Martin A Lee presents “Psychedelics & Cannabis Therapeutics” at CannMed 2019. In what ways are psychedelic drugs therapeutic, and how does this relate to medical cannabis? Psychedelic drugs and cannabis compounds both have shown promise for treating addictive behaviors, trauma, and clinical depression. The antidepressant and antiaddictive effects of psychedelics are contingent on enhanced neurogenesis in the hippocampus, a process regulated by the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Psychedelics stimulate neurogenesis in brain areas that are densely populated with cannabinoid receptors. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are also neurogenic substances that promote new neural connections, neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt to stress and injury – unlike alcohol exposure, which disrupts adult neurogenesis in animal models.