains the most arrested offense in the United States. And so, it should come as no surprise that Americans are ready for a drastically different approach, one where drugs are no longer used as an excuse to hold us down.”

Kassandra Frederique, the executive director of the DPA

This inequity carries on into the U.S. veteran population. Military veterans face significantly higher risks of developing a mental illness or committing suicide when compared to the nation’s civilian population. The criminalization of psychedelics continues to rifle research into potentially life-saving medicines that could radically benefit veterans.

One Legal Psychedelic Showcases the Medical Potential of This Class of Substances.

Among psychedelics with promising medical applications, only one is currently legal and actively used to treat mental health conditions. Ketamine, an anesthetic with psychedelic-like effects, is now used off-label to treat many mental health conditions. While a derivative of ketamine, SPRAVATO ® is FDA approved for the treatment of depression.

First developed in 1950, ketamine was given FDA approval for anesthetic use in the mid-1970s. From there, it was rapidly adopted by the U.S. military as a battlefield anesthetic and would become one of the most widely used psychedelic compounds in the U.S. and abroad.

Ketamine is also the preferred anesthetic for pediatric use due to its safety profile. Unlike other common anesthetic medications, like propofol, ketamine does not have a depressive effect on the respiratory system, making it relatively safe for use with children and at-risk populations such as the elderly or those with breathing conditions.

In the early 2000s, ketamine gained popularity as an off-label treatment for depression, treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Studies have shown that ketamine is 70% more effective at combating treatment-resistant depression (TRD) vs. traditional treatment options like SSRIs.

Ketamine serves as an excellent example of the potential that psychedelic medications have, with psilocybin, MDMA, and even LSD showing similar and, in some cases, greater efficacy for treating the above conditions.

As opinions around psychedelic medicine continue to shift towards the positive, the public must be educated on the reality, safety, and efficacy of psychedelic medicines. There are various ways readers can learn about, support, and track drug decriminalization and legalization efforts in their states. Marijuana Moment offers a live tracker of state-level drug reform proposals and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Open Society Foundations (OSF), Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), American Psychedelic Practitioners Association (APPA), and the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) offer a range of ways to support state and federal efforts to change the U.S. approach to drug control.

World’s Largest Psilocybin Therapy Study Shows Rapid, Powerful Relief.

“A single dose of psilocybin generated a rapid response that lasted up to 12 weeks,” explained primary trial investigator Dr. David J. Hellerstein.

Compass Pathways eagerly awaited trial results are out, and the findings are impressive. With their COMP360 psilocybin therapy drug, Compass Pathways’ trial has shown that psilocybin-based therapy rapidly reduced the severity of depressive symptoms for patients with treatment-resistant depression.

As the largest psilocybin therapy trial the world has seen, Compass Pathways pulled together 233 patients from 10 countries in North America and Europe. All participants ceased using their antidepressants before the study began, and 94% of them had no prior experience with psilocybin, a psychedelic compound produced by the psilocybe family of mushrooms.

The trial compared two doses of the COMP360 psilocybin derivative, a 25mg dose and 10mg dose, with a 1mg dose used as a control. The dose administration was paired with psychological support from trained therapists on hand throughout the study.

Participants who received the 25mg dose of COMP360 showed a -6.6 difference on the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at the third week compared to the participants who received just 1mg of the compound.

A single dose of psilocybin generated a rapid response that lasted up to 12 weeks, Hellerstein reported. Remission rates appear to be higher than seen in traditional medication studies. These findings suggest that COMP360 psilocybin therapy could play a major role in psychiatric care.

While the study was successful, some patients did experience minor symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and insomnia. These side effects aligned with those commonly reported by other psilocybin users and passed relatively quickly. Twelve patients also reported more severe side effects, including suicidal behavior and suicidal ideation. These events were nearly all associated with the 25mg dose.

