Season 3, Episode 11: Adrift
Normally calm and collected, Wes loses it and proceeds to smash his office windows with a fire extinguisher. Like the bears in Algonquin Park in episode 9 and the restaurant owner in a nearby town in episode 10, Wes was displaying psychotic symptoms as if he was on hallucinogenic drugs, manifesting as extreme aggression.
The power of nature
What could have caused mild mannered Wes to suddenly start acting psychotic? Was he infected with some dangerous, newly engineered microorganism? Or perhaps he ate some genetically modified food and had an unforeseen, potent reaction to it? Neither, actually – it turned out to be caused by your “garden variety” fungus! He inhaled some ergot – plain old grain mold.
Not as dramatic as the other two scenarios, maybe, but it does invite us to step away from thinking about the use of science and technology to manipulate our natural surroundings, and to consider the power inherent in the natural world.
Think about the information shared among the NorBAC team in this episode alone: Mayko mentioned that there are more than 180 species of mushrooms that contain hallucinogenic chemicals; Carlos was investigating the possibility that Wes was reacting to neurotoxins found in bee, spider or snake venom; David discovered a Korean study describing an experimental treatment for glaucoma, which included cinnamon twig; and, the amnesic ship captain’s blood contained domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by algae, which can cause memory loss and brain damage.
Fungi, animals, plants, algae – countless organisms in our natural surroundings are rich sources of wondrous chemicals that can profoundly influence our body and brain chemistry, in both beneficial and harmful ways. This is, however, nothing new. Humans have long known that our natural environment can be tapped not only for food, but also for poisons, recreational drugs, and medicines to treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions.
Herbal medicine has been practiced for millennia by many populations and cultures around the world, notably including indigenous peoples, some of whom continue these traditions today. The use of herbal and other natural products as therapeutics is also a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, which is increasingly practiced in countries other than China.
Indeed, many of today’s best known and most effective medicines are natural extracts; examples include: Aspirin – willow bark, which was used as early as 2500 years ago to treat aches and fevers, contains salicylic acid, a precursor of acetylsalicylic aced (ASA, or aspirin); Penicillin – this now common antibiotic was first discovered in a mold, Penicillium notatum; and Paclitaxel – also known as “Taxol”, this powerful chemotherapeutic agent that is used to treat certain cancers, including breast and ovarian tumours, was extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew tree, Taxus brevifolia.
As the search for medicinal plants and other natural products with therapeutic potential continues, we must ensure that it does not devolve into “biopiracy”, or exploitation of the natural environment for human ends. Nature has much to offer, but science and other human endeavours should treat our natural resources with respect and tap into nature’s bounty only in a responsible and sustainable manner.
Recreational or therapeutic?
In this episode, while trying to figure out what has happened to Wes, Mayko reads up on psilocybin mushrooms – “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms” – and laments that the “trouble is, there’s just not very much that is known about hallucinogenic mushrooms,” to which Rachel responds, “Oh, lots is known – just not by scientists.” Nature, of course, is the source not only of countless therapeutic compounds, but also of a number of substances that may be used – and abused – “recreationally”.
Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant, heroin and opium come from the poppy, Papaver somniferum, and marijuana and hashish are derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. And then there are hallucinogenic mushrooms, growing wild on the forest floor – alongside those that are benign and others that are highly poisonous.
Interestingly, the psychoactive properties – that is, the effects on a user’s brain – of the active chemicals in some of these drugs make them not only useful for “getting high”, but might also make them valuable as therapeutics for certain conditions.
Many drugs now considered illicit had been used historically as therapeutics for a range of conditions from headaches to asthma, pain relief, and depression. However, many of these uses and the claims of therapeutic success that accompanied them were unsupported by necessary medical studies – “snake oil” remedies, or those promising cures without sound data to back up the promises, were abundant in the days before therapeutics were strictly regulated. But some of these historical claims are now being revisited, with drugs like marijuana and psilocybin being scientifically studied for potential therapeutic benefits.
Canada’s laws regarding marijuana possession were amended in 2001 to allow Canadians suffering from certain serious illnesses – for example, cancer, HIV/AIDS, or epilepsy – to possess and use small quantities of “medical marijuana”, while research continues into its efficacy as medicine. Benefits may include appetite stimulation and management of pain and nausea.
Similarly, there are preliminary studies ongoing in the US, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), looking at the use of psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms – as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder and psychological distress.
It must be noted, however, that because of their potential for abuse as social or recreational drugs, these drugs are tightly controlled by government drug enforcement agencies and laws. These laws need to be taken into account by those who would research, prescribe, or medicate with drugs like marijuana or psilocybin. As with many other drugs, whether herbal, over-the-counter, or prescription medications, improper or irresponsible use can be extremely harmful and even fatal. Because of such risks, rigorous clinical research is needed before the use of any drug as a therapeutic agent in people would be widely permitted.
So…
Science is looking far and wide for the next great therapy, and while targeted approaches show tremendous promise, it may just be that the next blockbuster drug will be found in the leaf or stem of a yet unappreciated plant, or in some strange and fantastic fungus. Only time will tell – time, and a lot of research.
More food for thought
Q: What are some other examples of therapeutics derived from nature? What are some examples of drugs that are not naturally-occurring, but instead have been developed and synthesized in a laboratory?
Q: We’ve all heard claims like “it’s natural, so it must be better for me than that ‘unnatural’ substance”. Are natural products safer than those that are not found in nature? What determines safety?
Want to read and learn more?
To read more about natural health products, including herbal medicines, visit:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/index_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalism
To read Health Canada’s policies regarding medical use of marijuana, visit:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/index_e.html
