Very small doses of the magic-mushroom drug caused no hallucinations, an early trial hints
Psilocybin, the active chemical in magic mushrooms, produced no hallucinations at very low doses. In 56 healthy adults, doses of 0.5 to 4 milligrams were noticeable but caused no visions and no drop in attention or memory.
Why it matters
Psilocybin is being tested as a treatment for depression and other mental health problems. But normal doses of 10 to 25 milligrams cause hours of hallucinations, so a person must stay in a clinic with supervision. That is expensive and hard to offer to many people. This early trial suggests low doses can still be felt without the visions, which might one day allow treatment at home. Important: this study only tested safety in healthy people. It did not test whether low doses actually help anyone feel better.
Who's behind it: N. Levy-Cooperman, E. Sellers and colleagues, A clinical trials research group, with collaborators including the University of Otago.
Summary by the Lemma AI · how we grade