Psychedelic drugs should be legally reclassified so that researchers can investigate their therapeutic potential

@article{Rucker2015PsychedelicDS,
  title={Psychedelic drugs should be legally reclassified so that researchers can investigate their therapeutic potential},
  author={James J. H. Rucker},
  journal={BMJ : British Medical Journal},
  year={2015},
  volume={350}
}
  • J. Rucker
  • Published 26 May 2015
  • Psychology
  • BMJ : British Medical Journal
Trials of physiologically safe and non-addictive drugs such as LSD are almost impossible, writes James J H Rucker, calling on the authorities to downgrade their unnecessarily restrictive class A, schedule 1 classification 
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18 Citations

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This special edition of the Journal of Psychopharmacology continues a reflection of psychopharmacological’s vogue to breathe new life into old drugs, with a characterisation of the relevance of the 5-HT2A receptor to the psychedelic state, and a study of the neural and subjective effects of a short acting psychedelic.
The Use of Classic Hallucinogens/Psychedelics in a Therapeutic Context: Healthcare Policy Opportunities and Challenges
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Although the current evidence is limited, that multiple signals point in directions consistent with treatment potential, alongside the psychological and physiological safety of clinically administered psilocybin, support the expansion of research, both in animal models and in further randomized controlled trials, to properly investigate this potential.
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A Public-Health-Based Vision for the Management and Regulation of Psychedelics
TLDR
A public-health-based model for the regulation of psychedelics is described, which includes governance, supervision, set and setting controls, youth access, supply control, demand limitation, and evaluation.
Therapeutic Use of LSD in Psychiatry: A Systematic Review of Randomized-Controlled Clinical Trials
TLDR
The evidence to date is strongest for the use of LSD in the treatment of alcoholism, and new studies that conform to modern standards are necessary in order to strengthen knowledge on its use and open new doors in the future.
The link between use of psychedelic drugs and mental health problems
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It is argued that the authors’ conclusions in their latest paper are not substantiated by their results and will propose supplemental analyses to validate or potentially revise their conclusions.
Back to the future: Research renewed on the clinical utility of psychedelic drugs
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The use of psilocybin in the treatment of depression and anxiety in cancer patients and a substantial therapeutic effect of two drug administrations in a crossover design on the target symptoms of anxiety and depression in a heterogeneous group of cancer patients with comorbid psychopathology are described.
Global bioethical challenges of medicalising psychedelics
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is an emerging psychiatric treatment that is attracting significant scientific, medical, and public attention. Whilst preliminary results from empirical studies…
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