Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: LM
Context: Elon Musk defends ketamine use, deeming it ‘beneficial’ for investors. The Tesla CEO disclosed his prescription for ketamine, stating it helps manage his mood.
About Ketamine:
Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic (produces a trance-like state) that has some hallucinogenic effects.
Usage:
- Doctors use it to induce general anaesthesia that does not require muscle relaxation. General anaesthesia denotes a sleep-like state
- Developed as an animal anaesthetic in the 1960s, and later approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human use.
- Recently used to treat depression and mental illnesses, also used recreationally. Recreational use involves snorting, injecting, or smoking. Administered through intravenous (IV), nasal spray, or tablet for mental illness treatment.
Effects of Ketamine: Ketamine works by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain. This receptor is involved in the transmission of pain signals and in the regulation of mood. By blocking the NMDA receptor, ketamine can produce analgesia (pain relief) and euphoria. It can create pleasant visualizations and a sense of detachment Ketamine can produce hallucinations similar to other drugs such as Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and angel dust.
Regulations: Ketamine has been included as a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
