Study Spotlight #5: Ayahuasca, ECS, and Social Anxiety Disorders
While the science of cannabis continues to expand, the science around psychedelic compounds is also ramping up dramatically. In two pilot, proof-of-concept, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, we see the first significant results connecting the psychoactive brew ayahuasca with components of the endocannabinoid system. The researchers monitored plasma levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) after a dose of ayahuasca or placebo. They found a significant difference in AEA levels after taking the brew. More research is needed, but this is an intriguing result and an area worthy of more study.
Dos Santos RG, Rocha JM, Rossi GN, Osório FL, Ona G, Bouso JC, Silveira GO, Yonamine M, Marchioni C, Crevelin EJ, Queiroz ME, Crippa JA, Hallak JEC. Effects of ayahuasca on the endocannabinoid system of healthy volunteers and in volunteers with social anxiety disorder: Results from two pilot, proof-of-concept, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2022 Jul;37(4):e2834.
