Psilocybin, better known as what makes mushrooms magical, is the next big wellness industry and the new frontier of mental health.
if you don’t notice As psilocybin goes mainstream, it’s amazing to see a company like Numinus. Led by founder and CEO Payton Nyquvest, his Numinus is the next iteration of wellness brand fantasy. It is one of several Canadian companies ready to take psilocybin, among them Field Trip Health and Wellness. His headquarters in Gastown, Vancouver, may look like your ubiquitous vegan cafe, but instead of cookies, ketamine, the main hallucinogenic drug now legally used therapeutically in Canada, is being used therapeutically. is used. At some point, the company will also use psilocybin. Psilocybin in “magic mushrooms” is in clinical trials in Canada and internationally for use as a potential treatment for mental illness.
Nyquvest turned to hallucinogens to treat long-term chronic pain, and his healing experience contributed to a major career change. A wise and proactive operator, Nike Best founded Numinus in 2018 from his directorship at Mackie Research Capital. That same year, cannabis was legalized in Canada.
Why Psilocybin? Caroline MacCallum, her director of medicine at Greenleaf Medical Clinic and clinical assistant and adjunct professor at UBC, explains that psilocybin is structurally similar to serotonin. “This could lead to antidepressant or anxiolytic effects,” says McCallum. all of which can lead to new ways of thinking, says MacCallum.
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Numinus and other Canadian medical companies are considering psilocybin for the treatment of addiction, depression, anxiety, PTSD and, perhaps most notably, end-of-life distress from intentionally chasing drugs. A groundbreaking 2006 Johns Hopkins study found that psilocybin may have an “opportunity to have mystical-type experiences,” and in August 2022, NYU Langone found that subjects were given psilocybin. published findings that alcohol dependence was significantly reduced when combined with psychotherapy. Following these studies, among others, psilocybin has emerged as an exciting potential therapy in the medical community. remains illegal in the country, except for clinical trials and exceptions by 2020.
Psilocybin research is inevitably slow and expensive. Spencer Hawkswell, lobbyist and CEO of the nonprofit TheraPsil, which advocates for psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, is backing a lawsuit granting patient access to the Canadian government and current federal health minister. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy; Hawkswell predicts it could be legalized and regulated in just over a year.
This moment of psilocybin is one of duality. As well as being researched for therapeutic purposes, it’s also an established wellness trend. It is one of many trends that have migrated and reformed from marginalized communities and global majority cultures, through curious outsiders, influencers and their followers to the mainstream West. Skeptic. Psilocybin, in the form of microdosed capsules, chocolate, or magic mushrooms as crudites, has replaced weed as a discreet and illegal drug for respectable people. “Microdose moms” have become their own subculture.The Hesitant Geek’s Psychedelic Guide, Michael Pollan’s 2018 Book how to change your mindwhich inspired the Netflix documentary series.
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Contrary to research, perception seems to be advancing rapidly. Throughout recent history, the psychedelic narrative has been rife, from psychologist and psychedelic advocate Timothy Leary’s 1960s Outlet Harvard, to Hopkins’ research and the changing attitudes of Canadians more generally. A 2021 poll conducted by TheraPsil and marketing research firm YouGov found that 54% of respondents supported changes to medical psilocybin regulations without additional information. I was. That number climbed to 66% when respondents were informed about research findings and currently available waivers. is being addressed by CEOs like Nyquvest and Doug Drysdale, a pharma veteran who heads Toronto-based hallucinogen company Cybin.)
This particular moment, largely pre-regulation and post-stigma, has created an interesting scene composed of casual users, dealers, advocates, investors, managers and practitioners. Illicit pharmacies and homegrowers keep the industry changing with regulation and perception. If psilocybin proves to be as effective as current research suggests, it will go beyond its state of health trends and become a larger part of perceived health care. It is happening to those who are trying to be accepted. Please be open minded. And do you know what might help it?
This article appeared in the February 2023 issue. McLean’s magazine.He buys this issue for over $9.99 and subscribes to the monthly magazine for just $39.99.
