As we’ve watched the movement for the decriminalization of marijuana grow across the United States, it’s amazing to see how quickly public perception can change in light of new information that contrasts popular belief. For many years, weed has been lumped in with heroin, cocaine, meth and other illicit drugs and its use or possession has been punished accordingly. Nowadays, with the growing amount of scientific knowledge telling us that it’s no more dangerous than tobacco or alcohol, society has slowly started to accept these findings. We now have to adjust our laws and policies appropriately.
While weed continues to progress towards legalization, another drug that’s been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons is MDMA. Often cut with other substances and branded as ‘Molly‘ or ‘Ecstasy‘, the psychoactive drug has been linked to a number of overdose deaths in recent years, Additionally, it has seen its ties to electronic dance music damage the reputation of both parties. Yet, despite all the negative press it’s received, recent studies have begun to show the drug’s promise as a treatment option for those suffering from aliments like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and social anxiety.
In an interview conducted by The Huffington Post, Rick Doblin, executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, gave insight into the widespread clinical research being done on the use of psychadelic drugs like MDMA and Psilocybin mushrooms as viable treatment options. Over the course of the interview, Doblin touched on many aspects of their research, from how MDMA works as a form of treatment to the long term goals of the organization, which hopes to have MDMA approved by the FDA for 2021. Interestingly enough, Doblin reveals that the idea to investigate MDMA as a form of treatment came from stories he’d read online about people diagnosed along the autism spectrum who’d found that taking MDMA helped their social anxiety.
As promising and exciting as the research may be, there’s still a long way to go before your doctor prescribes you Molly to help you shake your pre-test anxieties. Doblin, however, remains optimistic as for the future of MDMA in psychotherapy treatments. “We only have data on eight out of the 12 participants so far,” he explains, “but the findings are pretty remarkable. We’re finding that it works, but we’re also not totally surprised.” At the end of the day, whether you support or condemn drug use shouldn’t matter; these patients should be able to access these drugs if it will truly improve their conditions. We can only hope that Rick Doblin and his organization continue to advocate on their behalf.
Source: The Huffington Post