Study Links Psilocybin Mushrooms to Decreased Risk of Opioid Addiction
The past couple of years have seen a rise in the popularity of alternative medicines. As people become more aware of the risks and side effects associated with the use of pharmaceuticals, interest in safer alternatives has increased exponentially.
Psychedelics such as magic mushrooms have enjoyed a lot of public attention as a result. Although research into the potential benefits and risks of psychedelics is just beginning, initial studies have found that they may possess the ability to alleviate anxiety, stress and depression.
A study recently published in “Nature” has revealed that psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical found in magic mushrooms, may be able to serve an extremely vital function, reducing the risk of opioid addiction and helping to combat the opioid crisis.
For more than two decades, the opioid epidemic has claimed nearly half a million lives from opioid overdoses. A couple of years ago, the Department of Human and Health Services in the country declared the pandemic a public health emergency and announced its Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis.
After examining a variety of psychedelics as well as data from a sample of the American population, researchers found that only psilocybin had the potential to alleviate opioid addiction. Compared to other psychedelics, the study revealed that psilocybin users are less likely to develop an opioid use disorder.
According to study authors Jocelyn A. Richard, Grant Jones, Matthew K. Nock and Joshua Lipson, psilocybin was the only “classic psychedelic” associated with a reduced likelihood of having experienced opioid use disorder (OUD) in the past year. As such, one of their conclusions was that different psychedelics can have different mental health outcomes.
For instance, while psychedelics such as LSD, MDMA, mescaline and ayahuasca may have the ability to alleviate certain mental health conditions, this study shows that psilocybin could prove to be an effective treatment against opioid addiction.
The researchers used annual data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health gathered for the years 2015 through 2019. Every year, the survey polls a nationally representative sample of the country’s population and studies substance abuse and health outcomes.
A study conducted in 2017 was the first ever to conclude that individuals who had experience with psychedelic drugs tended to have a reduced risk of opioid dependence and abuse. However, the researchers stated that they were eager to see if subsequent studies would replicate these results.
This recent study examined 214,505 respondents and concluded that magic mushrooms were capable of lowering the risk of opioid use disorders by a significant margin. Such findings underscore the fact that a lot more will be documented about the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, especially when you consider the reality that companies such as Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) are investing heavily into developing approved medicines from these substances.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the PsychedelicNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by PNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.PsychedelicNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
The past couple of years have seen a rise in the popularity of alternative medicines. As people become more aware of the risks and side effects associated with the use of pharmaceuticals, interest in safer alternatives has increased exponentially.
Psychedelics such as magic mushrooms have enjoyed a lot of public attention as a result. Although research into the potential benefits and risks of psychedelics is just beginning, initial studies have found that they may possess the ability to alleviate anxiety, stress and depression.
A study recently published in “Nature” has revealed that psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical found in magic mushrooms, may be able to serve an extremely vital function, reducing the risk of opioid addiction and helping to combat the opioid crisis.
For more than two decades, the opioid epidemic has claimed nearly half a million lives from opioid overdoses. A couple of years ago, the Department of Human and Health Services in the country declared the pandemic a public health emergency and announced its Strategy to Combat the Opioid Crisis.
After examining a variety of psychedelics as well as data from a sample of the American population, researchers found that only psilocybin had the potential to alleviate opioid addiction. Compared to other psychedelics, the study revealed that psilocybin users are less likely to develop an opioid use disorder.
According to study authors Jocelyn A. Richard, Grant Jones, Matthew K. Nock and Joshua Lipson, psilocybin was the only “classic psychedelic” associated with a reduced likelihood of having experienced opioid use disorder (OUD) in the past year. As such, one of their conclusions was that different psychedelics can have different mental health outcomes.
For instance, while psychedelics such as LSD, MDMA, mescaline and ayahuasca may have the ability to alleviate certain mental health conditions, this study shows that psilocybin could prove to be an effective treatment against opioid addiction.
The researchers used annual data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health gathered for the years 2015 through 2019. Every year, the survey polls a nationally representative sample of the country’s population and studies substance abuse and health outcomes.
A study conducted in 2017 was the first ever to conclude that individuals who had experience with psychedelic drugs tended to have a reduced risk of opioid dependence and abuse. However, the researchers stated that they were eager to see if subsequent studies would replicate these results.
This recent study examined 214,505 respondents and concluded that magic mushrooms were capable of lowering the risk of opioid use disorders by a significant margin. Such findings underscore the fact that a lot more will be documented about the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, especially when you consider the reality that companies such as Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) are investing heavily into developing approved medicines from these substances.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CYBN
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the PsychedelicNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by PNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.PsychedelicNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
