Magic Mushrooms May Ease Anxiety for Cancer Patients Facing Death

Will tripping ease death fears? (istockphoto)

(CBS) UCLA researchers may be tripping, but they say a new study shows that magic mushrooms can help ease anxiety for patients with advanced-stage cancer.

Twelve volunteers were given psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, or a placebo. Then they were asked to lie down, wear dark eye shades and listen to music - in essence space out.

The results? Those who had been dosed with psilocybin had improved mood up to six months after their trip. That's substantial, considering that the patients are facing death. They also required less pain medication.

"We are working with a patient population that often does not respond well to conventional treatments," lead researcher Dr. Charles S. Grob said in a written statement. "Following their treatments with psilocybin, the patients and their families reported benefit from the use of this hallucinogen in reducing their anxiety. This study shows psilocybin can be administered safely, and that further investigation of hallucinogens should be pursued to determine their potential benefits."

24 Photos

Skin cancer or mole? How to tell

Psychedelic drugs were studied as medicine in the 1960s, but widespread recreational use of LSD, magic mushrooms and marijuana stirred a federal crackdown and made the research culturally off limits.

The research team at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) says this is the first time 37 years that an American group has studied psilocybin in this way. The study was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Listen to what Pam Sakuda, one of the volunteers, had to say about her experience.

[HealthBenefits]

So this makes me wonder if this also wouldn't help people with depression. It seems to me it would alter their mind in such a way as to relieve the depression altogether.

[Guy21112]

Another natural product from the earth with medical benifits that is illegal, go figure..

[jaygarth]

If this cannot be patented or corporatized then it is evil and un Amerikan . Who do those Dr.s think they are recommending such. Go straight to Wall St do not pass GO, or collect $200. 00 dollars.

[rf35]

Exactly right. Unless a synthetic version can be produced and sold for thousands of dollars per treatment (since the benefits are long-lasting), then it will never see main-stream medical use.

I'm surprised the Republicans and tea-baggers aren't screaming that this is a product of Obama's health care reform: "See? The death panels will give you mind-altering drugs so you're happy while waiting to die instead of demanding life-extending treatments!"

[darrinljohnson]

The entire first half of her interview is spent explaining why the substance was used, this is a massive glimpse into societies paranoid boundaries that keep us in the holographic dark ages. With that being said she was a very positive person who promotes the treatment saying it should be a standard for the future, my comments in no way reflect a dark light on her, it was very skillful the way she primed the audience for her total acceptance and eventual emotional and physical benefit following participation. Mushrooms are considered very sacred but also an introductory substance to the overall mind consciousness expansion experience.

[jauxred]

There is another mushroom that has been the subject of over 400 clinical studies for its effectiveness in helping the immune system fight cancer cells and tumors. It is called coriolus versicolor and is available in the US as a supplement.
http://inforce-immunebuilder.com

[hkochii]

Please take eight minutes and listen to what Pam Sakuda has to say about this.

[democracy5]

She was very eloquent, humane and compassionate. No need for this treatment to be denied to end-stage cancer victims if it can improve their quality of life in the manner in which she describes. To deny it is simply sadistic and cruel.

[walt1928]

Why not. Hell for that matter why not prescribe the shrooms to an anxiety riddled populace facing long term unemployment, diminished opportunities, underwater housing, elusive retirement, huge government debt, political and corportate collusion/coruption, and on and on. I am only half joking.

[candide08]

It is a shame that treatments like this are not available - because some people think that anything pleasurable must be bad.

[USMC-Mom]

I agree