President Trump's nominee for Surgeon General recently advocated for exploring unverified psychedelic therapies in her book, and suggested in a newsletter that mushroom use facilitated her finding a romantic partner.

Dr. Casey Means' suggestion to explore supervised psilocybin-assisted therapy warrants attention, given psilocybin's proscription under federal legislation as a Schedule 1 drug, characterized by a "lack of accepted medical utility and a significant risk of misuse." While Oregon and Colorado have legalized psychedelic therapy, certain Oregonian municipalities have subsequently prohibited it.

Tasked with furnishing the American populace with cutting-edge scientific insights on health optimization and risk mitigation regarding disease and injury, the Surgeon General's role has historically been leveraged to spearhead public health education initiatives addressing critical issues such as AIDS and suicide prevention; notably, the landmark 1964 Surgeon General's warning concerning the perils of smoking demonstrably altered the trajectory of American public health.

While certain figures, such as Dr. C. Everett Koop, who served as surgeon general under President Ronald Reagan, achieved widespread recognition and exerted considerable influence on policy, others faded into obscurity.

Means's appointment aligns with a discernible trend under Trump's administration of prioritizing individuals with prominent public images over those with deep-seated policy expertise; reportedly, the president selected Means based solely on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s endorsement, admitting a complete lack of prior acquaintance.

Means, a Stanford University alumna with both undergraduate and medical degrees, commenced a residency in Oregon, which she ultimately abandoned, and her medical license is currently listed as inactive; when reached for comment, Means declined to provide any statement for the record.

In her 2024 publication, "Good Energy," co-authored with her brother, Calley Means, an entrepreneur currently serving as a health advisor in the Trump administration, she advocated for psychedelics, a stance complicated by Means' prior investments in biopharmaceutical firms specializing in the substance.

The book largely addresses metabolic health, or what Casey Means terms "optimal energy," advocating strategies to mitigate stressors, traumas, and cognitive patterns that impede well-being and contribute to metabolic dysfunction.

One potential avenue to explore is psilocybin-assisted therapy, referencing the active compound in psychedelic fungi, a perspective she elaborates upon in a detailed 750-word exposition.

"She added that those who feel a sense of resonance should consider exploring structured psilocybin-assisted therapy, citing robust scientific data indicating that, for some, including herself, this psychedelic intervention can constitute a profoundly significant life event."

Despite preliminary research indicating potential benefits of psychedelic substances, it remains unproven whether these advantages sufficiently mitigate the inherent risks. Psilocybin, for instance, can induce protracted hallucinatory states, ranging from euphoric to profoundly disturbing experiences. While its efficacy as an adjunct to psychotherapy in treating certain psychiatric disorders and alcohol dependence is under investigation, studies involving healthy individuals remain scarce. Potential adverse effects encompass elevated heart rate, nausea, and headaches, and unsupervised consumption poses significant dangers, as hallucinatory episodes could precipitate perilous behaviors such as exposure to traffic or other hazardous situations.

Means asserted that psilocybin and other psychedelics have been unjustly stigmatized, while also advocating for the therapeutic potential of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or molly, in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), despite the Food and Drug Administration's recent rejection of its use as a PTSD therapy due to concerns raised by an advisory panel regarding research flaws and significant risks.

In her book, Means refers to psychedelics as "plant medicine," recounting her inaugural experience with psilocybin mushrooms around January 1, 2021, prompted by what she describes as "an internal voice that whispered: it's time to prepare."

She articulated a sense of interconnectedness, envisioning herself as an element within an endless lineage of maternal bonds stretching back to the genesis of life, further noting that, in her perception, "psilocybin offers a potential avenue to an alternate reality, unconstrained by the habitual limitations of ego, emotions, and individual narrative."

In an October newsletter, Means disclosed that she had employed psychedelics to cultivate the emotional receptivity necessary "to find love at 35," specifying that she "did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides" to foster partnership readiness, an assertion she underscored with a mushroom emoji, while explicitly stating that she was not advocating for others to emulate her approach.

In a recent commentary outlining her desired White House health policy initiatives, Means advocated for improved nutritional standards in school meals, proposed mandatory labeling of ultra-processed foods, urged rigorous inquiries into vaccine safety, and emphasized the need to eliminate conflicts of interest; while not explicitly referencing psychedelics, she contended that the current research landscape disincentivizes the study of "generic, natural, and non-patentable drugs and therapies," arguing for the allocation of research funding towards alternative healthcare modalities.

Means has also championed the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs, recounting in a 2021 blog post that his initial experience with psilocybin during a period of personal difficulty proved transformative, impacting his life profoundly on a personal, professional, and spiritual level; furthermore, in 2022, he declared having liquidated his entire 401k to invest in the burgeoning psychedelic pharmaceutical industry, purchasing stock in two companies dedicated to the development and research of these substances; he has not responded to requests for comment.

The scheduling of Casey Means' confirmation hearing remains pending, following her nomination by Trump after the withdrawal of Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News medical contributor, whose suitability for the Surgeon General post was questioned.