Healthcare
Research Confirms That Serotonergic Antidepressants Like SSRIs, SNRIs Can Decrease Psilocybin’s Effects
More psychedelic community knowledge turns from folktale to fact.
A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that serotonergic antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs can decrease psilocybin’s effects, Psychedelic Spotlight reports. Serotonergic antidepressants are often the first avenue for treating depression and include household names such as Prozac and Zoloft.
The research, published in June of 2023, comes from an online retrospective survey involving 2,153 people who had taken psilocybin mushrooms while also using an antidepressant and individuals who had used psilocybin within two years after stopping their antidepressants. The 611 respondents who had taken mushrooms alongside an antidepressant reported weaker-than-expected psilocybin effects, as did the 1,542 participants who had ceased their SSRI/SNRI medication. However, what’s notable is that the probability of weakened results was not significantly different between those who had discontinued antidepressants a week before taking shrooms and those who ceased taking their meds three to six months prior.
The study demonstrates that SNRI/SSRI antidepressants reduce the effects of psilocybin compared to non-serotonergic antidepressants—and that individuals who have stopped antidepressants may experience weaker effects up to three months after discontinuing their medication.
People who take psilocybin, the compound responsible for the hallucinogenic properties of magic mushrooms, have been talking about how antidepressants diminish the experience for years. However, what was, for so long, a discussion kept to music festivals and Reddit boards now has scientific backing. The confirmation comes at a time when psilocybin itself gains traction in the treatment of depression. Back in 2022, COMPASS Pathways unveiled the “largest randomized, controlled, double-blind study of psilocybin therapy ever completed,” which shows “significant” improvements to treatment-resistant depression (TRD) symptoms.
And recently, doctors from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston began a trial for psilocybin therapy to treat cancer-related anxiety and depression in patients by “examining the effects of psilocybin for patients with controlled advanced cancer on maintenance therapy experiencing challenges with mental health.”
While this is applaudable, as too many readers know, one does not need a cancer diagnosis to benefit from taking psilocybin for depression. While depressants like SSRIs can take up to six weeks to start working, psychedelics, such as psilocybin (not to mention ketamine), can reverse the effects of depression quickly and, hopefully, more effectively. As a 2020 study suggests, traditional antidepressants improve symptoms in about an extra 20 out of 100 people. Another study published in 2020 indicates that psilocybin can not only be an effective and quick-acting treatment for major depressive disorder, but more than half of the study’s participants stayed in remission from depression four weeks after treatment.
As a result, looking at statistics alone, many folks currently taking serotonergic antidepressants may be considering swapping out their Lexapro for psilocybin (which may also be more cost-effective in treating depression). So does one need to wean off their current medication before embarking on a psychedelic healing journey? When one takes two drugs together that both increase serotonin levels, such as an SSRI and MDMA, there is always the risk for serotonin toxicity, or serotonin syndrome, which can happen when drugs increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin between nerve cells past a safe level, leading to anything from nausea and anxiety to in rare cases coma and death. The latter, as so many people reading this who have taken psychedelics while on antidepressants can confirm, is pretty unheard of.
The research on antidepressants lowering the effects of psilocybin says that it’s generally safe to use serotonergic antidepressants pre-psilocybin treatment. However, be aware that SSRIs and SNRIs may not only diminish psilocybin’s effects but can do so for up to three months after stopping the antidepressant medication. So, if you’re on an SSRI or SSNI, it’s okay to try psilocybin for depression, but be aware that you may need three months to experience the full effect of your new medicine.
Education News
AIIMS Gorakhpur Reservation Controversy: FIR Alleges Fake OBC Certificate Used Despite ₹80 Lakh Income
A major controversy has emerged at AIIMS Gorakhpur after allegations surfaced that reservation benefits were misused to secure a postgraduate medical seat. A criminal case has been registered against former AIIMS Gorakhpur Executive Director Dr. G.K. Pal and his son, Dr. Oro Prakash Pal, over the alleged use of a forged Other Backward Class (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer certificate for admission to an MD course.
The case has triggered widespread debate within medical and administrative circles, raising serious questions about transparency and oversight in admissions to premier medical institutions.
FIR Filed on Court’s Direction
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the AIIMS police station following directions from Chief Judicial Magistrate Tvishi Srivastava. According to the complaint, the alleged offence took place on August 30, 2024, when forged documents were purportedly used to obtain an MD seat under the OBC reservation quota.
Sources indicate that the matter was subsequently brought to the attention of the Union Ministry of Health, prompting internal reviews and administrative action.
Alleged Income Far Above Eligibility Threshold
Central to the allegations is the claim that Dr. G.K. Pal and his wife Parvati Pal have a combined annual income exceeding ₹80 lakh. Under existing reservation rules, families with such income levels are not eligible for OBC Non-Creamy Layer benefits.
Following the emergence of the controversy, Dr. Pal was first removed from his position at AIIMS Gorakhpur and later relieved of responsibilities at AIIMS Patna. He is currently posted at JIPMER Puducherry. With the registration of the FIR, officials suggest that further legal and departmental action may follow, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Complaint Highlights Systemic Concerns
The complaint was filed by Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, a resident of Divyanagar in the Cantonment area. He alleged that the events related to the case occurred between January and September 2024. The complainant argued that misuse of reservation provisions by individuals in senior positions undermines the integrity of public institutions and erodes trust in the medical education system.
The case has reignited concerns over whether verification mechanisms for reservation certificates are robust enough, particularly in high-stakes admissions.
Impact on Medical Community
The allegations have sent shockwaves through the medical fraternity. Experts believe that if the claims are substantiated, the case could prompt a broader review of admission procedures and lead to stricter scrutiny of category certificates across institutions like AIIMS.
Authorities have stated that all relevant documents will be carefully examined before taking further steps. The outcome of the investigation is expected to have far-reaching implications for accountability and compliance in medical admissions.
Questions Await Answers
As the probe continues, several key issues remain unresolved: whether reservation norms were deliberately violated, how verification processes failed, and whether similar cases may surface in the future. For now, the focus remains on the investigation and its potential consequences.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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