Repurposing of recreational drugs: will these new ‘medicines’ (e.g., psychedelics, psilocybin, cannabinoids, LSD, MDMA, ketamine) deliver short- or longer-term benefits for those with depressive or other mood disorders?

Abstract

In recent years, there has been considerable enthusiasm among research groups focused on developing novel therapies for treatment-resistant depression, and a wider community that has had experiences using recreational drugs, in more systematic evaluation of the therapeutic value of these compounds (Goodwin et al., 2022; Young, 2023). This has also been associated with advocacy for decriminalization, legalization and possible public licensing for their ‘medicinal’ use (Siegel et al., 2023).