Journal of psychoactive drugs最新文献

The current study examined sex differences in cannabis use motives and whether sex moderated the association between cannabis use motives and cannabis-related problems. Seven hundred and forty-one adults reporting past-month cannabis use completed online questionnaires on cannabis use motives (Marijuana Motives Measure) and cannabis-related problems (Marijuana Problem Scale). Independent samples t-tests and hierarchical multiple linear regressions were performed. Analyses indicated significant sex differences in cannabis use motives, with male participants reporting greater motives for the coping, conformity, social, and expansion subscales relative to female participants. There were significant interactions between sex and enhancement, expansion, and coping motives in relation to cannabis use problems, suggesting male participants had a stronger relationship between these motives and problems than female participants. Sex also moderated the association between enhancement motives and cannabis use problems even when all cannabis use motives were included in the same model. Male participants had a stronger association between enhancement motives and cannabis-related problems, above and beyond all other motives. These findings highlight the importance of cannabis use motives as critical targets for interventions designed for both male and female adults, and that enhancement motives may be especially relevant for male adults who use cannabis with high levels of self-reported problematic use.

Attitudes about cannabis use (CU) are changing, as exemplified by laws in some states and the District of Columbia (DC) legalizing medicinal cannabis with or without recreational use. This study contrasts the effect of changes in DC and state laws with ongoing views of CU on the stigma of CU. Two hundred forty-six participants completed measures for this study. After reading a vignette about the current status of legalization across the United States, participants completed Likert-scale items that reflected their agreement with legalizing and stigmatizing medicinal and recreational use. Participants then complete the Stigma of Drug Users Scale (SDUS). Legal status of medicinal or recreational CU was not associated with indicators of stigma. Personal attitude about legality was significantly associated with stigma. Medicinal CU stigma was associated with the interaction of personal attitudes and actual state legality. Individual attitudes influence public stigma in states where medicinal CU is illegal, whereas in states where medicinal CU is legal, people's endorsement of legality decreased public stigma. Recreational CU stigma was also associated with this intersection. Although individual attitudes may not be overtly changed by their surroundings, the implicit effects and ramifications of such warrant our attention. There is also an opportunity to leverage environmental influences, for instance, strategically reconfiguring perceptions about institutional support, to optimize the effectiveness of interventions.

Amid an evolving psychedelic drug policy landscape and limitations of existing substance use disorder (SUD) treatments, a novel addiction recovery paradigm has emerged involving augmentation of 12-Step program engagement with therapeutic psychedelic use. A preliminary qualitative analysis was initiated to describe this movement by examining real-world experiences of participants in remission from alcohol, opioid, and stimulant use disorders. Between November 2022 and February 2023, data collection was piloted with nine individuals reporting ayahuasca, ibogaine, psilocybin, and/or peyote use in combination with 12-Step engagement. Participants were intentionally recruited through a community partner to explore this emerging phenomenon; findings are not intended to generalize to broader 12-Step communities. Motivations included challenges with sobriety, psychological distress during abstinence, dissatisfaction with existing SUD treatments, and the relative accessibility of this community-based approach compared to clinical care. Participants highlighted reduced SUD-related cravings, psychospiritual mechanisms of behavior change, and synergistic effects of psychedelics with Steps 2, 4, and 11. Tensions with abstinence-oriented philosophies were acknowledged, and risks related to unsupervised psychedelic use were central to participants' narratives; however, participants ultimately found that psychedelics enhanced their recovery by deepening actionable Step-work and improving psychosocial well-being. Pilot findings underscore a need for further research into this low-cost, accessible approach.

Psychedelic-assisted interventions are emerging as potential treatments for substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). While recent randomized controlled trials suggest efficacy for certain psychedelics and related compounds in treating AUD, the impact of naturalistic psychedelic use on problematic alcohol consumption remains underexplored. This study examines associations between psychedelic use and AUD in a nationally representative sample (N = 139,524). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between AUD and past-year use of LSD, MDMA, and ketamine, controlling for demographics and comorbid substance use. Past-year LSD use was significantly associated with lower odds of AUD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.70, p = .006). However, use of MDMA (aOR = 1.17, p = .229) and ketamine (aOR = 1.28, p = .235) was not associated with AUD. In a quasi-Poisson regression analysis, past-year LSD use was found to be associated with 15.7% fewer AUD symptoms (IRR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72 - 0.98, p = .033), but neither past-year MDMA nor past-year ketamine use were significantly associated with AUD symptoms (MDMA: IRR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.13, p = .731; ketamine: IRR = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.93 - 1.57, p = .139). Taken together, these findings indicate differential associations between specific psychedelics and AUD, with LSD use linked to a reduced risk of AUD. The results underscore the need for further research into the mechanisms by which LSD may influence alcohol use and AUD risk.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and chronic mental health condition with limited effective treatment options. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphethamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy (MDMA-AT) has shown promise in phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials, with many research participants reporting significant reductions in PTSD symptoms. However, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently voted against recommending MDMA-AT, citing concerns about its risk-benefit profile. This systematic review aimed to assess current evidence from randomized control trials (RCTs) on the safety and efficacy of MDMA-AT for adults with PTSD to determine if it warrants consideration for approval. Two articles identified were excluded from our analysis due to their recent retraction from publication. In total, seven RCTs were identified, including 280 adult participants with PTSD (160 received MDMA; 120 received placebo). Data were independently reviewed, focusing on PTSD symptom reduction and safety. Of the six studies included in the efficacy analysis, five (83.3%) found significantly improved PTSD symptoms in the MDMA groups compared to placebo groups. In addition, 41.7% to 85.7% of participants receiving MDMA-AT no longer met PTSD criteria post-treatment, compared to 25.0% to 33.3% reported for placebo groups. In addition, the treatment appeared well-tolerated. These findings support the potential of MDMA-AT as a viable treatment option for the symptoms of PTSD, though additional research with strict ethical oversight should inform FDA approval.

