Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Johns Hopkins launches center for psychedelic research
A group of private donors has given $17 million to start the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins Medicine, making it what's believed to be the first such research center in the U.S. and the largest research center of its kind in the world.
Psychedelics are a class of drugs that produce unique and profound changes of consciousness over the course of several hours. The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research will focus on how psychedelics affect behavior, brain function, learning and memory, the brain's biology, and mood.
"The center's establishment reflects a new era of research in therapeutics and the mind through studying this unique and remarkable class of pharmacological compounds." Roland GriffithsDirector, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
"The center's establishment reflects a new era of research in therapeutics and the mind through studying this unique and remarkable class of pharmacological compounds," says Roland Griffiths, the center's director and professor of behavioral biology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "In addition to studies on new therapeutics, we plan to investigate creativity and well-being in healthy volunteers that we hope will open up new ways to support human thriving."
At Johns Hopkins, much of the early work with psychedelics has focused on psilocybin, the chemical found in so-called magic mushrooms. Further studies will determine the chemical's effectiveness as a new therapy for opioid addiction, Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (formerly known as chronic Lyme disease), anorexia nervosa, and alcohol use in people with major depression. Researchers hope to create precision medicine treatments tailored to individual patients' specific needs.
"Johns Hopkins is deeply committed to exploring innovative treatments for our patients," says Paul B. Rothman, dean of the medical faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Our scientists have shown that psychedelics have real potential as medicine, and this new center will help us explore that potential."
The center will provide support for a team of six faculty neuroscientists, experimental psychologists, and clinicians with expertise in psychedelic science, as well as five postdoctoral scientists.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday September 07 2019, @10:51PM
Wa' they been smokin?
And where's the doritos?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 07 2019, @11:10PM (1 child)
UCSF should have pioneered this, but it's a sate instititiion, bureaucractic as fuck. Maybe Stanford, a private uni, will get on this.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 08 2019, @05:05AM
The best research doesn't need a grant, just a chemist and cash.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 07 2019, @11:15PM
DEA raiding their offices in 3... 2... 1...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 08 2019, @12:46AM (1 child)
Let me guess, the private donors included Jeffrey Epstein (he donated before he was in jail?) Just a guess, but he was known as a big supporter of science.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday September 08 2019, @12:58AM
The private donors just don't want to get vanned by the DEA since they have blotters in their fridges.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by black6host on Sunday September 08 2019, @12:47AM (4 children)
Ok, I've been here on this site for a while, and I know a lot of my posts are what I consider humorous, even if the rest of you dolts don't quite get it...
However, this is a serious question: Anyone know who to call so I can volunteer? Can I work from home? That would be best for me...
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Sunday September 08 2019, @12:56AM (3 children)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/results/directory/profile/1311852/roland-griffiths [hopkinsmedicine.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by black6host on Sunday September 08 2019, @01:20AM (2 children)
Well, I was happy to see your recommendation. However, from the link you provided:
What the hell do religious leaders have to do with Lyme disease, PTSD, substance abuse, depression, etc...
and
"God-encounter"
there seems to be a bit too much religion involved for me. I do appreciate the time you took to provide the link, though. Seriously, it added to the conversation.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday September 08 2019, @01:33AM (1 child)
Religious leaders get high on magic mushrooms ingredient – for science [theguardian.com]
It sounds like woo-woo, but somebody might get something out of it, so who cares. Also, I'm pretty sure you have to get DEA approval for any kind of study like this, so the experiment has been rubber stamped by the federal government.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday September 08 2019, @04:44AM
See also altered state of consciousness [wikipedia.org]. It's not only the psychedelics that can cause that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 08 2019, @02:45AM (1 child)
New era? I was under the impression that this type of research was already rather en vogue in the 1960s. What's new about this?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 08 2019, @03:01AM
A new era of patent(ed) medicines.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 08 2019, @02:58AM (2 children)
I volunteer EF.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday September 08 2019, @04:00AM
Psychedelics are not my specialty, and the investigation of them should be left to others. However, if you want to investigate weed or booze, I'm game.
(Score: 1) by redneckmother on Sunday September 08 2019, @07:46AM
Ooh, ooh, ooh... Me too!
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Sunday September 08 2019, @03:23AM (1 child)
If we can understand how this stuff works, a lot of good may come from it.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Sunday September 08 2019, @07:42AM
Sure give trump and dr strangelove total spiritual power over earth, great idea.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 08 2019, @07:21AM (1 child)
Who was the last academic to work on this stuff? Ah, yes! Professor Dr. Timothy Leary! That went well. Ended the war and stuff.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Sunday September 08 2019, @04:07PM
Timothy Leary! The guy who single-handedly set back psychedelic research by decades!
Nah. He might have helped it happen a year or two sooner, but he is ultimately another scapegoat for the policies of the time:
http://archive.is/akUSr [archive.is]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Sunday September 08 2019, @07:44AM (1 child)
DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT TRUST THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT OR ANY AMERICAN INSTITUTION REGARDING DRUGS, EVER, AT ALL UNLESS YOU LIKE HELPING PEOPLE DEVELOP WEAPONS TO BE USED AGAINST YOU AND HUMANITY
This has been a statement of the obvious for people born yesterday from someone who was not. Thank you.
Thesesystemsarefailing.net
(Score: 2) by jelizondo on Sunday September 08 2019, @01:43PM
Indeed, a few days ago I was reading about a CIA "experiment" [theguardian.com] with LSD and how they probably murdered one of their own scientists for fear that he would reveal the secret program.
A good read that clearly makes your point: DO NOT TRUST THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
Cheers
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday September 09 2019, @05:59PM
I'm ready for some vintage Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and some good old Pink Floyd....
It's about what, did you say?
Oh. Nevermind....
This sig for rent.