THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF PSILOCYBIN IN THE CONTEXT OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE AND INTERIM PARTNER VIOLENCE: PROBLEMS OF LEGAL REGULATION

Abstract

The article analyzes the latest scientific and practical publications related to the use of psilobin and psilocybin for therapeutic purposes. Psilocybin is an alkaloid, a phosphoric ester of tryptamine derivative (C12H17N2O4P), which occurs naturally in some mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe. Psilocybin is a psychoactive substance, its effect on the body is similar to the effect of LSD. In the body, psilocybin is converted to psilocin by separating the remaining phosphoric acid. By their structure, psilocybin and psilocin are similar to the neurotransmitter serotonin, they suppress its activity, probably due to this psychotropic effect. Explores the history of psilocybin use, beginning with the Harvard Psilocybin Experiment. And although the mentioned experiment received an undoubted status due to some principles of its conduct, nevertheless, in recent decades there has been a return to attempts to investigate the effect of psilocybin on the human psyche. Special attention should be paid to studies in social psychology of a practical direction, which relate to the use of psilocybin for the prevention and termination of domestic violence, the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as for palliative purposes. The findings of a group of scientists led by Dr. Peter Hendricks, a professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of Alabama, who conducted research on the materials of the National Survey on Drug Abuse from 2002 to 2014, were analyzed, based on which they claimed that the use of psychedelics and, in particular, psilocybin makes people less likely to commit violent crimes. At the same time, in Ukraine, psilocybin is prohibited for use for medical, scientific, and other purposes, as well as for production, storage, transportation, sale, purchase, export, import, and transportation through the territory of Ukraine, which is an obstacle to conducting similar research on domestic territory. and does not meet the requirements of time and the need to find new ways to combat domestic violence, treat post-traumatic stress disorders, and use for palliative purposes.