In her recent book, President Trump's newly nominated Surgeon General suggested that people should think about using psychedelic drugs for treatment, even though they haven't been fully tested. Furthermore, in a newsletter, she hinted that using mushrooms had helped her find a partner.

The suggestion by Dr. Casey Means to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is noteworthy, especially given psilocybin's illegal status under federal law. It is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, defined as a drug with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." While Oregon and Colorado have legalized psychedelic therapy, several cities in Oregon have since banned it.

The Surgeon General's role is to give Americans the best scientific advice on how to get healthier and lower their chances of getting sick or injured. Previous Surgeons General have used their position to teach people about health issues like AIDS and suicide prevention. In 1964, the Surgeon General's warning about the dangers of smoking was a turning point for health in the United States.

Some figures, like Surgeon General C. Everett Koop during the Reagan administration, achieved widespread recognition and significantly impacted policy through their considerable public influence, while others quickly faded into obscurity.

Means's nomination followed a familiar pattern for Trump, who often chose individuals known more for their public image than their policy positions. In Means's case, the Republican president stated that he selected her based solely on a recommendation from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump said, "Bobby thinks she's fantastic," adding that he did not know her personally.

Means holds both a bachelor's degree and a medical degree from Stanford University. She started her medical residency in Oregon, but did not finish it. Currently, her medical license is inactive. When contacted by phone, Means declined to comment on the matter.

In her 2024 book, "Good Energy," co-authored with her brother Calley Means, she offered recommendations regarding psychedelic drugs; Calley Means, an entrepreneur who has served as a health advisor in the Trump administration, has also expressed his investment in biopharmaceutical companies focused on researching and developing psychedelic therapies.

这本书主要探讨新陈代谢健康，也就是 Casey Means 所说的“良好能量”。她建议人们采取多种方法，来“控制和应对那些限制我们、损害新陈代谢健康，并阻碍我们成长的压力、创伤和思维模式”。

One potential approach involves "considering psilocybin-assisted therapy," referring to a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. She elaborates on this perspective in a 750-word discussion.

她写道：“如果你觉得内心有个声音在呼唤你，我鼓励你去尝试有计划、有指导的裸盖菇素疗程。现有的科学研究表明，对一部分人来说，这种致幻疗法可能会成为他们人生中意义非凡的体验，就像对我一样。”

While some studies suggest potential benefits of psychedelic drugs, it's not yet clear if these benefits outweigh the risks. Psilocybin, for instance, can cause hallucinations lasting for several hours, which can be either pleasant or frightening. It has been investigated in conjunction with talk therapy for treating mental health conditions and alcohol dependence, but there's limited research on its effects on healthy individuals. Possible side effects include increased heart rate, nausea, and headaches. Unsupervised use can be very dangerous, as hallucinations might lead users into traffic or other risky situations.

Means, in her book, noted that psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs are often unfairly stigmatized. She strongly advocated for the benefits of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, in helping individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the FDA recently declined to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD, citing concerns from a panel of advisors who found flaws in the supporting research and highlighted the significant risks associated with its use.

In her book, Means refers to psychedelics as "plant medicine." She recounts her first experience with mushrooms around January 1, 2021, when she felt inspired by "a whisper from an inner voice: it's time to get ready."

She wrote, "In that moment, I felt like a piece of an endless, interconnected cosmic puzzle, containing countless mothers and babies stretching back to the dawn of time." She added that, in her experience, "psilocybin could act as a gateway to an alternate reality, where I could shed the restrictive beliefs, emotions, and personal baggage of my individual history."

In a statement released in October, Means mentioned using psychedelics to help her make room for love when she was 35. She wrote that she "experienced plant medicine with trusted guides" to prepare herself for a relationship, marking it in the text with a mushroom emoji. She pointed out that she doesn't necessarily recommend this path for others.

In her recent blog post discussing desired White House health policies, Means expressed her hope for healthier school lunches, suggested warning labels on heavily processed foods, called for investigations into vaccine safety, and voiced her desire to eliminate conflicts of interest. Although she didn't specifically mention psychedelics, she noted the lack of incentives for researchers to study "non-patentable, natural, and non-commercialized medicines and therapies," and argued that a portion of research budgets should be allocated to exploring alternative approaches to health.

Calley Means also supports the use of psychedelic drugs. In a 2021 blog post, he wrote that his first experience with psilocybin mushrooms came during a difficult period in his life, calling it "the most meaningful experience of my life – personally, professionally, and spiritually." In 2022, he stated that he had "emptied all 401k accounts" and bought stock in two companies developing and researching psychedelic drugs. He has not responded to media inquiries.

Casey Means' confirmation hearing hasn't been scheduled yet. Trump nominated Means after questioning the credentials of his initial pick for Surgeon General, Janette Nesheiwat, a former medical commentator for Fox News, leading him to withdraw her nomination.