The Austin Chronicle is an independent, locally owned and operated alternative newsweekly that reflects the heart and soul of Austin, Texas.
“The government sends folks to war, and then they’re back, and we’re not providing sufficient care,” said Logan Davidson, legislative director for Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions and speaker on South by Southwest’s When selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and common prescriptions proved inadequate, desperate for other solutions, American veterans with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, or drug addictions have flown to clinics in Mexico to be administered ibogaine, a lesser-known psychedelic drug from the root bark of a West African shrub, Davidson said.
“If you’re a suicidal veteran, a six to eight week wait time for drug to start working might be fatal, right? Psychedelics are fast-acting, so you know pretty quickly if it worked or not,” Davidson continued. Ibogaine’s psychedelic experience is reported to be more intense than psilocybin or LSD, can last more than 24 hours, and carries risk of heart damage. It’s been criminalized in the U.S. since the Sixties. But suddenly, Texas has an appetite for it: During the last legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott passed“It can resolve the symptoms of opioid withdrawal syndrome in a matter of days rather than weeks or months, which is what traditional abstinence will get you,” Davidson explained, citing a preliminary 2024No psychedelic is currently FDA approved to treat mental health conditions or able to be widely prescribed by a physician and covered by insurance. But with conservative enthusiasm for psychedelics on the table, one legislative avenue for the medicalization of psychedelics will be explored during Davidson’s panel: a federallaw that allows physicians to prescribe drugs unapproved by the FDA for life-threatening or terminal conditions, when all approved drugs have failed. “We’re not just talking about terminal cancer; depression can be life threatening,” Davidson said. Currently, Right to Try doesn’t extend to Schedule I drugs such as ibogaine, though aBeyond Right to Try, other SXSW panels will be exploring what the aftermath of psychedelic medicalization could look like. And apart from ketamine, which is more often defined as dissociative than psychedelic, that could come soonest for psilocybin. On Feb. 17, Compass Pathways, a pharmaceutical company,that they’ve completed two Phase 3 clinical trials for the synthetic psilocybin drug COMP360, which could be the first-ever FDA-approved classic psychedelic for treatment-resistant depression. “The FDA will take their time and make their decision … but we are planning to be ready by the end of this year,” said Dr. Steve Levine, chief patient officer at Compass Pathways and panelist at South by Southwest’sOnce psychedelics become FDA-approved for clinical practice, Dr. Jessica Jackson, vice president of alliance development at Mental Health America, who will join Levine on the SXSW panel, has the following questions: Even if the FDA approves a drug, will the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration remove the drug from Schedule I classification? Who will be able to administer the drugs? How can such treatments, especially if not widely covered by insurance, be made affordable for people? “We’ll be talking about the importance of folks having access. It is important that folks get choice,” Jackson said. “They may have tried eight different medications that aren’t working. They should be able to access something that could work for them if they’re experiencing treatment-resistant depression or PTSD.” Education for patients and physicians to dispel stigma around psychedelics will be a major part of that discussion, Jackson said. Another is making sure that the treatment is offered at an affordable price point. Ketamine, for instance, is widely administered now in Texas for depression – but even with insurance, the treatment regimen can cost thousands of dollars. “Even the price point it’s at now, it took years for them to get to that,” Jackson said. Another question that will be discussed in both panels is what care delivery should look like: How will physicians qualify or be trained to administer psychedelic drugs? Should they be administered at only specialized, standalone clinics, or as part of standard practice? If a physician needs to monitor a patient for six to 24 hours, should it be one-on-one or in a group? “If it’s one provider, one patient for a six- to eight-hour treatment, you’re very limited. If you expand it to a group, you start to see … 10 times, potentially, the number of people who can receive care,” Davidson suggested. Both Levine and Jackson emphasized how important psychotherapy and the ability to share the psychedelic experience has been for patients during clinical trials. “I’ve also heard from folks, sometimes when you’ve not been feeling well for so long, you can’t even remember what it’s like to feel good,” Jackson said about conversations with patients post-treatment. “And so, for many folks, it has been surprising to feel like, oh, I don’t feel sad and down for no reason. I don’t feel like isolating. I don’t feel hypervigilant.” has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.Sammie Seamon is a news staff writer at the Chronicle covering education, climate, health, development, and transportation, among other topics. She was born and raised in Austin , and loves this city like none other. She holds a master’s in literary reportage from the NYU Journalism Institute and has previously reported bilingually for Spanish-language readers.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Americans ration medicine and postpone retirement to afford health care: GallupBerkeley Lovelace Jr. is a health and medical reporter for NBC News. He covers the Food and Drug Administration, with a special focus on Covid vaccines, prescription drug pricing and health care. He previously covered the biotech and pharmaceutical industry with CNBC.
Read more »
UW Medicine to start in-house measles testing ahead of World Cup in SeattleSenior broadcast journalist and newsroom leader delivering award-winning radio news coverage and editorial direction in the Seattle region.
Read more »
These Austin vending machines sell mini art prints and support local artistsBusiness owners Heather Ozzy and Chris Prince founded Austin Mini Art with the goal of providing affordable art to Austinites while supporting local artists. Their prints range from $1 to $3.
Read more »
Jacksonville emergency medicine physician details significance of new freestanding emergency roomsThere are at least 20 free standing emergency rooms in northeast Florida. These emergency rooms gets people help faster, especially if they live far away from a main hospital.
Read more »
Married to Medicine Reunion Trailer Teases Friendship SplitsThe 'Married to Medicine' cast is ready for a dose of questioning by Andy Cohen in the season 12 reunion trailer obtained by Us Weekly
Read more »
Tainted Trust: Inside the Global Medicine Pipeline & Risks to US PatientsSpotlight on America probes failures in global drug supply chain, exposing tainted drugs, shortages, and weak oversight risking lives.
Read more »