Comparing Psychedelics for Therapy: Legality, Efficacy & Safety

ketamine, mdma, mescaline, lsd, psilocybin molecules

Psychedelic therapy for anxiety and depression is a hot topic these days. You may have heard about it on Michael Pollan’s recent Netflix series, How to Change Your Mind. The series devotes each episode to a different psychedelic medicine including LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and mescaline. These four drugs all have their own benefits and drawbacks, similarly to ketamine. Let’s take a look at each drug’s legal status, safety concerns and indicated uses.

Why Ketamine is a Psychedelic

silhouette of a woman in the ocean with the sunrise behind her

Ketamine can provide similar psychedelic effects to other drugs such as LSD, MDMA, psilocybin and mescaline and is used to treat some of the same mood disorders. What exactly is a psychedelic?