Two studies, released a few hours ago (today) “are special in that they are the most rigorous double-blind placebo-controlled trials of a psychedelic drug in th

Two studies, released a few hours ago (today) “are special in that they are the most rigorous double-blind placebo-controlled trials of a psychedelic drug in the past 50 years” [1] This editorial from the journal article is just over a page long: http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1163.full.pdf http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1163.full.pdf [1] .... Excerpts from the news article: Two studies published Thursday in the Journal of Psychopharmacology could open a path to transforming this taboo drug into a routine psychiatric treatment. The studies — one conducted at Johns Hopkins University and the other at New York University — found that a single dose of psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, can produce immediate, lasting, and positive effects for cancer patients with anxiety and depression. Six months after a high-dose psilocybin session overseen by researchers and mental health professionals, about 80 percent of the participants in the Johns Hopkins group reported significant decreases in depression and anxiety. And in the NYU group, between 60 percent and 80 percent of participants reported similar results. The two trials, combined, included roughly 80 participants. “These were dramatic clinical changes,” said Dr. Stephen Ross, who led the NYU study and directs the substance abuse services program at NYU Langone Medical Center. .... Ross unveiled the results with a heavy measure of caution. “If someone goes out and does this themselves, they could have enormous anxiety and paranoia, and can feel much worse,” Ross said. “Though I’m sympathetic, I’d strongly recommend people not do that.” Even research participants who raved about the experience talked about how their psilocybin treatment could have turned tragic, if not for the fact that they were treated in a tightly controlled environment.