Zoe Cormier - Ketamine: Miracle Cure, or the Next Addiction Epidemic?

Ketamine is widely branded as a medical breakthrough, but its potential for addiction presents significant risks. While clinically effective as an anesthetic, its growing use in private, poorly regulated clinics carries the danger of sparking an addiction epidemic similar to the opioid crisis. The substance is addictive, has a high tolerance profile, and is toxic to the bladder. Contrasting the marketing narrative, ketamine is a dissociative rather than a classic psychedelic, with antidepressant effects that are fleeting. Given its tendency to be prescribed off-label without central monitoring, patients are vulnerable. If these current clinical practices lead to severe negative incidents, the backlash could threaten the viability of the entire psychedelic renaissance.