A recent study conducted by the University of Maryland shows how psilocybin can be used for its antidepressant properties without the need of the user having any prior experience with psychedelics.
This research was financed by the National Institute of Mental Health and its findings were presented at the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to the researchers from the University, the benefits of psilocybin without the psychedelic effects were revealed through the study which used rodents as specimens.
“These findings show that activation of the receptor causing the psychedelic effect isn’t absolutely required for the antidepressant benefits, at least in mice,” said one of the researchers.
The researchers however acknowledge that these findings from the new study were interesting but more research on animals is needed to clearly capture the mechanisms of how the drugs work.
