Psilocybin

Friends, I’d like to tell you about psilocybin. It’s the active molecule in psychedelic mushrooms and the focus of a 2006 study by Roland Griffiths and others at Johns Hopkins University. Most participants in the double-blind study, full text here, reported having mystical experiences—for many, the most profound experiences of their lives. Follow-ups with the participants several months later indicated they were happier and more productive; this was corroborated by interviews with friends, family, and co-workers.

More studies must be conducted to investigate how psilocybin and other psychoactives have the potential for positive impact on society. The government also needs to get its head out of its ass and let its citizens do what they want.

Here’s Q&A with Griffiths, who headed the study. Here’s the Wikipedia article on psilocybin. Here’s an Independent article outlining some of the positive benefits and research possibilities of several other controlled substances.

~ by hobzcalvin on July 7, 2007.