Genís Ona

• PhD
• Study Coordinator at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu

Substance use disorders remain one of the most challenging health problems to address. Specifically, opioid dependence has caused serious public health issues in countries such as the United States and Canada over the last decade, underscoring the need for innovative and effective treatments. Recently, mental health researchers have shown a renewed...

Objective While social cognition is shown to be impaired in several mental disorders, the effects of cannabis on social cognition are still not clear. Past studies have used the multifaceted empathy test (MET) to study social cognition. This study aims to test the validity of the MET Spanish version and to evaluate the effects of cannabis use on so...

Seizures are a concerning adverse event frequently associated with the use of psychedelics, and hence, studies involving these substances tend to exclude patients with past history of epilepsy. This is especially relevant because epileptic seizures are markedly increased in the population suffering from mental disorders, and psy-chedelic assisted t...

Ibogaine (IBO) is an atypical psychedelic with a complex mechanism of action. To date, the mechanisms that may underlie its anti-addictive effects are still not defined. This study aims to identify changes in gene expression induced by a single oral dose of IBO in the cortex of mice by means of a transcriptomic analysis for the first time. Our resu...

Editores: : Rafael Guimarães dos Santos e Jaime Eduardo Cecilio Hallak Com capítulos detalhados e escritos por especialistas renomados, você encontrará em Alucinógenos em saúde mental: • Usos tradicionais e contemporâneos de alucinógenos: um olhar sobre a história e a ciência dos psicodélicos. • Pesquisas clínicas: explora como esses compostos...

Introduction Despite an emerging understanding regarding the pivotal mechanistic role of subjective experiences that unfold during acute psychedelic states, very little has been done in the direction of better characterizing such experiences and determining their long-term impact. The present paper utilizes two cross-sectional studies for spotlight...

Cannabis is being legalized for medical and recreational purposes all around the world. However, the understanding of the psychological effects of cannabis is still limited, and it has been previously linked to mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Lately, new scales have been created and adapted to measure its psychological effects. The aim of t...

Este artículo presenta un estudio de caso de una mujer que emigró de la selva brasileña a Barcelona hace diecisiete años, y su camino para convertirse en una curandera que trabaja con ayahuasca, kambó (veneno de rana) y sananga (colirio herbal). Se discuten las nociones de autenticidad, communitas y autoatención. Sostenemos que el chamanismo, la re...

Background There is a growing interest in studying ibogaine (IBO) as a potential treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, its clinical use has been hindered for mainly two reasons: First, the lack of randomized, controlled studies informing about its safety and efficacy. And second, IBO’s mechanisms of action remain obscure. It has be...

There is currently a renewed academic interest in hallucinogenic drugs such as psilocybin or ayahuasca. The clinical use of hallucinogens has been accompanied by psychotherapeutic models that address their subjective effects. The clinical approach developed in Brazil is particularly interesting, since it does not have psychotherapeutic orientations...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of the global population. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal transcultural study that was begun at the peak of the pandemic (in April, 2020). An online survey was used to collect data from English-, Spanish-, and Portuguese-speaking participants. The surve...

Background: Serotonergic hallucinogens and cannabinoids may alter the recognition of emotions in facial expressions (REFE). Cannabidiol (CBD) attenuates the psychoactive effects of the cannabinoid-1 agonist tetrahydrocannabinol. Ayahuasca is a dimethyltryptamine-containing hallucinogenic decoction. It is unknown if CBD may moderate and attenuate t...

Background: Ayahuasca is a serotoninergic hallucinogen that plays a central role in the Amazonian traditional medicine. Its psychoactive effects are associated with the presence of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-A). Advances in neuroimaging investigations have provided insight into ayahuasca's neurobiological me...

Background and Objective: An increasing number of countries are deciding to regulate the medicinal and/or recreational use of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.). However, there is a lack of information on the impact of regular consumption of this substance on public health. In this study, for the first time, regular cannabis consumers in Spain were asse...

Hallucinations are currently associated almost exclusively with psychopathological states. While it is evident that hallucinations can indicate psychopathology or neurological disorders, we should remember that hallucinations also commonly occur in people without any signs of psychopathology. A similar case occurs in the case of hallucinogenic drug...

While the field of psychedelic research is continuously expanding and offers new hope for achieving successful treatments for physical and mental disorders, certain methodological aspects require improvement. Some of the flaws are shared with clinical trials for other kinds of drugs and others are specific to the field. Given that psychedelic resea...

Introduction: Ibogaine is one of the alkaloids naturally found in plants such as Tabernanthe iboga, which has been traditionally used by members of the Bwiti culture. Since the discovery of its anti-addictive properties by Howard S. Lotsof in 1962, ibogaine has been used experimentally to treat substance use disorders (SUD), especially those involv...

