Several times in the past year, my patients have asked if micro-dosing is a viable treatment option for depression. I had to admit it was not my area of expertise, but it was being studied at local clinical research centers. Since Matthew Perry’s unfortunate death, this topic has again been brought to my attention. Perry, a former castmate of Friends, was found dead at his home in October. The autopsy report indicated his death was due to the combined effects of ketamine, drowning, and Buprenorphine, an opioid-like drug used in the treatment of opioid addiction.

Last week, the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation announced it submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA investigating MDMA-assisted therapy for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. If approved, MDMA-assisted therapy would be the first psychedelic-assisted therapy in the U.S. since the 1950s, when LSD became widely used by psychologists and psychiatrists in research and clinical practice for over 15 years.

Perry was public about his struggles with opioid addiction and, more recently, had been treated with ketamine infusions under supervision for his co-existing depression. However, the ketamine found in his digestive tract at autopsy indicated he was also taking it orally, which is only used recreationally. MDMA, also called molly or ecstasy, is known as a party drug. Due to its psychoactive effects, drugs like MDMA are often taken at raves, clubs, or music festivals, where participants use these substances to amplify their experience.

Why are so-called party drugs making their way into practice for treating challenging psychiatric diagnoses?

History of Psychedelic Drugs in Culture

Throughout history, many pre-Columbian cultures used hallucinogenic substances in magical, therapeutic, and religious rituals. However, it was not until 1938 that Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann synthesized the first synthetic hallucinogen, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) while working at Sandoz. Years later, Sandoz........

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