Despite some side effects, the study results were overall positive and represent a new potential treatment avenue for depression. The study results are especially notable for the 100 million people suffering from treatment-resistant depression. Treatment-resistant depression is a condition where patients fail to respond to two or more anti-depression treatments.

Psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds such as Ketamine, in use by organizations such as Revitalist and Field Trip Health, represent exciting and novel new treatment options. Compass Pathways expects to enter Phase 3 research for the COMP360 psilocybin derivative in 2022.

Source:

Compass Pathways plc announces financial results and business highlights for the second quarter 2021. COMPASS Pathways plc. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2021 fromhttps://ir.compasspathways.com/news-releases/news-release-details/compass-pathways-plc-announces-financial-results-and-business-1.

Washington State Helps Pioneer Psilocybin Legalization

Washington State citizens can rejoice to know their elected officials are making waves in the mental health world. Last month, a pair of Washington State lawmakers introduced new legislation that would legalize “supported psilocybin experiences” in those who are 21 years old and older.

If it goes through, the Psilocybin Wellness and Opportunity Act will make it legal for Washington residents to consume products that contain psilocybin and psilocin under the supervision of a trained and state-licensed psilocybin service administrator.

Psilocybin and psilocin are two of the main active ingredients in psychedelic mushrooms. In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in the potential therapeutic uses of psilocybin in a controlled environment.

Various medical institutions, both national and international, have shown that psilocybin can help treat “a variety of behavioral health conditions,” per Senate Bill 5660 that is sponsored by Sens. Jesse Salomon (D) and Liz Lovelette (D), “including but not limited to addiction, depression, anxiety disorders, and end-of-life psychological distress.”

Hope is possible for those who have otherwise believed themselves to be “treatment-resistant.”

When asked about the “magic” mushrooms in question, Salomon said, “It sounds kind of ‘magical,’ but the research is pretty positive. It’s pretty amazing and hard to believe the long-term success for addiction recovery, depression, and anxiety that we’re seeing.”

The way it works is that psychedelic drugs break down barriers in the brain, allowing for new communication networks. This neuroplasticity makes it easier for people to understand and break bad habits and opens their minds to new ways of learning.

Washington State isn’t new to the innovative treatment field for mental health conditions. Psychedelic ketamine use has already been legal for some time in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, etc.

Bill 5660 would differ from the state’s ketamine use, however. If this bill passes, it would mean that residents would not need a doctor or licensed counselor to prescribe psilocybin.

“Native, Indigenous societies have been doing this for thousands of years,” said Salomon. “We have to give them a way for their traditional shamans and practitioners to do this. We don’t want the barrier to be too high because asking someone to be a traditional healer and a Ph.D. is asking a lot of anyone.”

The bill is expected to appear before the legislature’s health care committee soon. Check back for updates.

Kaeli Swaggerty holds a B.A. in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Connect with her about bringing awareness to mental health issues on LinkedIn.

Source:
Wilkinson, Eric. “Bill to Legalize Psilocybin for Therapeutic Use Introduced in Washington.” king5.Com, 25 Jan. 2022, https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/state-politics/psilocybin-magic-mushrooms-legalization-bill-introduced/281-3849f67f-0695-483b-8353-6b2d09afce2d.

What There is to Know About Ketamine vs. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Ketamine vs. ECT

Although ketamine is not yet FDA-approved for the treatment of mental health, there is growing evidence that the world of psychedelics is making big moves in the medical world. Recently, ketamine has gained the attention of many in its potential treatment of severe clinical depression. With discoveries come comparisons, and ketamine is finding itself compared to other innovative treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). ECT is a type of therapy used as a rapid treatment option for bipolar depression or mania and treatment-resistant depression.

ECT is a procedure done under general anesthesia where small electrical currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. It’s a treatment option typically only available to those who have tried other options with no results.

Though there is a stigma associated with the treatment option, ECT is much safer today than in the past. Even though there is always the possibility of experiencing some side effects, it only gives electric currents in a controlled setting to achieve the most benefits with minimal possible risks.