The COVID-19 pandemic has made evident the need to develop effective strategies to cushion the psychological consequences of social catastrophes. Preliminary evidence suggests that the use of hallucinogens is a protective factor that mitigates against such stressors. However, the underlying mechanisms must be further explored. This study specifical...

Can the emerging field of psychedelic research benefit from natural product research? We believe it can. In this manuscript we delineate certain topics of research with hallucinogens that directly connect with research on natural products in general.

Context Ibogaine is the main alkaloid of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. It produces hallucinogenic and psychostimulant effects, but it is currently known for the anti-addictive properties. Despite the potential therapeutic effects, several cases of fatalities and serious adverse events related to ibogaine/noribogaine use can be found in the l...

Ayahuasca is a plant decoction in traditional Amazonian medicine. Its ritual use has been internationalized, leading to policy challenges that countries should address. This study evaluates the impact of regular ayahuasca ceremony participation on health by assessing the health status of 377 participants in ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands u...

This book describes in an enjoyable, illustrated format the pharmacology of hallucinogenic drugs. Receptors, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and other complicated concepts are presented in a very informative way.

Objetivos: Caracterizar el estado de salud percibido, la calidad de vida, apoyo social percibido, vida en prisión y uso de cannabis en una muestra de reclusos españoles. Material y método: Se organizó una serie de conversaciones con los reclusos con el objetivo de conocer las motivaciones que les llevaban a consumir cannabis (fase 1). En la fase 2...

Objective: To assess endocannabinoid (anandamide, AEA; 2-arachidonoylglycerol, 2-AG) plasma levels in healthy volunteers and in volunteers with social anxiety disorder (SAD) after a single oral dose of ayahuasca or placebo. Methods: Post hoc analysis of endocannabinoid plasma levels (baseline, 90 and 240 min after drug intake) from two parallel-...

Interest in psychoactive ethnobotanicals such as ayahuasca or Psilocybe mushrooms for clinical uses has increased over the last two decades. While clinical and experimental approaches have focused on using isolated compounds of interest (such as psilocybin), an emerging trend in drug discovery involves a more comprehensive approach. The polypharmac...

The Global Mental Health (GMH) movement aims to provide urgently needed treatment to those with mental illness, especially in low-and middle-income countries. Due to the complexity of providing mental health services to people from various cultures, there is much debate among GMH advocates regarding the best way to proceed. While biomedical interve...

Background: Despite the benefits that synthetic pesticides have provided in terms of pest and disease control, they cause serious long-term consequences for both the environment and living organisms. Interest in ecofriendly products has subsequently increased in recent years. Methods: This article briefly analyzes the available ethnobotanical evide...

Background The mechanisms through which kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists induce psychotomimetic effects are largely unknown, although the modulation of this receptor has attracted attention for its clinical use. In this work, we characterize the neuropharmacological effects of salvinorin-A, a highly selective KOR agonist. Methods Changes in mu...

Background: One of the main public health strategies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic consisted of implementing strict lockdowns to stop the transmission of the virus. Despite being an effective measure, the confinement and the associated social isolation create a stressful, potentially lengthy situations that has been proven to ha...

The volume of research on the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs has been increasing during the last decades. Partly because of the need of innovative treatments in psychiatry, several studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of drugs like psilocybin or ayahuasca for a wide range of mental disorders, including major depression. The first sec...

Background: In recent decades, ritualistic use of ayahuasca has spread throughout the world. Retrospective studies have suggested a good psychological safety profile, but prospective studies involving ceremony ayahuasca-naive participants are lacking. Methods: We conducted the study using a subsample from a previous study, for which first-time c...

En muchos estudios modernos, así como en sitios web de divulgación o tiendas de productos de cannabis, nos encontramos a menudo con el concepto de "efecto séquito" o entourage effect en inglés. Este se refiere a los efectos sinérgicos que pueden encontrarse en la planta del cannabis y, en general, sirve como pretexto para justificar el uso de extra...

Microdosing psychedelic drugs -that is, taking sub-behavioral doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin- is a growing practice in Western societies. Taken mainly for creative or mood-enhancing purposes, thousands of users are increasingly being exposed to (micro)doses of psychedelic drugs. In this systematic review, we searched the av...

Research with psychedelic drugs has mainly focused on isolated compounds. However, this approach is challenged by the "polypharmacology" paradigm. In this Viewpoint, we suggest that we may be missing something if we do not use the whole product in the case of ayahuasca or Psilocybe mushrooms. After describing how research on psychedelic drugs can b...

The use of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of some mental disorders is increasing. However, their use is associated to certain risks, being the most important the exacerbation of mental disorders, mainly psychosis or bipolar disorder. While both 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin are on the Phase-III of the process of drug...

The field of psychiatry is facing unprecedented challenges. Despite recent important innovations, several mental disorders continue to lack effective treatment. After briefly exploring some of the current challenges, we suggest that the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in psychotherapeutic settings represents a promising and integrative treatme...

