One of the major party drugs to emerge from the past 20 years may be about to made legal. In various studies across the country, researchers have been investigating the use of MDMA in medical treatments for those who have suffered psychological or emotional damage through instances such as war, sexual assault, crime and more.
Large-scale clinical trials are about to begin that will see at least 230 patients involved. The Phase III trials are being sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), who have experience in similar trials. One previous pilot study involved 19 PTSD patients, with more than half experiencing lesser symptoms for up to six years following just three doses of MDMA.
Subjects who took part in the study said the treatment was helpful but in some cases very difficult at times. But, overall the results were unsurprisingly successful. MDMA is well known for having a positive effect on the amygdala, hence why the drug is so popular among youngsters as it invokes feelings of trust and empathy.
“The body of evidence that shows MDMA works is so strong and so encouraging,” stated Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS. Doblin himself is really enthusiastic about the potential of the drug and has recently helped researchers apply for a “breakthrough therapy” status with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This basically means that if the drug is as successful as they claim it to be then it may be fast-tracked for approval and available for psychotherapy use as early as 2021.
MDMA was first recognized as being a potential medicine over thirty years ago by chemist Alexander Shulgin and proved to have a big following as a therapy treatment. However, once it made its way into the party scene, it was banned and made a Schedule 1 substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But now, it’s making its way back into the medical scene and can hopefully once again be used as treatment rather than a recreational use drug.
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