NIH Director Touts Benefits of Psychedelics

Psychedelics may be one step closer to decriminalization.  All after the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Francis Collins touted the benefits of psilocybin and MDMA, as noted by Marijuana Moment.  “There has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic drugs, which for a while were sort of considered not an area that researchers legitimately ought to go after,” Collins said. “And I think as we’ve learned more about how the brain works, we’ve begun to realize that these are potential tools for research purposes and might be clinically beneficial.”

Studies have already shown that some psychedelics could be useful for treating anxiety, PTSD, opioid addictions, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and alcoholism.

We may also soon learn psilocybin could potentially assist in treating eating disorders and obesity from a NeonMind Biosciences study. That’s because psilocybin activates serotonin receptors, or “nature’s own appetite suppressant,” as noted by Psychology Today. “This powerful brain chemical curbs cravings and shuts off appetite. It makes you feel satisfied even if your stomach is not full. The result is eating less and losing weight.”