Psilocybin Could Unlock Key Mental Health Treatments for Millions of People

Psilocybin could be the key to unlocking key treatments for mental health issues. "Existing antidepressant drugs don't work well for an estimated 30 to 50 percent of the people who try them; when they do work, the effects can take weeks to kick in. Psilocybin, a compound that can profoundly alter consciousness and perceptions of reality, might be a powerful alternative, says Roland Griffiths, a neuropsychopharmacologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine," as quoted by Science News.

Better still, the drug can reportedly promote neuroplasticity in the brains of rats. According to a study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, "The present study demonstrates that psilocybin rapidly induces gene expression related to neuroplasticity, biased towards the prefrontal cortex, compared to the hippocampus. Findings provide further evidence for the rapid plasticity-promoting effects of psilocybin."

The U.S. is seeing broader support of psilocybin use, as well.

For example, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin in a therapeutic setting. With Measure 109, the psilocybin movement is about overcoming depression, as noted by KATU 2 ABC. In addition, "An estimated 1 in every 5 adults in Oregon is coping with a mental health condition," 20 doctors and other health care workers wrote in the voters' pamphlet.

"We support Measure 109 because it provides a new treatment for many that might break through where others fall short."

Better Plant Sciences (CSE: PLNT) (OTCQB: VEGGF) Just Received Health Canada Approval to Advance its Psilocybin Research

The company just announced that its majority owned subsidiary NeonMind Biosciences obtained Health Canada approval to advance its preclinical trial on psilocybin-based research. The Trial is intended to determine the capacity of psilocybin to dose-dependently cause weight loss and prevent weight gain, measuring glucose metabolism, weight loss and effect on food cravings.

NeonMind has engaged the University of British Columbia to conduct the Trial. The services are provided by the University under the supervision of Dr. Alasdair Barr, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, who is authorized by Health Canada to act as the Principal Investigator for the Trial.

Dr. Barr is a tenured faculty member at the University and has extensive experience working with controlled substances as part of his research. His doctoral and post-doctoral research involved a significant body of work using controlled substances.

Before psilocybin, a restricted substance, can be used for a scientific purpose in Canada, the Canadian Minister of Health must grant authority or an exemption pursuant to Subsection 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19.

On July 27, 2020, an application regarding the NeonMind Trial was submitted to Health Canada and on October 7, 2020, pursuant to section J.01.059 of Part J of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), Health Canada granted authorization to the Principal Investigator to carry out the Trial using psilocybin at UBC.

For more information, visit the company's website at https://betterplantsciences.com.

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