MindShift

The Big Story

It is the oldest ongoing curse of psychedelic research, and it is called the double-blind study (when part of the patients are given a placebo without knowing it). The problem is that the effects of psychedelics are too obvious: whether you trip or not, you know it. In 2024, the FDA flagged this issue as one reason for rejecting Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-based treatment for PTSD. In its report, advisers noted that about 90% of patients receiving the treatment and 75% of those on the placebo could accurately guess which group they were in.

Last week in The British Journal of Psychiatry, a small group of experts weighed in on this longstanding issue, declaring that “there are no true placebos for psychedelics.” They advocate for a redesign of clinical studies, arguing that a data-driven approach can succeed where double-blind studies have failed. Among other suggestions, they propose applying Bayesian designs to reduce the need for placebo groups, using benchmarking studies to set clear expectations for risks and side effects, and harnessing the power of wearable technologies to gather more information.

Also, last week in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, Dutch researchers stressed the need to redesign psychedelic trials to meet regulatory requirements in Europe. They quote a recent workshop with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which focused on the challenge of “functional unblinding”, where participants can tell whether they received the active treatment. To address this, researchers propose more innovative study designs, such as using varied dose levels instead of a simple active-versus-placebo setup.

Science & Innovation

Psychedelics affect the whole brain and beyond. Their impact is more widespread than previously thought. In the journal Neuron, scientists have shown that 41 psychedelic substances, including LSD and psilocybin, act on over 300 receptors present virtually everywhere in the human body. These are all part of a broad class of receptors called GPCRs, which alone are linked to 34% of all FDA-approved drugs. The findings also ring a bell of caution: all tested psychedelics activate a receptor called 5-HT2B, which is linked to heart development and valve disease if overstimulated.
→ Neuroscience News

LSD exerts a rapid antidepressant effect. Curiously, it has been shown to work in rats but not in mice. French researchers have discovered a fundamental brain mechanism that might explain the alleged fast antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of LSD by acting on a brain receptor named 5-HT2B. They demonstrated that these effects were canceled when a chemical agent was used to block these receptors, thereby preventing LSD from binding to them.
→ Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy

Psilocybin to treat alcohol addiction. Two to eight weeks after withdrawal, 30 French patients with severe alcohol use disorder and depression underwent a psilocybin treatment in addition to their usual therapy. Half of these individuals participated in two sessions with a high dose of 25 mg. The other half, forming a control group as in a double-blind study, received only a very low dose of 1 mg. Results published in the journal Addiction show that patients who received the high dose had significantly higher abstinence rates at 12 weeks, with 55% abstinence compared to 11% in the low-dose group.
→ Midi Libre (in French)

Patients suffering from eating disorders say psychedelics help. Over 7000 individuals self-reporting anorexia, bulimia, and related conditions were asked about their experience with prescribed and nonprescribed drugs. Cannabis and psychedelics were the highest-rated for improving symptoms, while alcohol, nicotine, and tobacco were poorly rated, researchers show in JAMA Network Open. Prescribed antidepressants were generally not well rated for treating eating disorder symptoms, but were positively rated for effects on general mental health.
→ The University of Sydney

Society & Policy

Nursing students to receive psychedelic therapy education at UC Irvine and UC Davis. The two institutions join a growing number of institutions bringing this field to social workers and nurses’ curricula. This initiative has been fostered by the University Psychedelic Education Program (U-PEP), a network of American universities that “provides faculty with specialized training, curriculum resources, and a national network of peers to help shape psychedelic education within health professions.” U-PEP is backed by private foundations and institutes such as the 1440 Foundation and the Cosmos Institute.
→ UC Irvine

The latest updates on the legalization front. Over the past two weeks, much of the regulatory activity and debate has taken place in the United States, at both the federal and state levels. Did we miss something in your country? Please send us a tip.

• North Carolina – veterans put pressure on the Senate to approve Bill 568, which would not legalize psychedelics but prepare for the possibility of an FDA approval. → WUNC

• Massachusetts – The Massachusetts Psychiatric Society is the first American psychiatric society to officially endorse a decriminalization-specific legislation of psychedelics. → HorizonMass

• US Federal Government – On July 16, Donald Trump signed a fentanyl ban that also lifts regulatory barriers in scientific research on Schedule I drugs, including psychedelics. → The White House

Business

U.S. News & World Report promotes investments in psychedelic firms and funds. The market is immature, volatility is the norm, guarantees are absent, and timelines for returns are excruciatingly long. Despite these risks, finance journalists at U.S. News still consider investing in psychedelics a viable option for risk-tolerant investors, given the great potential for profits. They suggest investing in individual companies like Atai Life Sciences or psychedelics funds such as the AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF to spread risk across several companies (though this fund comes with hefty administrative fees, if you ask us).
→ U.S. News & World Report

In brief

Are you ready for a trip? Take a test, based on a scientific study, to find out (disclaimer: results are sent to your email with commercial offers that we do not endorse). → Althea

Psychedelics in the Trump Era. As stated in our previous issue, many are surprised by the conservative embrace of psychedelics. → CNN and Wired

How to make trippy art. If you’re in the mood for a little drawing and a 1960s psychedelic revival. → The cozy art teacher

LSD to restore hearing. A variant of the drug grows new neuron connections in the cochlea of mice and might help mitigate hearing loss… and dementia. → The Scientist

How psilocybin and MDMA keep fear in check. They seem to do so by regulating interactions between the immune system and the central nervous system. → Cell Research

Highlights from the Gordon Research Conference on the Neurobiology of Psychedelics. The meeting brought together 200 scientists in Rhode Island earlier this month. → Psychedelic Alpha

If you have a little more time

Abuses and cults flourish in the psychedelic renaissance. This long-format article reports on cases of sexual abuse and cult-like dynamics in guru-led healing centers, addressing "the dark side of the Shroom Boom." Similar to the Wild West, where "the most aggressive, entrepreneurial people" thrive, the psychedelic renaissance requires better regulation, according to Business Insider. For example, in Oregon, oversight of the 20 state-controlled education programs is allegedly minimal. Professional sitters are required to complete 160 hours of training, whereas licensed massage therapists must undergo 625 hours.
→ Business Insider