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic decoction used as a traditional medicine in several Amazonian regions. The ritualistic use of ayahuasca has spread throughout many countries, making it necessary to study its risks and benefits. Two sub-studies were designed for this investigation. In sub-study 1, a psychiatric interview and a battery of questionnaires...

The number of patients using cannabis for therapeutic purposes is growing worldwide. While research regarding the treatment of certain diseases/disorders with cannabis and cannabinoids is also expanding, only a few longitudinal studies have assessed the mid-term impacts of medical cannabis use on psychological variables and quality of life (QoL). T...

In drug development, the creation of highly selective ligands has been unsuccessful for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. Multi-target ligands, from the polypharmacology paradigm, are being proposed as treatments for these complex disorders, since they offer enhanced efficacy and a strong safety profile. Natural products are the be...

In recent years, the use of natural psychoactive drugs (NPDs) has grown rapidly. They are classified as new psychoactive substances (NPSs), despite the reality that they have been used for centuries. We are lacking information regarding patterns of use or characteristics of users, but some evidence suggests that NPDs substantially differ from NPSs...

Background and aims Pain is the most prevalent symptom of a health condition, and it is inappropriately treated in many cases. Here, we present a case report in which we observe a long-lasting analgesic effect produced by changa, a psychedelic drug that contains the psychoactive N,N-dimethyltryptamine and ground seeds of Peganum harmala, which are...

Assessing the health status of ayahuasca users has been challenging due to the limitations involved in randomized clinical trials and psychometric approaches. The main objective of this study is the implementation of an approach based on public health indicators. We developed a self-administered questionnaire that was administered to long-term ayah...

The current crisis in psychopharmacology has a long history and needs to be addressed with innovative and effective strategies. Here we discuss some of the roots of this crisis and suggest that the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs represents a promising and integrative treatment with enduring effects for mental health problems.

Objetivo. Evaluar el estado de la investigación actual sobre el potencial terapéutico de las sustancias psicodélicas. Metodología. Se realiza una breve revisión temática y se desarrolla un análisis crítico de la situación. Resultados. Se identifican diversas limitaciones y sesgos tanto en estudios observacionales como en ensayos clínicos. Conclusio...

Objective This study aimed to clarify the influence of extra-pharmacological factors in the etiology of bad trips, a common adverse reaction related to the consumption of psychedelic drugs. Methods A descriptive approach was adopted. The information was collected using a web-based survey. The survey respondents volunteered to participate based on...

A partir de un análisis de situación, en donde se pone de manifiesto que el tratamiento de la enfermedad mental está sometida a pautas biomédicas, el autor se pronuncia a favor de unas pautas más humanas, que no sigan la tendencia de personificar cosas y reducir los sujetos a cosas.

Introduction: In the past century, many studies suggested that LSD-assisted psychotherapy was effective for a wide range of disorders. Nowadays, there is a comeback of psychedelic research, showing again significant therapeutic potential of hallucinogenic substances. Nevertheless, there is a lack of studies with psychedelic-naïve participants. Perf...

A lo largo de este texto se expondrán distintas corrientes, como el materialismo o el dualismo, discutiendo sus principios en base a los conocimientos o hallazgos que giran en torno a los psicodélicos. En concreto se prestará especial atención a cómo estas corrientes atienden al misterio de la conciencia o al eterno problema mente-cuerpo o mente-ce...

Bibliography of LSD (1952-2015)

El siguiente informe tiene la intención de detallar algunos de los puntos más importantes a tener en cuenta a la hora de cimentar las bases de la aplicación clínica de la psicoterapia asistida con sustancias psicodélicas. Citando los puntos más importantes a tener en cuenta, se propondrá un marco idóneo para el correcto desarrollo de la psicoterapi...

The JTR 7(1) is a Special Issue on Psychedelic Research. Index: Ayahuasca, Contexto Ceremonial y Sujeto: Análisis del Set and Settting a Partir de un Grupo Uruguayo de Terapias Alternativas Ayahuasca, Ceremonial Context and Subject. Analysis of the Set and Setting in an Uruguayan Group of Alternative Therapies Ismael Apud Earth, Gender and Ceremo...

Results of an observational study with first consumers of LSD

Salvia Divinorum is a perennial herb member of the mint family with psychoactive and dissociative properties. For hundreds of years, it has been used in religious and healing ceremonies by the Mazatec Indians, who live in the province of Oaxaca, in Mexico. Neuropsychological effects of Salvia include alterations of mood, behavior, and cognition. It...

Peyote (Lophophora Williamsii ) is a cactus found primarily in dry regions of Mexico and State of Texas. This cactus contains psychoactive alkaloids, but mescaline is the most important. For its psychedelic effects, the dried tops of the cactus, also known as “buttons”, have been used for centuries by Native Americans in religious ceremonies and fo...