How Cannabis Is Used in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Qualifies as Psychedelic Cannabis?Cannabis for Use in Psychedelic-Assisted TherapyHow Does Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Work?Is Psychedelic Cannabis Legal?A Word From Verywell

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

What Qualifies as Psychedelic Cannabis?

Cannabis for Use in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

How Does Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Work?

Is Psychedelic Cannabis Legal?

A Word From Verywell

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Psychedeliccannabis refers to the use of cannabis as apsychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, which involves taking a psychedelic drug and then participating in a talk therapy session. According to psychedelic specialist Daniel McQueen, cannabis can help heal trauma and other mental health ailments.

Read on to learn more about psychedelic cannabis, its uses, and any tips you may want to consider before trying psychedelic-assisted therapy.

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Due to advancements in cannabis over the past 20 years, marijuana is more potent than ever before. Because of marijuana’s potency, marijuana is now compared toMDMA,psilocybin(also known as mushrooms), andayahuasca.

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The Strains Determine Marijuana’s Psychedelic Nature

What qualifies cannabis as psychedelic is dependent on the particular plant strain and how they are blended to achieve a particular effect.

With psychedelic cannabis, the particular blend of strains will have been specifically chosen to provide an experience that’s conducive to developing deep emotional and even spiritual insights.

Simply put, there is an art to psychedelic cannabis—it isn’t as simple as using marijuana and getting high.

Though less common than substances like psilocybin or MDMA, psychedelic cannabis can be used in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

Psychedelic-Assisted TherapyPsychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is an emerging form of psychotherapy that can treatdepression,obsessive-compulsive disorder, andpost-traumatic stress disorder.It can even be supportive for those suffering from terminal illness-induced mental health issues.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is an emerging form of psychotherapy that can treatdepression,obsessive-compulsive disorder, andpost-traumatic stress disorder.It can even be supportive for those suffering from terminal illness-induced mental health issues.

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In a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy session, the chosen substance is administered in a controlled environment. This means that a very particular dosage that has been studied and tested for its effectiveness is given to the patient.

With psychedelic cannabis, the particular blend of strains will have been specifically chosen to provide an experience that’s conducive to developing deep emotional and evenspiritualinsights.

The setting for the session is also heavily considered. In order to create a calm and soothing atmosphere, the music and lighting will be carefully curated so that the patient has a healing experience.

The therapist guides the patient through the session as they experience the psychedelic’s effects and talk through the thoughts and emotions that arise.

If you’re interested in furthering your knowledge of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in general, consider checking out theMultidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). They have information on clinical trials, the efficacy of this form of treatment, resources, and more.

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Cannabis is federally illegal, but it is legal for medical use in some states—and this includes psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

Typically, decriminalization is the first step in working towards making cannabis legal in a state. Decriminalization refers to overturning oppressive policies regarding cannabis, making it an essential foundational step in legalization. However, many states are in varying phases of legalization, fromdecriminalizationto being outright legal.

As such, it is incredibly important to be aware of your particular state’s policies regarding this substance.

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If you are considering psychedelic-assisted therapy with cannabis, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First of all, determine whether medical use of cannabis is legal in your state. This will affect your ability to take part in a psychedelic-assisted session.

Then, talk with your doctor, your therapist, or your psychiatrist about whether they think that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with cannabis is the right choice for you.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McQueen D, Gray S.Psychedelic Cannabis: Therapeutic Methods and Unique Blends to Treat Trauma and Transform Consciousness. 2nd ed. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 2021Krediet E, Bostoen T, Breeksema J, van Schagen A, Passie T, Vermetten E.Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of ptsd.IJNP. 2020;23(6):385-400. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa018Schenberg EE.Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a paradigm shift in psychiatric research and development.Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:733. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00733Byock I.Taking psychedelics seriously.J. Palliat. Med. 2018;21(4):417-421. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0684Pacula RL, Smart R.Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2017;13:397-419. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045128

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McQueen D, Gray S.Psychedelic Cannabis: Therapeutic Methods and Unique Blends to Treat Trauma and Transform Consciousness. 2nd ed. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 2021Krediet E, Bostoen T, Breeksema J, van Schagen A, Passie T, Vermetten E.Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of ptsd.IJNP. 2020;23(6):385-400. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa018Schenberg EE.Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a paradigm shift in psychiatric research and development.Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:733. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00733Byock I.Taking psychedelics seriously.J. Palliat. Med. 2018;21(4):417-421. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0684Pacula RL, Smart R.Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2017;13:397-419. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045128

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

McQueen D, Gray S.Psychedelic Cannabis: Therapeutic Methods and Unique Blends to Treat Trauma and Transform Consciousness. 2nd ed. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 2021Krediet E, Bostoen T, Breeksema J, van Schagen A, Passie T, Vermetten E.Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of ptsd.IJNP. 2020;23(6):385-400. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa018Schenberg EE.Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a paradigm shift in psychiatric research and development.Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:733. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00733Byock I.Taking psychedelics seriously.J. Palliat. Med. 2018;21(4):417-421. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0684Pacula RL, Smart R.Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2017;13:397-419. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045128

McQueen D, Gray S.Psychedelic Cannabis: Therapeutic Methods and Unique Blends to Treat Trauma and Transform Consciousness. 2nd ed. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster. 2021

Krediet E, Bostoen T, Breeksema J, van Schagen A, Passie T, Vermetten E.Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of ptsd.IJNP. 2020;23(6):385-400. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa018

Schenberg EE.Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a paradigm shift in psychiatric research and development.Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:733. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00733

Byock I.Taking psychedelics seriously.J. Palliat. Med. 2018;21(4):417-421. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2017.0684

Pacula RL, Smart R.Medical marijuana and marijuana legalization.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2017;13:397-419. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045128

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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