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The UFC is looking to get involved in research into psychedelic drugs as therapy for the brain health of fighters.
The promotion has been in contact with Johns Hopkins University about their studies of psychedelics with the aim of seeing if the drugs can be of help to fighters struggling with brain problems, the UFC President said on Wednesday. , Dana White, to MMA Junkie.
“We’re diving into that,” White said.
UFC’s senior vice president for health and performance, Jeff Novitzky, told ESPN that interest came from a segment of HBO’s “Real Sports” last month. Novitzky said White gave him a “directive” to look more into psychedelic research and that he had been in contact with Johns Hopkins in recent weeks.
The UFC was a major funder of a study on the brains of professional athletes conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, contributing an additional $ 1 million last week. Novitzky said the promotion might appear to be a benefactor for a psychedelic study with the added option of recruiting current or former UFC fighters to be part of the research.
“Dana said, ‘Hey, find out what this is about,’” Novitzky said. “To see if that helps with some head trauma, addiction, mental health issues. We want to be on board and we want to be the first.”
Johns Hopkins is the national leader in research into the therapeutic effects of psychedelics such as psilocybin (mushrooms) and LSD. The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research obtained regulatory approval from the US government in 2000 and has produced over 60 peer-reviewed research.
Currently, psilocybin and other psychedelics are classified by the US government as illegal Schedule I drugs, defined as drugs with high potential for abuse or drugs without medical use.
However, opinions on psychedelics are changing. Oregon legalized psilocybin in a vote last year.
“Our research has shown therapeutic effects in people who suffer from a range of difficult conditions, including addiction (smoking, alcohol, other drugs), existential distress caused by a life-threatening illness, and treatment-resistant depression.” , states the Johns Hopkins Center for the Psychedelic & Consciousness Research website.
Former UFC flyweight contender Ian McCall has worked with psilocybin and athletes and participated in a study with Johns Hopkins, he told ESPN’s Michael Rothstein last year. McCall said he has had discussions with the UFC before.
“When you get into a cage, when you get into a ring and you fight and even in football you give and receive [post-traumatic stress syndrome] and nobody wants to talk about it, but that’s what’s happening, “McCall said.” Your trauma is stored in your tissues, so you give and receive PTSD while you’re there and that’s a big reason I’m working in psychedelics, to try and fix these exact things. We have to take care of these athletes a little better, just like we have to do with vets. “
Novitzky said he has spoken to athletes who have experimented with psychedelics such as ayahuasca, and those who have struggled with addiction or mental health have said the drug has been extremely helpful. The UFC executive said he wasn’t sure when the promotion might do anything in the psychedelic realm, but the desire was there.
“We want to do it the right way,” Novitzky said. “We want to get all government approvals if we’re going to do something. We want to know how we’re going to recruit fighters. Unfortunately, it’s not something that happens overnight. But Dana basically told me. : “Hey I want this reviewed. Bring me some potential avenues we can be involved in. “”
White said, as with the UFC’s participation in the Brain Health Study, there is a desire to look more into potential therapies for fighters with brain issues. UFC veteran Spencer Fisher opened up about his health issues, including brain damage, in an interview with MMAFighting.com that was posted Tuesday.
“He’s not the first and he sure won’t be the last,” White said of Fisher. “It’s a contact sport. Anyone’s done that [when they were] younger – including me – has brain problems. It’s part of the concert. “
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