Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1470128
Psychedelics: New Frontiers in Alternative Medicine | vol. 5 no. 5 cannabissciencetech.com 28 feature / research you know, and who's talking about it in a way that's not stigmatized? Because the times that I do hear about cannabis and psilocybin being used together, it's usually, "Oh, don't do that," or, "There is no data about that." Well, somebody has to start collecting that data. And that's what I'm so excited about, and that's why I chose that topic, because we have multiple studies in our lab. We're also studying some synthet- ic versions which are not my favorite. I, of course, appreciate nature best. But I chose this topic because the pas- sion that I felt from the audience dur- ing the Cannabis Science Conference in the past shows me that this is the audience that I'd like to show this data to for the very first time, because this data is going to be published. But to be able to share it live in front of this au- dience, I think is the best. And I chose this topic in particular because we have multiple measures in that study, but I chose this topic because, as a globe, all of us have PTSD, let's be real. And that PTSD needs to be managed because over time, as we know, it will compound. And, if I have it my way as an epidemiologist, I will not let people who hear my voice let that compound because there are ways to take action, and those ways include nature. Q: Are you studying any other psychedelics or just psilocybin? A: Dr. Vidot: Yeah, we're studying ayahuasca. That's self-reported. It's nowhere near as extensive as our psilocybin work, of course. We are also studying ketamine. I collaborate very closely with Dr. Michelle Weiner in Miami and South Florida, and we have two ketamine studies. In fact, we are getting ready to start disseminating the results here shortly, where we're comparing intramuscular and oral administration and lots of fun things. Q: So, you've seen people responding in that they're using psilocybin, and part of that came about because of your COVID-19 research. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, your research kind of fast tracked in this area. Do you think it would have eventually reached this point even without the pandemic, or is it too hard to say? A: Dr. Vidot: That is a fantastic question. I think that the speed at which the mental health outcomes that my laboratory is analyzing and dissemi- nating may have been accelerated based on the fact that there's a pandemic. But I believe that our lab would have been focusing on this either way, but most like- ly, we would have been focusing more on the physical health outcomes of psilocybin, because we haven't even talked about that yet too, but I have a whole other branch that's focused on what is psilocybin doing to the heart rate, how is it dealing with inflammation, getting actual inflammation markers from the blood? So, to directly answer your question, I do believe that the pandemic accelerated our mental health branch of the laboratory in regard to our psilocybin research. And it's a little sad for me to say that as a reality, but that's where we are today. Q: What important information do you hope attendees learned from your pres- entation that they wouldn't know otherwise? A: Dr. Vidot: Oh, number one, that not all cannabis is created equal, and already my hypotheses are showing that not all fungi are equal. I think that if attendees don't remember anything else from what I say, I just want them to leave knowing that it is important to understand what type of cannabis is being consumed, and also, it's important to understand that psilocybin—and psychedelics in general—it's not just about taking the fungi or taking the substance. Integra- tion is so important, and I'm talking about pre-integration, during integra- tion, and post integration. So, we talked a little bit about that during the presentation as well. Q: Do you face any unique challenges with researching cannabis and psychedelics? A: Dr. Vidot: Yes, that is the definition of what we are facing. I think that if anyone wants to study cannabis and psychedelics, first of all, you must have passion. You have to have a good why. And I know that sounds pretty cliché because every- one's always like, "What's your why?" But really, if you are not passionate for the right reason, when it comes to cannabis research and psychedelic research, you can easily get caught up. And when I say caught up, what does that mean? Getting caught up in the wrong, or trying to do the wrong types of studies for what reason. I also think that the regulatory guidelines make it challenging, especially for the type of research that I want to do. I always talk about how my collabo- rators and I have multiple protocols and grants already written so that when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) al- lows us (and, yes, I mean allows us), to conduct randomized controlled trials with cannabis in particular, we're ready to go. So, I would say that's the big- gest challenge. And then also the stig- ma. You know there is the plant stigma and then the reality of the world that we live in today, I am a young Latina, well, I present as a young Latina wom- an, but I am a cannabis and psychedelic epidemiologist researcher with a large lab. And I think that stigma sometimes