Psychotropic drugs: what can't they do? Two different medical studies show that psilocybin, the active drug found in magic mushrooms, may assist in treating depression. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, after 30 volunteers took intravenous doses of psilocybin, MRI readings showed that the portion of the brain most active in depression was lowered. Another study to be published in the British Journal of Psychiatry showed that the chemical intensified positive memories.
Robin Carhart-Harris, a co-author of the first study, released a statement quoted by Bloomberg in which she suggests that "used in combination with psychotherapy, psilocybin might help people recall positive life events and reverse pessimistic mindsets.” Rather than being hooked on Prozac for a lifetime, psilocybin could provide an "enduring benefit" after just a single dose.
Psilocybin's positive uses have been noted long before Timothy Leary founded the Harvard Psilocybin Project, as hallucinogenic mushrooms have been used therapeutically for hundreds of years. Naturally, the United States classifies them as a schedule I drug, meaning the have"a high potential for abuse" and "no legitimate medical purpose." Except when you're trying to make a Portlandia PR party bearable.