“One study randomized 18 patients with [Major Depressive Disorder] to receive repeated therapies of either ketamine infusions or ECT and found that ketamine improved symptoms more rapidly than ECT, with the most improvement after the first ketamine infusion.”
British Journal of Anaesthesia

Likewise, The Journal of Psychiatric Research found that while ketamine and ECT are effective treatments for depression, ketamine proved to have a quicker onset and better short-term outcomes than ECT.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine, once known only for its use as an FDA-approved anesthetic, has since made a name for itself in the medical world. While traditional treatments like antidepressants can take weeks or months to take effect, 70% of treatment-resistant patients have reported feeling symptom relief after just one ketamine infusion.

How Does Ketamine Help With Depression?

There is still research that needs to be done to determine the exact mechanism that leads ketamine to treat the symptoms of depression. Researchers hypothesize that ketamine produces an antidepressant effect by targeting the brain’s NMDA receptors. By connecting to the receptors, it is thought that ketamine may amplify the number of glutamate neurotransmitters in the space between neurons.

Then, glutamate interacts with the AMPA receptors. Together, the receptors cause multiple molecules to discharge, which then causes a boost in the brain’s neuroplasticity. Meaning ketamine infusions allow the brain to reset and restore meaningful nerve connections in the brain.

The world of psychedelics is constantly changing and evolving, as is the world of innovative treatments. Often the two go hand in hand, and it’s important to know what your options are.

Ketamine News is dedicated to sharing breaking news and information with our readers to ensure that they can make informed decisions on their mental health.

Kaeli Swaggerty holds a B.A. in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Connect with her about bringing awareness to mental health issues, creative writing, reading, and all things pug-related on LinkedIn.

Source:

T. T. Dong, J. Mellin-Olsen, A. W. Gelb, Ketamine: a growing global health-care need, BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia, Volume 115, Issue 4, October 2015, Pages 491–493, https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aev215.

Study Links Psychedelics to Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

A recent study published in Scientific Reports suggests that individuals who have used traditional psychedelics may be at lower risk for cardiac disease. While these new findings are exciting, they serve to highlight the need for further research into the potential medical uses of psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ketamine.

“In our previous research, we have found associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and lower odds of being overweight or obese as well as lower odds of having hypertension in the past year, both of which are risk factors of cardiometabolic disease,” reports study author Ottos Simonsson Ph.D., of Oxford University.

In another article published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology earlier in the year, research posited “that psychedelic substances such as psilocybin could be used to assist in promoting positive lifestyle changes conducive to good health.” Simonsson notes that the use of traditional psychedelics has been linked to spontaneous, positive lifestyle and health changes such as reduced alcohol consumption, lowered or eliminated the use of tobacco products, and increased exercise.

Simonsson’s study also indicates that traditional psychedelics may improve mental health conditions associated with cardiometabolic disease. When administered in a safe and supportive setting, these drugs can cause neurogenesis, which strengthens and creates new neural pathways in the brain. Neurogenesis can help users form new positive associations and engender new modes of thinking that can lead to the adoption of positive lifestyle changes.

During the study, Simonsson also reported that psychedelics have strong anti-inflammatory properties as well as immunomodulatory properties. These anti-inflammatory properties could be a factor in psychedelics’ purported ability to fight cardiac disease. Coupled with their known effects on the body’s serotonin systems, this could indicate that traditional psychedelics are a strong candidate for developing new heart disease treatments.

“Lifetime classic psychedelic use was uniquely associated with a 23% lower odds of heart disease in the past year and a 12% lower odds of diabetes in the past year. Among the three main classes of classic psychedelics, neither lifetime tryptamine use, lifetime LSD use, nor lifetime phenethylamine use was uniquely associated with heart disease or diabetes in the past year when simultaneously entered into the regression models, though the association between lifetime tryptamine use and diabetes in the past year approached conventional levels of significance.” — Simonsson, O., Osika, W., Carhart-Harris, R. et al. Associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and cardiometabolic diseases. Sci Rep 11, 14427 (2021).

