Psychedelics Without the Trip? What Recent Research Could Mean for Investors

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in psychedelics from researchers who work in the pharmaceutical, medical, and mental health fields. These researchers are currently examining the potential benefits of psychedelic drugs. Before the 1960s, there was research into psychedelics happening all over the world, but much of that research was unused for decades.  

Part of the reason why psychedelics research in the 1940s and 1950s was abandoned was due to the hallucinogenic properties of psychedelics. Though these drugs showed some benefits at the time, controlling the hallucinogenic aspect was and still is difficult. 

However, new research into psychedelics may be able to take advantage of the benefits of psychedelics when hallucinogenic properties are removed.  

The Potential of Psychedelics Research

Studies have shown that psychedelics can offer users health benefits. It has been widely believed that psychedelics can help to treat individuals with mental illnesses. These mental illnesses include anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction, and PTSD. Psychedelics help these individuals by creating new connections between neurons in the brain. 

By doing this, psychedelics go beyond traditional treatments. Traditional treatments mask or help to manage symptoms of mental illness. But psychedelics may be able to alter the brain and actually treat the illness itself, rather than the symptoms.   

Avoiding Hallucinations 

However, a consistent drawback to the use of psychedelics is their hallucinogenic properties. This makes psychedelic drugs more difficult to administer than others. 

With most drugs, treatment can be administered to a patient, and the medical provider can go about their business. But with psychedelics, a patient requires constant supervision. Hallucinations can be challenging and potentially dangerous, so someone must ensure that the patient is not a danger to themselves or others. 

Psychedelics cause hallucinations when they interact with the brain’s receptors that normally bind to serotonin, which can affect a person’s mood. 

In order to further understand this process, a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis created a sensor. The sensor essentially acts as a radar for hallucinogens. With it, the researchers were able to discover a molecule called AAZ-A-154. This molecule is able to interact with the brain’s receptors without causing hallucinations. It also alleviates symptoms of depression.   

What This Could Mean for the Industry and Investors 

While more research needs to be done, the promise of the research team’s sensor and the identification of AAZ-A-154 are the first steps toward the possibility of using psychedelics without hallucinogenic effects. If or when the team is able to fully develop this concept, their research could be exactly what the psychedelics industry needs. By getting rid of the hallucinogens but keeping the benefits, psychedelics can become marketable mental health solutions. 

For more information on the psychedelics industry and to stay updated on psychedelics stocks, be sure to check back in with us at the Dales Report!