Cannabis and other psychedelics may protect brains as we age

Science Alert shares that substances with psychedelic effects like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and cannabis, may help protect the brain from some aspects of aging:

A recent survey of 3,294 US adults, aged between 42 and 92, has found that those who reported using a hallucinogen of any kind in the past year show fewer depressive symptoms and more favorable changes to their higher-order brain functions.

Compared to those who did not use psychedelics, those who did scored higher on tests conducted over the phone which assessed inductive reasoning, verbal fluency, working memory, processing speed, attention switching, and inhibitory control.

Psychedelic users did not, however, score better on episodic memory, which stores and retrieves everyday events and is often impacted by dementia.

…A number of recent studies on older cohorts suggest that psychedelics can enhance creativity and improve executive brain function, even at small doses.

So there’s a chance that the “tune in, turn on, and drop out generation” and all of us could benefit from psychedelics. Please reach out to your elected officials!