Psychedelic Science Newsletter
Issue #40June 8, 20267 studies

Psilocybin cut depression scores by 35 points in postpartum mothers

This week brought major updates from the psychedelic research world, including breakthrough results for postpartum depression, real-world safety data from Oregon's legal psilocybin program, and new insights into how these substances might work for chronic pain.

🍄 Inhaled psychedelic shows promise for postpartum depression

  • 10 mothers with severe postpartum depression received an inhaled form of 5-MeO-DMT (called GH001) in escalating doses up to 18mg
  • Depression scores plummeted by an average of 35.4 points on a standard scale within 8 days—all participants achieved remission
  • The effects appeared within 2 hours of treatment and persisted through the study period, with only mild side effects like headaches

Why it matters: Current postpartum depression treatments are limited, and this represents one of the first trials testing psychedelics specifically for this condition. The rapid onset could be crucial for new mothers who need fast relief.

🎖️ Top 10% journal 🔗 The Journal of clinical psychiatry Journal Article 🗓️ Jun 5

Key Findings

🌲 Oregon's first year of legal psilocybin reveals safety profile

  • 5,935 people participated in 5,375 legal psilocybin sessions across Oregon in 2025, with 32.6% coming from out of state
  • Serious adverse events were rare: 2.42 behavioral incidents and 2.79 medical events per 1,000 sessions
  • The program attracted primarily midlife adults (40% aged 35-49) and showed strong participation from LGBTQ+ individuals (27.2%) but limited racial diversity
💡 Real-world safety data suggests supervised psilocybin use carries relatively low acute risks when properly regulated.
Top 20% journal 🔗 Frontiers in psychiatry Journal Article 🗓️ Jun 3

🧠 Veterans see broad improvements beyond depression with psilocybin

  • 15 veterans with treatment-resistant depression received 25mg psilocybin with psychological support
  • Anxiety scores dropped 59% at 3 weeks, quality of life improved 24%, and functional impairment decreased 46%
  • Benefits for anxiety lasted through 12 months, though improvements in functioning and quality of life were largely tied to reduced depression
💡 Psilocybin's effects may extend beyond depression to improve multiple aspects of mental health in treatment-resistant cases.
🥉 Top 5% journal 🔗 Journal of affective disorders Journal Article 🗓️ Jun 5

💊 MDMA booster dose extends therapeutic window

  • 23 healthy volunteers received either 120mg MDMA alone or followed by a 60mg booster dose 2 hours later
  • The booster extended subjective effects from 4.6 hours to 5.6 hours without increasing peak intensity
  • No differences in peak effects or serious side effects were observed between single and booster dosing
💡 Extending MDMA's effects with a booster dose appears safe and could optimize the therapeutic window for assisted therapy.
🥉 Top 5% journal 🔗 Translational psychiatry Journal Article 🗓️ Jun 4

🔬 Psilocybin alters brain circuits linked to reward processing in rats

  • Rats given psilocybin showed decreased preference for large rewards 48 hours later, independent of delay sensitivity
  • Brain imaging revealed increased activity in specific inhibitory neurons surrounded by protective nets in the prefrontal cortex
  • The changes suggest psilocybin may reduce appetitive motivation through altered brain circuit activity
💡 In rats, psilocybin appears to dampen reward-seeking behavior through long-lasting changes in prefrontal brain circuits.
🔗 The European journal of neuroscience Journal Article 🗓️ Jun 2

📚 Chronic pain patients may benefit from psychedelics, review suggests

  • A comprehensive review examined how classic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD might treat chronic pain through multiple mechanisms
  • Potential benefits include effects on neuroplasticity, inflammation, brain networks, and psychological processes like pain acceptance
  • Early studies show preliminary signals of benefit for fibromyalgia, migraines, and cluster headaches, though large controlled trials are still needed
💡 Psychedelics may offer a novel approach to chronic pain by targeting both neurological and psychological aspects simultaneously.
🥈 Top 2% journal 🔗 Drugs Review 🗓️ Jun 4

⚠️ Ibogaine research shows mixed results after 30 years

  • A review of 24 studies and 38 case reports found most positive ibogaine data comes from uncontrolled studies with high bias risk
  • No double-blind trial has proven ibogaine effective for opioid use disorder, and only one small trial showed benefits for cocaine addiction
  • Serious cardiac side effects from QT prolongation represent considerable risks given unproven efficacy
💡 Three decades of ibogaine research highlights the importance of rigorous clinical trials before declaring psychedelics therapeutically viable.
🔗 Journal of clinical psychopharmacology Journal Article 🗓️ Jun 2

Implications

This week's research paints a nuanced picture of psychedelic medicine: promising early results for specific conditions like postpartum depression, encouraging real-world safety data from regulated programs, but also reminders that rigorous clinical evidence remains essential. The field appears to be maturing from early enthusiasm toward more careful, condition-specific research.

Studies in this issue

Primary sources used for this newsletter.

  1. Inhaled Mebufotenin (GH001) for Treating Postpartum Depression in Adults: Early Clinical Trial
    main storyThe Journal of clinical psychiatry2026-06-05PMID 42247279
  2. Psilocybin reduces preference for big rewards while increasing activity of specific inhibitory neurons in the brain's decision-making area
    key findingThe European journal of neuroscience2026-06-02PMID 42226515
  3. Changes in anxiety, quality of life, and daily functioning after psilocybin therapy in veterans with hard-to-treat depression
    key findingJournal of affective disorders2026-06-05PMID 42248535
  4. Short-term effects of MDMA with and without an extra booster dose in healthy people
    key findingTranslational psychiatry2026-06-04PMID 42243076
  5. Thirty Years of Ibogaine Research: Clinical Insights from Past Studies
    key findingJournal of clinical psychopharmacology2026-06-02PMID 42228481
  6. Safety, reasons for use, and patterns of psilocybin services in Oregon's first regulated year
    key findingFrontiers in psychiatry2026-06-03PMID 42233004
  7. Classic Psychedelics and Their Use for Long-Term Pain: A Review and Guidance for Doctors
    key findingDrugs2026-06-04PMID 42243569

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Psilocybin cut depression scores by 35 points in postpartum mothers | Psychedelic Science Issue #40 | OpenScience.ink