“Psychedelics - Ethical Concerns and Efficacy for Modern Psychiatry.”

Location: Flores 4-5 Session Description: The repurposing of psychedelic substances for therapeutic use is not a new concept but it is a rapidly emerging field within conventional medicine and addiction recovery. Modern psychedelic therapy integrates hallucinogenic plants or compounds as part of a psychotherapeutic process. This practice is a hotly debated topic and one in which medical professionals as well as the lay person feel very polarized, citing ethical and legal concerns while debating the efficacy of such treatments and the potential risks, including addiction, psychotic episodes and symptom deterioration.
Traditional substances such a Ayahuasca, Psilocybin, Ibogaine, Datura, Mescaline, Peyote, and sometimes referred to as entheogens for the spiritual psychoactive effects, have been touted as effective treatments for complex trauma, PTSD, depression and opioid addiction. Many, if not all, of these are not legal in the US and all treatments require extensive clinical training to be performed safely.
Additionally, pharmaceutically synthesized hallucinogens and dissociative anesthetics that are popular in recreational use, are being repurposed in off-label fashion for microdosing psychiatric conditions, with or without conventional talk-therapy. MDA, MDMA, Phencyclidine (PCP), and its derivative Ketamine, all contain a molecule with psychodysleptic properties which are being studied as therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Outcome studies are mixed on whether these treatments produce long-lasting positive effects that justify the potential risks.
A panel of medical and psychological experts will discuss these controversial practices from a therapeutic, addiction recovery, legal and economic point of view to analyze the ethics and efficacy of appropriation of traditional medicines for modern psychiatric purposes.