Translated from our German original by AI. The German text was researched, written, and edited by the Psychedelia Foundation team and remains the authoritative version.
Growing interest in the therapeutic usability of psychedelic substances is prompting scientists to look closely at the research data currently available on individual compounds. Two reviews on the therapeutic use of mescaline and 5-methoxy-DMT have recently appeared, for example, in which the researchers evaluated all available studies concerned with medical treatment in humans.
The review on mescaline (2,770 scientific publications) concludes that the quality of the research on therapeutic mescaline to date varies widely and that firm statements about the safety and frequency of psychological and physical effects are not currently possible. Clear clinical recommendations could therefore not yet be derived, and considerable research need remains.
As for 5-MeO-DMT, the picture looks similar. Here too the researchers see an urgent need for studies, after evaluating 533 scientific publications on 5-MeO-DMT. Applying strict selection criteria, only 33 studies ultimately remained that actually dealt with the use of the substance in humans and met the quality requirements. Although 5-MeO-DMT is discussed as a potential new approach in psychiatry, clinical research on the psychedelic in humans is still at an early stage. (mb)
Papers:
Shaw J, Yong A, Lee J, Cheng J, Andricioaei A, Wang JY, Zisman-Ilani Y, Bota R. (2026), The Ethnopharmacological Use of Mescaline for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review, Int J Mol Sci. 27(7): 3081.
