I have been taking psychedelics for 50 over years. I am retired psychotherapist and I do not have a predisposition to mental ill health. I was also a substance misuse worker and methadone dispenser for over 10 years. I gave up smoking hash when I was 40 years old.
I did notice that with the introduction of skunk and the increase of up to 20% more Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), there were more and more people being sectioned under the mental health act with psychosis. Whereas prior to skunk when people generally smoked good old fashioned, Moroccan, Lebanese and Afghani hashish it was a rarity.
I know a range of people of different ages who partake in psychedelic use and have no trouble, like me, in holding down a professional job role and engaging fully in life.
As with all drugs there is a risk, however, the risks with Psyceedelics are very low in comparison with other drugs.
We must not use individual cases to determine the safety of any drug.
Here in the UK the media went wild over reports that a 18 year old girl (Leah Betts) had died from taking MDMA. Very rarely are the true facts given; The coroner said that "water intoxication", and not an allergic reaction to the drug, was the cause of death.
I have a great deal of respect for Professor David Nutt who is an English neuropsychopharmacologist specialising in the research of drugs that affect the brain and conditions such as addiction. His recommendations to the government to reclassify drugs were rejected and he was sacked.
heroin is top of the list - alcohol is 5th on the list - LSD is 14th on the list - Ecstacy is 18th on the list