MEDICINE HOPE FOR PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS

LSD Was Tested On Cancer Patients In The 1960s

Could illegal hallucinogenic drugs like LSD and psilocybin ever become
credible prescription medicines?

It might sound far-fetched, but just a decade ago it seemed unlikely that
the prohibited and mildly hallucinogenic drug cannabis would become a
mainstream pain-killing medicine.

But it is happening: Cannabis pain-killing pills and sprays are being
developed to help people with multiple sclerosis, cancer and Aids.

Now some scientists and psychotherapists think more powerful psychoactive
drugs like psilocybin, found in 'magic mushrooms', could have a future as
medicinal agents for a number of conditions.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, but not
funded, a pilot study aiming to see if the euphoria and insight of a mild
psychedelic 'trip' can ease the physical and emotional pain experienced by
thousands of terminal cancer patients each year.

Charles Grob, Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics at the Harbor-UCLA
Medical Centre, California, and lead scientist on the cancer-psilocybin
trial, said: "There is great potential.

"A significant patient population may gain benefits from these treatments."

Professor Grob will be one of the first scientists in 25 years to
administer psilocybin to a person in a therapeutic setting.

He wants to see if people's lives can be improved if psychoactive drugs are
used under carefully controlled conditions.

Past success

In the past it seemed to work: in the 60s, cancer sufferers reported less
anxiety, a reduced fear of death, better moods, and surprisingly, even less
pain in the weeks after treatment with LSD, which is similar in structure
and effect to psilocybin.

So, what will happen during a 21st century psychedelic therapeutic session?

The subjects will lie down wearing an eye mask to screen out distractions
and headphones pumping in gentle music to fully immerse them in their journey.

"We are going to let the patients guide their own experience by reacting
only to their needs," said Professor Grob.

"We are there to hold their hands and talk if they feel the need, but we
will not overtly attempt to take it in any spiritual or religious
direction. It is up to them."

The rationale says it is better to let the drug gently lift the veil,
divorce the association between mind and body and let the patient enjoy the
full-on experience as they wish, than interfere in a way that may be
incompatible with the patient's psyche.

UK perspective

Could this ever cross the water? In the 50s, 60s and 70s, Britain and many
European countries were active centres of psychoactive drug research.

Dr Kate Law, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "With full, informed
consent, we have no problem with it in principle.

"These patients are adults and people make their own choices. It is right
that we look at these chemicals with the same stringent standards as we do
for other drugs.

"People shy away from the fact that other powerful drugs like heroin are
used when caring for cancer patients, many of which have side-effects of
their own."

However, Dr Law said Cancer Research UK will only support this type of
research if there was an analgesic effect - and the preliminary results
suggest the overall procedure did not confuse or harm the patient.

Could the drug experience provide the patient with a greater delusion and a
more fantastical escape?

Would it allow patients, perhaps already in denial, to become even more
withdrawn, hidden, aloof even?

Dr Ken Checinski is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and
senior lecturer at St Georges Medical School, London.

Balance

Although he does not represent the RCP, he says his opinions may be typical
of many psychiatrists. He says it is a question of balancing the benefits
and the risks.

"In terminal care the patient has a right to be pain free, but also has a
right to go about their business in the usual way during the final weeks of
their lives.

"It's unacceptable to be made psychologically unwell during this period.

"But most drugs also have a medical use - amphetamine and cocaine
derivatives, opiates, tranquillisers and now the cannabinols - so there is
no reason why we shouldn't consider using the serotonin agonists
(hallucinogens).

"However, governments should provide funding for this type of research, not
vested interest groups."

The scientific use of mind-altering drugs has often been controversial. But
Professor Grob and his scientific allies have fought long and hard for a
reconsideration of the hallucinogens as serious medicines.

A not-for-profit collective of like-minded scientists, groups like MAPS
(the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) believe
outlawed drugs like MDMA (ecstasy) and psilocybin have a better chance than
conventional treatments of successfully managing many conditions.

Credibility established

A similar study involving psilocybin and the treatment of Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is nearing completion at the University of Arizona.

And an MDMA (ecstasy) trial for the counselling of Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) victims is finally underway after a bureaucratic bad-trip
with red tape.

"We are re-opening an area that has been shut down for 25 years," said
Professor Grob.

"A couple of groups have established credibility through the formal
channels. It may take time but it's possible."

Nevertheless, more state-tolerated than state-sponsored, MAPS and their
academic friends know that the eyes of the authorities and a wider
scientific community are upon them.

The study is funded by the Heffter Research Institute.