Researchers see a future for psychedelic therapy

Fort Collins study looks at potential uses of LSD

BY LEIGH PATERSON KUNC

Interest in the possible mental health bene ts of psychedelics is growing as experiments to better understand these substances are moving ahead.

In Fort Collins, researchers at the Wholeness Center are examining the potential therapeutic use of LSD and, in particular, how — and at what dosage — it may impact people with generalized anxiety disorder.

After a lengthy screening process, study participants go to the Wholeness Center for a 12 hour day with two therapists. ey are unaware of what they will be swallowing: a placebo or various amounts of LSD.

“Particularly through the second hour or the third hour, people are in a very di erent frame of mind,” Dr. Scott Shannon, one of the principal study investigators, said of the people who get LSD instead of the placebo. “ e trees may be breathing, the couch may be moving. And some people will nd this incredibly curious. Other people may be a little intimidated.” e two therapists are there to reassure participants and calm them down. e experimental sessions taking place in Fort Collins are part of a larger study at 20 sites across the country funded by MindMed, a New York-based biotech company. e company plans to announce topline data from the clinical trials later this year.

“I tell people it’s like, if we’re living our life every day at street level then psychedelics are kind of like going up into a hot air balloon, or maybe even in a satellite, and you’re looking at your life in a very di erent way, and insights come,” Shannon said. “ ey can be scary sometimes. ey can be terrifying.” is experiment on LSD and anxiety is part of a much larger push to understand how various psychedelics can be used to treat mental health conditions. e e ort involves support from corporations, universities and nonpro ts. Earlier this year, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus announced an upcoming clinical trial to test whether psilocybin can help with treatment-resistant depression. Past research e orts have indicated that psilocybin—also called magic mushrooms—can ease anxiety, particularly for cancer patients.

“We have some suggestion that psychedelics can be helpful for anxiety, and this is a study to try to test that,” Shannon said. this quote was a little long and wordy, I think it can be shortened. e rest has already been explained outside of the quote.

Much of this research has been on hold for decades. After widespread use in the 1960s, the federal government classi ed psychedelics as Schedule 1 drugs, meaning they lack an accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse.

“It really shut down research in this country for a long, long time. And it’s now just restarting,” Shannon explained.

Eventually, researchers began requesting licenses from the federal government to study some psychedelics. After encouraging results,

SEE LSD, P17

How to take up running, from starting out to marathons

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Roxane Geisler started running in high school as a new challenge — somebody told her she should run cross country.

“I didn’t even know how to run a mile,” said Geisler, who is now president of the Highlands Ranch Running Club.

Getting into running “just gradually happened for me,” said Geisler, who is 54. “Suddenly, I was like, ‘Oh, I really do enjoy it, and I love getting out and seeing the views.’”

For people who are inexperienced at running but want to improve, it’s key not to be intimidated, Geisler said.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh, I can’t join the running club because I’m not a real runner.’ And that’s totally silly,” Geisler said. “If you run, you’re a runner.”

Ryan Marker, an assistant professor who teaches exercise physiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, said it’s important for beginners to start slow.

“Setting appropriate expectations, I think, is really important,” Geisler said. “So if someone’s never run before, you’re not going to get o the couch and do a marathon.”

But with the right plan, even beginners can work their way up to a marathon within months. (Here’s a tip: You don’t have to run the whole thing.)

Here’s some advice on how to start running or take your training to the next level.

Part of the group

One thing that can help you get into running: nding a group of runners to keep you moving.

When Geisler moved to Highlands Ranch in 2003, she noted how many people were out running by themselves.

She learned about the Highlands Ranch Race Series, and part of the idea behind starting her running club was to get some runners to train together.

“It makes running so much easier, training so much easier, when you have people to train with,” Geisler said.

And the people she’s met through her club “were a tremendous in uence on me — just people who really push themselves and try to get the best out of themselves,” said Geisler, who has run marathons.

e club provides a communal atmosphere: