Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
In a small, controlled study of 18 people with treatment-resistant major depression, a single intravenous dose of the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) produced rapid drops in depression scores. Improvement began within about 2 hours and remained statistically significant compared with placebo for up to 1 week. The study…
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a widespread brain signaling system made of cannabinoid receptors, naturally made lipid messengers, and the enzymes that make and break those messengers. The two best-studied messengers are 2-AG and anandamide, and they are produced and degraded by different enzyme pathways. CB1 receptors are common in…
This review describes the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a widespread network of natural cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors (mainly CB1 and CB2), and the enzymes that make and break those chemicals. The ECS helps shape brain development and adjusts how neurons communicate. The authors note that THC is the main psychoactive part…
This webpage explains how DoktorABC offers medical cannabis services in Germany. You fill an online medical questionnaire, a licensed doctor reviews it, and may issue a prescription. The page also describes costs, delivery times, legal status, types of products, common effects of THC and CBD, and possible side effects.
This review looked at many studies about classic psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD), MDMA, ketamine, and plant medicines (like ayahuasca). The authors explain how these drugs can change the brain’s wiring, calm inflammatory processes, and shift key brain chemicals. Those actions may help explain why small clinical trials and animal…
This report describes 33 open-label treatments with the alkaloid ibogaine given for acute heroin withdrawal in non-medical settings. In 25 of the 33 people, visible signs of opioid withdrawal stopped within 24 hours and stayed absent during 72 hours of observation. The authors note the results are from uncontrolled, non-clinical…
In a natural, open-label study at a microdosing event, researchers tested people before and while they expected the effects of a psychedelic truffle microdose. They found better performance on a task that measures convergent thinking and on a task that measures divergent thinking. A short test of fluid intelligence did…
This review explains the fast-growing problem of so-called "legal highs", which are better called novel psychoactive substances or NPS. Unknown labs keep making slightly different chemicals to avoid bans, and this led to about 80 new substances being spotted in one year. The paper groups these drugs into five main…
This page describes ibogaine as a plant-derived psychedelic that some researchers are studying for addiction, depression, and PTSD. It says ibogaine can cause strong hallucinations that start within hours and may last up to 24 hours. The page reports some studies and a 2022 review that suggest ibogaine may reduce…
This review says that the main active part of cannabis, THC, acts at the brain's CB1 receptor to produce rewarding effects, reinforce smoking, and can lead to dependence and withdrawal. Evidence comes from animal and human studies. Higher THC strength raises blood THC levels and may raise the chance of…
This review compares THC and CBD, two main chemicals made by the Cannabis plant. It explains how they work differently in the body and brain, how people take them (smoking, vaping, eating), and key numbers about blood levels after different doses. The paper notes rising THC strengths in some products,…
The study tested whether a single intravenous dose of ketamine given right after reactivating alcohol-related memories could weaken those memories and reduce harmful drinking. People who had their drinking memories reactivated and then received ketamine showed larger drops in urge to drink, enjoyment of beer, cue reactivity, and in drinking…
