Experts Gather At 4th Annual MGH Psychedelics Conference

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Experts gathered in downtown Boston Friday for Mass General Hospital's fourth annual Conference on Psychedelics and Psychedelic Medicine.

The two-day meeting at the Westin Copley Place hotel brings together hundreds of doctors and scientists to discuss and debate the latest findings in psychedelic research.

"Psychedelics have been under study for decades, really, although there’s been a resurgence or renaissance, some say," Dr. Jerry Rosenbaum said. "There’s a lot of interest and optimism."

Read More: Ice Skating at Patriot Place Opens for the Holiday Season

Rosenbaum is the Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Chair Emeritus of MGH's Department of Psychiatry, and the co-creator of MGH's Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics.

Rosenbaum told WBZ NewsRadio there are a growing number of studies looking at the benefits of psychedelic drug treatments on conditions such as depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"There’s a lot of data emerging, all of it tending to be pretty positive about the potential for these molecules to be efficacious for the conditions," Rosenbaum said.

The large gathering comes after Massachusetts voters struck down a ballot initiative allowing residents to legally grow and use certain psychedelics.

According to Rosenbaum, experts' reactions to the ballot decision are mixed, with some concerned about the rollout and home growth.

"Almost all would say that these substances are far safer for public use than many things we allow people to access," said Rosenbaum. "I think they weren’t quite ready for this particular initiative, but anticipate sometime in the future, public policy will find ways to make that available."

The conference concludes Saturday evening.

WBZ's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports.

Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App