It's Official: LSD, Special K, and Magic Mushrooms Are Now Good For You
According to scientists, rave party staples LSD and ketamine (better known as Special K or just K) can be cures for depression and other psychiatric disorders. Wow, the '90s really are coming back full force. And the best part, too!
An article by a pair of Swiss doctors in the September issue of Nature has this to say:
Psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin [found in magic mushrooms], and ketamine have led to renewed interest in the clinical potential of psychedelics in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Recent behavioral and neuroimaging data show that psychedelics modulate neural circuits that have been implicated in mood and affective disorders, and can reduce the clinical symptoms of these disorders. These findings raise the possibility that research into psychedelics might identify novel therapeutic mechanisms.
That is fancy science speak for, "Shit is dope!" Please, anyone who twirled a glow stick in baggy jeans listening to a Fatboy Slim remix could tell you that, brother.
Another team of scientists is studying ketamine at Yale (an ivy!) and they came up with similar results. Neuroscientist Ron Duman told Scientific American, "Ketamine...can oppose or reverse the effects of depression," for up to seven days per dose. Sure that was in lab rats, but he pretty much just said, "Go snort a bunch of K and you'll feel awesome for a week, dude!"
Pharmacologist Charles Nichols of the Louisiana State University is also finding promising medicinal benefits of psilocybin, including its use as an anti-inflammatory. What is up with all these simultaneous studies into the benefits of psychedelics? Is it a bunch of reformed ravers who are now doing their best to prove that they didn't do irreparable harm to their brains at Burning Man? Better yet, are they trying to find an excuse to start doing these drugs again? Whatever, who cares. We're going to start getting depressed, because thanks to science, getting undepressed sure is going to be a lot of fun!
