Even for those who believe that psychedelics are neurologically and physiologically damaging (despite 60 years of research actually suggesting quite the opposite), the reality here is that the binary is not ‘Teenagers use psychedelics’ or ‘Teenagers use nothing’. Many of them are drinking heavily, smoking tons of cannabis (which we KNOW is very harmful to brain development). Many are smoking tobacco and using heavier drugs. And many also suffer from mental illness, which is generally quite neurologically damaging. A huge portion also suffer from childhood abuse and trauma, which is arguably one of the single most damaging external factors in almost every possible way.
Not to mention social media/internet/pornography addiction, lack of exercise, extremely unhealthy high sugar diets, etc.
So we know that psychedelics pull people away from these issues. Even if you believe that psychedelics are harmful for teenagers neurologically (which the burden of proof is on you to prove), the question is - Is taking psychedelics likely to be more harmful than allowing thee issues to continue? Which science so far has shown that the answer is definitely not.
I also think the brains doesn’t stop developing until around age 25, so most of us have probably tripped as children when it comes to brain development
Brains never stop developing.
But the vast majority of neurological development is completed by 16-18.
Also see:
the increased neuroplasticity that younger people have may actually be a good thing, as it means that children and teenagers can repair any resulting unwanted neurological changes far faster and more easily than an adult.
Can you explain why you think that the fact that the brain is still developing would make psychedelics harmful to teenagers?
@Neuroborean:
It is also important to keep in mind that psychedelics often drag people away from potentially far more damaging substances like nicotine, cannabis, and alcohol. The kind of teenager who is using psychedelics at a young age is probably also using other drugs that are far, far more damaging to the body, brain, and mind.
I would wager that many of the substances that most Western teenagers are putting their bodies are FAR, FAR more damaging than the extremely physiological safe classical psychedelics, wouldn’t you?
I agree that the safer, harm reducing strategy would be to NOT give children psychedelics
I wouldn’t call 16-18 year olds ‘children’.
The reality of it is that most teenagers today are struggling with mental illness and drug use, both of which are FAR, FAR more damaging to the mind and body than psychedelics. And most people cannot afford therapy, and even for those who can therapy is unsuccessful 40-70% of the time.
So what do people do then? Take daily SSRIs, or take psychedelics 1-3 times? I generally don’t think that putting a drug in your body daily for the rest of your life (or even a month straight) is healthy.
Psychedelics are also great at helping people discover their purpose in life. And our society does not afford us the leisure of waiting until 25 to decide. It expects everyone to have made up their mind by 17-18. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, and I think that psychedelics are amazing for helping someone to choose a path to go on in life regardless.