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) assisted therapy has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for PTSD and emerging research suggests a change in personality traits may be a factor in treatment response. Most prior research on MDMA and personality has focused on cross-sectional comparisons of MDMA users and non-users; as such, well-controlled research assessing personality and affective states change following MDMA vs placebo administration is needed. In the current pre-registered study, we investigated the impact of MDMA administration on five-factor model (FFM) traits and affective states before and 48 h after drug administration in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of healthy adults (N = 34). Statistical significance was not observed for the four a priori hypotheses; however, medium effect sizes were found between MDMA administration and trait Openness and Positive Affect 48 h following drug administration, compared to placebo (d = .79 and .51, respectively). This study provides initial results to help guide future well-powered studies with large samples and longer follow-up timepoints to continue to investigate how MDMA impacts personality and emotional experience, which may inform optimization of MDMA treatment approaches.

Given the scarcity of literature regarding COVID-19 impacts on cannabis consumers with chronic illnesses who widely use cannabis to manage their health conditions, we aim to assess the effect of COVID-19 on cannabis use patterns among adults living with chronic diseases. Cannabis consumers with a chronic disease (N = 1,466) from COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study were included in this analysis. The primary outcomes were change in cannabis dosage, past 30-day cannabis usage, and change in route of cannabis administration, with the main exposure being self-reported fear of COVID-19 diagnosis. Significant differences were found between changes in cannabis dose by fear of COVID-19 diagnosis (p = .03) where 41.5% of adults fearing diagnosis reported an increase in their cannabis dosage since the pandemic. Multinomial logistic regression showed that individuals who feared COVID-19 diagnosis had 50% greater odds [aOR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.02-2.24 of decreasing their cannabis in reference to their dose staying the same, than those without fear of COVID-19, adjusting for socio-demographics. Our findings highlight the significant association between fear of COVID-19 diagnosis and changes in cannabis usage patterns among adults with chronic diseases. This underscores the pandemic's impact on health-related behaviors and the role of cannabis as a coping mechanism during uncertain times.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) has shown preliminary efficacy for psychiatric and physical health conditions. Although some people report naturalistic psychedelic use with so-called "underground" practitioners, little is known about PAT that occurs outside of controlled clinical settings or perspectives of these practitioners. We conducted an anonymous online survey of individuals who reported providing psychedelic support services (e.g. trip sitting and/or preparatory/follow-up psychotherapy) in naturalistic settings. We investigated demographics, including education and licensing, details about services provided, and reported client outcomes. Among 107 participants, 40.2% held a full or in-progress license and 44.9% had not obtained a relevant graduate degree. Almost all participants reported pre-screening clients before treatment, offering preparation, integration, and trip-sitting services, and most employed a range of therapeutic modalities, centering primarily on non-directive approaches. Participants reported that clients most commonly consumed psilocybin, and treated numerous conditions, primarily aligning with indications targeted in psychedelic clinical research. Perceptions of clients' symptom changes were largely positive, although a small proportion reported worsened personality disorder symptoms. Further research delineating client and practitioner perspectives of naturalistic PAT services is warranted, and such work may shed light on the benefits and risks specific to naturalistic PAT as well as inform best practices for practitioners.

Growing evidence suggests the tendency to act rashly under positive and negative emotions and affect-related drinking motives connect symptoms of mood disorders with alcohol-related problems. However, studies examining this sequence are scarce in Latin-American samples. The present study evaluated, in Argentinian college students (n = 403; 68.2% women; Mage = 21.03 ± 4.90), a sequential model of symptoms of depression, urgency traits, internal drinking motives, and problematic alcohol use. Path analysis was conducted to examine the direct and indirect associations between symptoms of depression and problematic alcohol use (heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences) via positive and negative urgency traits and internal drinking motives. Findings revealed indirect associations from depressive symptoms to problematic alcohol use via urgency traits and drinking motives (e.g. depression symptoms→positive [negative] urgency→enhancement [coping]→drinking problems). This suggests that students who experience more symptoms of depression may be more likely to react to these experiences of negative affect by engaging in heavy drinking episodes and encounter more alcohol-related problems. This seems to stem from a higher propensity to act rashly during intense emotional experiences and a greater motivation to drink as a means of regulating their mood. Future interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol use (especially among Argentinian young adults) might consider targeting these specific impulsivity traits as well as affect-related drinking motivations.

Ayahuasca is a brew traditionally prepared with a mixture of Psychotria viridis leaves and Banisteriopsis caapi vine and has demonstrated therapeutic properties for depression. Knowledge of the brew composition is important to improve the therapeutic potential and decrease side effects if ayahuasca becomes an option for refractory depression treatment. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) was applied to analyze 126 ayahuasca samples collected from different ayahuasqueiro groups and geographic origins. We were able to observe a differentiation in the metabolite composition of ayahuasca samples prepared by diverse ayahuasqueiro groups. These samples presented different antioxidant effects based on FRAP and ORAC assays. Exploratory statistical analysis demonstrated a trend of separating the samples according to the religious group. The most important identified compounds for differentiation of the brew prepared by distinct religious groups are glycosylated and/or phenolic compounds. The comparison based on the mode of ayahuasca preparation presented more variability than the comparison based on the botanical variety of B. caapi used. We conclude that ayahuasca samples prepared with "caupuri" or "tucunacá" separately exhibited differences in the analysis of L-glutamate and the metabolism of arginine and proline. This suggests that a possible variation in this pathway could explain the occurrence of swollen stem nodes in "caupuri," one of the B. caapi varieties.