What’s New in the News?

FDA “Breakthrough” Ruling on Magic Mushroom, Explained by Scientists
Dr. Griffiths and Dr. Johnson speak to the promising news that psilocybin has been granted breakthrough status by the FDA, paving a path for more evidence-based approaches to testing the therapeutic uses for psilocybin.

Psychedelic Medicine: From Tradition to Science
Lead figures and researchers in the field gathered in Cambridge, MA last month to discuss psychedelic medicine. The link above provides access to all of the fascinating and informative presentations that day.

Psychedelic Mushrooms are Closer to Medicinal Use (It’s Not Just Your Imagination)
The New York Times spoke to Dr. Johnson about our team’s recent manuscript reviewing the abuse liability of psilocybin. The manuscript concludes that, if FDA approves psilocybin as a medicine, it should be rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule IV, with appropriate safeguards.

Here’s What Happens When a Few Dozen People Take Small Doses of Psychedelics
Dr. Johnson was interviewed by the Atlantic for his review of a recently published study on psilocybin “micro-dosing”.

Setting the Record Straight on Medical Psilocybin
Scientific American published a commentary by our team, responding to a critique by a physician with concerns about the potential medical availability of psilocybin.

MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Provides Lasting Benefits for PTSD
Medscape interviewed Dr. Johnson for his evaluation of recently published research on the use of MDMA to treat PTSD. A double-blind study conducted by MAPS administered MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to PTSD patients and found significantly decreased symptoms one year later.

The New Science of Psychedelics
Michael Pollan walks us through the history of psychedelics and their recent resurgence into fields of science, including medicine and neuroscience. Recent studies in these areas have pointed us toward testing the use of psychedelics, like psilocybin, in a therapeutic context to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, and to help people curb their addictions.

Dr. Johnson was interviewed on the Dr. Oz Show about psychedelic research and the therapeutic uses of psilocybin, broadcast on October 24.

Ongoing Recruitment

Check out the studies we are currently running - the links below provide more information. We are always working on developing new studies, so stay tuned!

Upcoming Events

December 8th, 2018: Roland Griffiths & Albert Garcia-Romeu will present findings from psychedelic research at the AAAP Scientific Symposium: A New Era of Treating Substance Use Disorders with Psychedelics

December 8th, 2018: Matthew Johnson will present on psilocybin in the treatment of cancer-related psychiatric distress at the meeting Psychedelics and Spiritual Healing at the End of Life, University of Ottawa. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

December 12th, 2018: Frederick Barrett is presenting psychedelic research findings at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Hollywood, FL.

February 8-10, 2019: Albert Garcia-Romeu will be presenting at Arizona Psychedelics Conference.

April 4-6, 2019: Alan Davis presenting on Psychological flexibility and motivation to change substance use following a psychedelic experience. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Meeting, Providence, RI.

September, 2019: Matthew Johnson will present psychedelic research at the InSight 2019 meeting – Integrating the Science and Practice of Psychedelic States, MIND Foundation, Berlin, Germany

Publications in 2018

The year of 2018 has been a productive year for the Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Unit with new findings on the cognitive effects of psychedelics, highlights on the relationships of psychedelics with music and meditation, new insights into qualitative reports provided by our wonderful participants, and investigation of other psychedelic substances such dextromethorphan (DXM), 5-MeO-DMT, and ibogaine.

Johnson MW, Hendricks PS, Barrett FS, Griffiths RR (in press). Classic Psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, mystical experience, brain network function, and therapeutics. Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 

Garcia-Romeu A, Richards WA (2018). Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions. International Review of Psychiatry.

Davis AK, So S, Lancelotta R, Barsuglia JP, Griffiths RR (2018): 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

Barrett FS, Preller KH, Kaelen M (2018). Psychedelics and music: neuroscience and therapeutic implications. International Review of Psychiatry.

Barrett FS, Carbonaro TM, Hurwitz E, Johnson MW, Griffiths, RR (2018): Double-blind comparison of the two hallucinogens psilocybin and dextromethorphan: effects of cognition. Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Davis AK, Renn E, Windham-Herman AM, Polanco M, Barsuglia JP (2018): A mixed-method analysis of persisting effects associated with positive outcomes following ibogaine detoxification. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Noorani T, Garcia-Romeu A, Swift TC, Griffiths RR, Johnson MW (2018). Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts. Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Davis AK, Barsuglia, JP, Lancelotta R, Grant RM, Renn E (2018). The epidemiology of 5-methyoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) use: Benefits, consequences, patterns of use, subjective uses, and reasons for consumption. Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Johnson MW, Griffiths RR, Hendrick PS, Henningfield JE (2018). The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act. Neuropharmacology.

Barrett FS, Schlienz NJ, Lembeck N, Waqas M, Vandrey R (2018). “Hallucinations” following acute cannabis dosing: A case report and comparison to other hallucinogenic drugs. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Carbonaro TM, Johnson MW, Hurwitz E, Griffiths RR. Double-blind comparison of the two hallucinogens psilocybin and dextromethorphan: similarities and difference in subjective experiences. Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Griffiths RR et al (2018). Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Psychopharmacology.