For decades, there has been interest in utilizing psychedelic substances like psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide for therapeutic applications. But the federal government's classification of many of these drugs as Schedule 1 narcotics has prevented long-term, meaningful research.
However, the tide may be turning for the use of psychedelics as medicine, amid more clinical trials and greater political will.
NPR reports that there are now between 500 and 750 ketamine clinics in the U.S. Ketamine is a psychoactive compound being used to treat depression. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been vocal about his support for psychedelics. And the state of Texas has recently approved $50 million to research the drug ibogaine.
Thursday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll discuss the landscape of psychedelics and how they're being used in the medical sphere. We'll talk specifically about clinical trials happening here in Northeast Ohio, and what mental issues are being targeted.
Later in the hour, our food series, "The Menu," focuses on what local produce we should be on the lookout as harvest time approaches. Adam Schweiterman, the executive director of Local Roots Market & Cafe in Wooster, joins us to talk about what fruits and vegetables can be found at local farmers markets.
Guests:
- Brian Barnett, MD, Psychiatrist, The Cleveland Clinic
- Deepak Sarma, PhD, Inaugural Distinguished Scholar in the Public Humanities; Professor, Case Western Reserve University
- Steve
- Adam Schweiterman, Executive Director, Local Roots Market and Cafe
- Anna Huntsman, Akron/Canton Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
