It’s Time (Again) to Consider Psychedelic Drugs as a Treatment to Neuropsychiatric disorders: MDMA-Assisted Therapy and PTSD

History of MDMA use in psychotherapy

Merck pharmaceuticals first synthesized 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in 1912 as a medication to control for bleeding, but the drug was largely forgotten in the following decades. In 1976, the great American chemist, Alexander Shulgin synthesized MDMA in his laboratory, giving rise to a wave of an underground network of therapists who used MDMA in their studies and practice of drug-assisted psychotherapy. Due to the prohibition of other drug-assisted therapies that used LSD and psilocybin, many therapists were reluctant to publish their findings in an effort to avoid any media attention that could halt any current and future studies. MDMA assisted therapy was practiced in the early 70’s and remained inconspicuous from any form of government regulation up until the year 1983. In 1984, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) criminalized MDMA as a schedule I substance6,7. The therapeutic use of MDMA was largely overshadowed by the recreational use of MDMA. One can argue that scientists should have considered filing for a food and drug administration (FDA) approval ahead of its criminalization, but it’s important to understand that the techniques in neuroscience and technology at that time…