While not concrete, these initial results provide an excellent argument for further study into the potential health benefits of using psychedelics. This research also aligns with results gathered by Dr. Steve Mandel, President of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, who has treated over 600 patients with low dose ketamine infusions, nearly all of which have reported making positive health and life changes after treatment.

If shown to be effective, psychedelics could present novel new treatments for cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States and around the globe. Unfortunately, the current Schedule 1 Status of psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD make it difficult for researchers to conduct studies.

However, other traditional psychedelic substances such as ketamine have been approved for human use by the Food and Drug Administration and have been used everywhere from hospitals to battlefields since 1970. While there have been few studies directly linking ketamine use to reduced rates of heart disease, it is an exciting potential avenue of research given the relative ease with which researchers can obtain the drug.

Source:

Simonsson, O., Osika, W., Carhart-Harris, R. et al. Associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and cardiometabolic diseases. Sci Rep 11, 14427 (2021).
https;//doi.org/10,1038/s41598-021-93787-4

Dispelling the Stigmas, Ketamine, and the Future of Mental Healthcare

“Special K,” “Kitty Kat,” and “K” are all common street names for the prescription medication ketamine. Long used as a safe and highly effective anesthetic since the 1970s, ketamine gained popularity in the late 80s and early 90s as an underground club drug. This trend of adult recreational use has continued into today’s festival and rave scenes, where thousands of Americans use it annually as a “party” drug.

The drug’s popularity among recreational users stems from its entheogenic and hallucinogenic effects, which users say induce feelings of calmness, love, connection with the world and their loved ones, as well as euphoria. Ketamine has strong dissociative effects when abused and can be incredibly hallucinogenic in high doses. This psychedelic, dissociative state, popularly known as a k-hole, makes the drug attractive for some users.

However, adult use of ketamine can have a darker side. Ketamine abuse has been known to cause long-lasting damage to the central nervous system, dissociation, mental fog, and nausea. In some extreme cases, ketamine has also been responsible for users developing the extremely rare condition, hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD).

HPPD is a little understood and chronic mental health condition that causes sufferers to relive the psychedelic and dissociative effects of the drug in “flashbacks.” These flashbacks cause people with the condition to experience symptoms like visual distortions, audio hallucinations, whole body tingling, euphoria, and dissociative states. While this is concerning, HPPD is very, very rare, affecting less than 1% of all recreational substance users.

Unfortunately, this misuse of an otherwise legal anesthetic has led to ketamine developing a bad wrap with the general public. This bad wrap is particularly problematic for healthcare providers and researchers trying to expand ketamine’s FDA-approved usage from just anesthetic and analgesic treatments to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health and chronic pain needs.

This push by medical experts to expand ketamine’s approved list of uses comes from research started in the early 2000s that indicates ketamine has significant potential to treat conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and their treatment-resistant counterparts as well as chronic pain and substance abuse disorders. Compared to common depression treatments such as SSRIs, which only have a 35% efficacy rating, ketamine commands an impressive 70% effectiveness in reducing patient symptoms.

While that alone is impressive and warrants further research, ketamine has also shown a similar efficacy for treating PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain. Ketamine is so effective that many providers have begun using it off-label to treat these conditions despite not having full FDA approval.

Despite ketamine’s vast array of potential uses, many stigmas and much misinformation about the drug continue to persist.

Stigma 1: Ketamine is Not Just an Animal Tranquilizer

One of the most common stigmas surrounding ketamine is its use as an animal tranquilizer. While it is true that ketamine is used in veterinary practices as an anesthetic, the dosages and best practices differ widely when compared to approved medical use for humans. For example, a common myth is ketamine was developed as a horse tranquilizer. This is not true.

