Research has shown that psilocybin is effective in treating the psychological distress that often accompanies a terminal cancer diagnosis, but is there a place for it in our current medical system?
So, if it isn’t quite a drug, is it a psychotherapy? Yes and no. All of the clinical trial administrations of psilocybin in end-of-life care are done by trained therapists who guide patients through the experience and walk them through any scary or intense moments. The presence of therapists is integral to ensuring that almost all patients have positive experiences, which is not always the case with the recreational use of psilocybin.
Although psilocybin is extracted from naturally produced mushrooms and can be administered in pill form, it is not your typical pharmaceutical drug. First, it is a product of nature and thus cannot be patented, which is not appealing to Big Pharma. Additionally, the effects of a single psilocybin administration can last for months. This is not compatible with the once- or twice-daily administration of most Big Pharma drugs like SSRIs. Due to these factors, psilocybin is not competitive with other highly profitable drugs in the marketplace.
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“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
Clearly, the compounds in psilocybin have beneficial effects on cancer patients, but the therapy to ensure a positive, meaningful experience is also very important. Thus, psilocybin is very difficult to describe as just a drug or just a form of therapy and does not fit into the current medical treatment paradigm which separates the two.
Medical use of psilocybin topic is not controversial just because the drugs are illegal, but ultimately because its use could blur the line between pharmaceuticals and therapy, and revolutionize the way we treat mental illness.
“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
The Verdict
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