Psychedelics took a back seat in research after the War on Drugs, but in recent years they’ve reentered the science scene — showing promise as potential treatment for mental conditions like PTSD, OCD, anxiety, and depression.
Dr. Christine Ziemer, a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University, said that psychedelics have a unique ability to affect even permanent-seeming aspects of our brains, such as a person’s personality.
“People think that they're inherently dangerous,” said Ziemer. “But if we look at the actual safety profiles of things like psilocybin, MDMA, which is also known as ecstasy, and even LSD, they're not addictive. And they actually, when we look at their effect on the body, their effect on society, they're a lot safer than a lot of the other things that we do have legal access to, like alcohol and cigarettes.”
Outside of the lab, lawmakers across the country are slowly considering the legalization status of psychedelics and their research funding. Missouri legislators proposed three bills about the legal status of psilocybin as a treatment option this year (SB 90, HB 829, HB 951) while lawmakers in Kansas proposed to change the definition of psilocybin. So far, none have passed.
Beyond medical treatment, Ziemer said she could see some psychedelics becoming a recreational drug in the future. The rise of ketamine clinics in the area have already created a path to follow.
The Kansas City area is home to several organizations centered around psychedelics. The Psychedelic Society of Kansas City focuses on education and psychedelics’ impact on art and culture in the area, while Midwest Psychedelic is training licensed medical professionals in administering psychedelic-assisted therapy.
The Kansas City Psychedelic Integration Circle is a judgement-free space for people to confidentiality share their expenses with an altered state of conscience, and the Safe Journey Sanctum is helping people who have been harmed by psychedelics and other drugs.
- Dr. Christine Ziemer, professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University and executive director of The Psychedelic Society of Kansas City