Ketamine was originally developed by and tested by Corssen and Domin (1966) as a human anesthetic. It quickly moved through human trials and received FDA approval in the United States in 1970. From there, hospitals rapidly picked up ketamine as an alternative to other anesthetics. This quick adoption was due to ketamine’s low instances of side effects and the fact that ketamine does not suppress respiratory functions, a common problem with other types of sedatives.

Starting in 1971, ketamine was also deployed to the battlefields of the Vietnam conflict as both an anesthetic and an analgesic. The Department of Defense (DOD) adopted it for various reasons, including those covered earlier and ketamine’s low risk of dependency vs. opioid and opiate-based pain killers like morphine.

During the Vietnam conflict, morphine dependency became a significant problem for the United States military. With many service members developing crippling addiction to the potent opioid. These dependency issues among service members propelled ketamine’s adoption as a battlefield analgesic and an anesthetic used in field hospitals during the conflict.

Today ketamine is still widely used in hospitals across the U.S. Recently, it has also seen adoption among some providers to treat mental health and chronic pain conditions. For example, IV and nasal spray ketamine treatments for depression have gained widespread support, with a large and growing body of evidence showing the drug is both very safe and therapeutic.

Compared to depression medications such as SSRIs, ketamine has an efficacy rating of 70% vs. 35%. This astounding efficacy shows ketamine to be vastly more potent and effective at reducing depression symptoms. This potency also carries over to PTSD and anxiety treatments, as well as chronic pain conditions.

Stigma 2: Ketamine, Not a Highly Addictive Club Drug

“The medical benefits of ketamine far outweigh potential harm from recreational use.” —Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant-Director General for Health Systems and Innovation at WHO.

While it is true that ketamine is used recreationally by thousand of people in the U.S. and possibly millions worldwide, it is not true that ketamine is only a club drug. The fact is that ketamine is a widely used and very popular anesthetic in hospitals across the globe. Ketamine is the preferred anesthetic for patients with respiratory conditions that put them at greater risk of breathing problems during surgery and is also favored for its low risks of dependencies vs. or drugs like opiates and opioids.

Ketamine is also the go-to anesthetic for use with children. Children are much more susceptible to the adverse respiratory effects of common anesthetic drugs, making ketamine the go-to choice in pediatric hospitals around the globe.

Compared to a wide range of other drugs among recreational users, ketamine users are significantly less likely to become addicted to the drug. Among regular recreational users, only 0.1 to 0.2 of adult users are likely to develop a dependency on the drug. This information aligns with medical community statistics that show similarly low instances of addiction from clinical and hospital use of ketamine.

If we compare ketamine addictions to legal drugs like alcohol, we can see that ketamine is significantly less likely to cause addiction. For example, six percent, or 20,030,687 Americans, will experience alcohol dependency throughout their lives. In contrast, less than one percent of the one percent of Americans that use ketamine recreationally will develop a dependency.

This misconception around the risk of dependency from ketamine use both clinically and otherwise is partly driven by media sensationalism and lingering effects of lousy science developed for messaging efforts as part of the War on Drugs. Of course, none of this means recreational use is without risks or should be encouraged. Still, myths and misinformation around ketamine must be dispelled if research and adoption of the drug for mental health and chronic pain conditions are to expand.

It’s time to change how we think about ketamine.

Ketamine is a powerful new tool for providers around the nation and the world to use in the fight for better mental healthcare. In the United States alone, over 8,900,000 men, women, and children will be diagnosed with some form of depression. Of those, 30% will not respond to treatment, and nearly 840,000 will try to commit suicide. SSRIs and similar drugs are not as effective as needed, and it’s past time for a change.

Research shows that ketamine will help seven in ten patients experience rapid onset relief from the symptoms of major mood disorders in as little as a single ketamine infusion session. When paired with psychotherapy, ketamine is staggeringly effective at treating some mental health conditions like PTSD and has even shown potential use for treating substance abuse disorders.

