Synthetic vs Naturally Derived Psilocybin
Written by Nick Murray, CEO of Wake Network
As technological advancements continue to soar — quite literally with tech leaders taking to outer space — collective thought towards mental health is going the opposite way, turning to grounding healing modalities that reconnect us with the earth: Bread baking. Forest bathing. Healing mushrooms.
Yes, psilocybin-containing fungi are having a moment. But a psychedelic approach to mental health is nothing new: A brief spurt of clinical research on psychedelic medicines between 1950 and 1970 was preceded by centuries — and likely millennia — of careful administration and protocols for something considered, both historically and today, sacred healing gifts from nature: mushrooms, peyote, and ayahuasca, to name a few. And now, in 2021, we’re collectively emerging from psychedelic prohibition: A recent poll revealed more than one-third of US voters think the psilocybin compound has medicinal value.
With a growing number of companies jockeying for a stronghold in this new era of neuroscience, we at Wake take the position that centuries of anecdotal evidence audaciously supplanted by a few years of lab notes is not the way forward for this medicine. We approach mental health and wellness by bridging ancient healing practices with the safety parameters of a modern medical framework. In other words, we aim to weave the roots of psychedelic medicine into our company’s science-based innovations to create healing hybrids of both worlds, not an appropriation of the past with present-day novelties. This approach includes staying true to naturally derived psilocybin.
Medical cannabis research has taught us that synthetic forms of the intoxicating cannabinoid delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are associated with unpredictable and far more adverse effects than naturally derived THC. While more conclusive research is needed, it’s thought that synthetic THC over-stimulates the body’s endocannabinoid receptors in ways that are more harmful than helpful. In addition, synthetic THC is missing other molecules within the cannabis plant, namely other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, that work synergistically in the human body, a concept known as the entourage effect.
While THC and psilocybin are completely different molecules coming from two different sources (i.e., plant vs fungi), they both have a dramatic effect on the brain. Our philosophy at Wake is that naturally derived compounds have a place in today’s marketplace given their excellent track record spanning centuries. Human-made compounds in a laboratory do not have that same lineage.
In medical psychedelic circles, there are companies making purely synthetic psilocybin by using the fossil fuel benzene to reconfigure a starting molecule until it becomes structurally identical to psilocybin. In terms of pharmacotherapy, yes, this chemical works in a clinical sense. As far as researchers can tell the human brain doesn’t recognize the difference between a synthetic psilocybin molecule and one that is naturally derived. As the oft-repeated industry story goes, in the 1950s when Mazatec curandera (healer) María Sabina was given some of the first synthetic psilocybin, she said the ‘spirit’ of the Psilocybe mushroom was present. What this anecdote leaves out is that the first two pills didn’t take effect within the same timeframe as her sacred mushrooms (about 30 minutes), so Sabina had to take another two pills. Researchers now realize the natural mushroom has bioactive molecules that help natural psilocybin reach the blood and brain faster (echoing the entourage effect in cannabis), but not much more has been done. All clinical focus has been on the psilocybin molecule in isolation, ignoring the other molecules unique to the Psilocybe family: baeocystin and norbaeocystin. At Wake, we believe something can be learned from these molecules, too. While more research needs to be done, we have our sights set on making our naturally derived psilocybin medicine as close to nature’s recipe as possible within a safe, replicable form.
After a media frenzy inundated Sabina’s village, directly causing her community to reject her and cast her out, the curandera said she could no longer conduct her healing ceremonies because the spirit of the mushroom now “speaks English”. What a poignant way to say the sacred fungi had been appropriated. A core part of Wake’s brand values is acknowledging Western medicine’s focus on white, often affluent communities to the detriment of others. We believe this natural medicine is meant for anyone who could benefit from it, and our goal is to make psilocybin medicine accessible through diversity in medical research and clinical trials that drive our business. We think growth and evolution depend on transparency so that weaknesses can be addressed and the entire system strengthened — just like the intricate communication network facilitated by mushrooms beneath the forest floor.
At Wake we look to the ground, not the stars, for inspiration. By staying rooted in nature our company remains both connected with, and committed to, our fellow human beings, who will in turn positively influence their environments with greater health and resilience. This is how Wake is moving forward in the psilocybin space, with intentional innovations that contribute to the greater good of improved mental health.