While ketamine is not a panacea, evidence shows that it is a highly effective and relatively low-risk treatment option for depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other disorders that millions of us are living with. Unfortunately, research into ketamine’s uses, like many other psychedelic drugs, is hampered by negative public sentiment and misinformed elected officials. It’s critical that this status quo changes and rapidly.

Join the conversation about the clinical use of ketamine and other psychedelic drugs, and help end the stigma around these potent weapons in the fight against poor mental health.

Sources:

Carboni, E., Carta, A. R., Carboni, E., & Novelli, A. (1AD, January 1). Repurposing ketamine in depression and related disorders: Can this enigmatic drug achieve success? Frontiers. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.657714/full

Green SM;Denmark TK;Cline J;Roghair C;Abd Allah S;Rothrock SG; (n.d.). Ketamine sedation for pediatric critical care procedures. Pediatric emergency care. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11493822/

Communications, N. Y. U. W. (2021, October 7). Recreational ketamine use has increased in recent years, but remains rare. NYU. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/october/recreational-ketamine-use.html

Hermle, L., Simon, M., Ruchsow, M., & Geppert, M. (2012, October). Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder. Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3736944/

Li, L., & Vlisides, P. E. (2016, November 29). Ketamine: 50 years of modulating the mind. Frontiers in human neuroscience. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5126726/#B41

A First of its Kind: Wellbeing Digital Sciences Delivers its “First Ketamine Treatment Under the Inpatient KITE Program”

Gores Landing, Ontario – Wellbeing Digital Sciences, formerly KetamineOne Capital Limited, has officially announced the successful launch of its first intravenous “IV” ketamine treatment at the Victoria Wellness Mental Health Residential and Addition Treatment Centre (also referred to as “VW”) in Ontario. This was able to happen through collaboration with iHealthOX, a powerful, data-driven healthcare platform that strives to transform the primary care experience for its members.

VW is making waves in the industry by being one of Canada’s first in-patient facilities to offer ketamine-assisted therapy. Wellbeing management shared that they hope to see an increase in successful IV ketamine infusions in the future thanks to the collaboration between VW, iHealthOX, and itself.

“The success of our first IV ketamine treatment in Canada in collaboration with VW and iHealthOX and Wellbeing is encouraged that ketamine-based treatments for mental health are becoming more commonplace. The Company has always wanted to make a positive and significant impact on mental health, and this brings us one step closer,” said Adam Deffett, Interim CEO of Wellbeing.

VW is a residential facility and mental health clinic that offer personalized therapy treatment programs for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Located at 5316 Lake Scenic Drive in Gores Landing, Ontario, VW has launched a first-class, best practice-based, six-week inpatient Ketamine Integrated Therapy Experience (“KITE”) program with the help of Wellbeing Digital Sciences.

The KITE program offers a structure that allows clients a unique opportunity to benefit from the fast-acting and medically supervised IV ketamine administration. It’s believed that this process will help combat treatment-resistant mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

VW’s KITE program is possible through the collaborative efforts of both Wellbeing and iHealthOX. The latter was created to help give patients a customized digital tool specifically curated for mental health. Patients can access live coaching sessions, evidence-based material, 24/7 emotional support, and options for one-on-one therapy. The platform will be available to patients via both desktop and mobile versions, effectively extending Wellbeing’s services beyond just its clinic locations.

Kaeli Swaggerty holds a B.A. in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Connect with her about bringing awareness to mental health issues on LinkedIn.

Source:
Wellbeing Digital Sciences Inc. “Wellbeing Digital Sciences Delivers Its First IV Ketamine Treatment under the Inpatient Kite Program.” GlobeNewswire News Room, Wellbeing Digital Sciences Inc., 15 Feb. 2022, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/15/2384871/0/en/Wellbeing-Digital-Sciences-Delivers-its-First-IV-Ketamine-Treatment-Under-the-Inpatient-KITE-Program.html.

Aggregate Study on the Efficacy of Ketamine to Treat Depression Shows Promising Results.

A recent aggregate study on the effectiveness of ketamine treatments for depression conducted by Ezio Carboni, Anna Carta, Elena Carboni, and Antonello Novelli, and published by Frontiers in Neuroscience, shows ketamine has significant promise as a treatment option for chronic and treatment-resistant depression.

Ketamine, an anesthetic and analgesic drug first developed in the 1970s, has long been used in hospitals, clinics, and battlefields as a safe alternative to other anesthetics. Unlike other medications, ketamine does not depress the respiratory or circulatory systems of patients it is administered to; this factor has made it a go-to compound for surgical proceedings in hospitals worldwide.

Despite ketamine’s long and successful use as an anesthetic, it has only recently, within the last decade, started to gain notoriety as a breakthrough treatment for depression and substance abuse disorders. This recognition of ketamine’s potential for treating depression comes from its rapid onset and relatively low risk of severe side effects. Unlike traditional SSRIs that take several weeks or longer to begin working, ketamine has been shown to have a near-immediate impact on patients who receive the drug.

As reported by Carboni, ketamine and its derivative drug esketamine affect brain NMDA (glutamate) transmission. This impact on the available levels of glutamate is believed to be responsible for ketamine rapid antidepressant effects. However, research into this and other areas of depression treatment is hampered by a lack of available animal studies.

Carboni proposes that ketamine also significantly impacts other neural transmitters, such AMPA, BDNF, eEF2, and glycogen synthase kinase 3. All of which are thought to be partially responsible for depressive symptoms in patients. Furthermore, Carboni Et. Al. postulates that ketamine stimulating qualities also positively affect patients with depressive symptoms, particularly those with treatment-resistant depression.

This may be due to ketamine’s ability to alter background synaptic activity, changing how some synaptic pathways in the mind that have become locked into depression-related states transmit information. This rewiring of neural activity is thought to allow data to be processed in new ways, potentially relieving depressive symptoms.

Carboni shows that ketamine’s ability to break free locked in synapses was first noted in research conducted by Berman et al. in the early 2000s. Berman’s research showed that patients with depressive symptoms given ketamine showed significant improvement in as little as 72 hours. Notably, this rapid relief from depressive symptoms was not experienced by the control group who received a placebo only.

Furthermore, trials conducted by Yang et al., 2019a and Canuso et al., 2018 showed both esketamine (Spravato) and R-ketamine provide rapid relief to patients with treatment-resistant depression. Interestingly R-ketamine, while being less potent than esketamine, showed longer-lasting anti-depressive benefits and required less follow-up course of the drug to maintain its anti-depressive effects.

While research into ketamine and its derivatives is still relatively new, research and trials like those mentioned above show that the drug has strong therapeutic potential. Particularly for those with major mood disorders or treatment-resistant depression. One of the most critical aspects of research like that detailed in this article is its ability to inform the general public about these new tools in the fight against mental illness.

Unfortunately, the public has long viewed ketamine as a party drug, leading to widespread misinformation and stigma around its use. As knowledge about the benefits of drugs like ketamine and even other psychedelics grows, it will be critical that the people stay engaged and become part of the greater conversation around not just ketamine but mental health as a whole.

Sources:

Canuso, C. M., Singh, J. B., Fedgchin, M., Alphs, L., Lane, R., Lim, P., et al. (2018). Efficacy and safety of intranasal esketamine for the rapid reduction of symptoms of depression and suicidality in patients at imminent risk for suicide: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Am. J. Psychiatry 175, 620–630. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17060720

Yang, C., Wardenaar, K. J., Bosker, F. J., Li, J., and Schoevers, R. A. (2019a). Inflammatory markers and treatment outcome in treatment-resistant depression: a systematic review. J. Affect. Disord. 257, 640–649. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.045