Elon Musk ‘takes ketamine to manage depression’

TEXAS: Elon Musk has told friends that he takes the drug ketamine to manage depression, according to a foreign media report. The world’s richest person also takes doses of the psychedelic-like substance at parties, witnesses told the Wall Street Journal. Musk has previously called for psychedelics and ketamine to be promoted as an alternative to prescribed antidepressants, alongside many Silicon Valley supporters of the drug.

Ketamine is a controlled substance in the US and can only be legally administered by injection at a doctor’s office or clinic, largely as an anaesthetic. Musk has previously faced scrutiny after smoking marijuana on a podcast in 2018. The drug is legally sold in California, but federally illegal, raising questions about his rocket company SpaceX’s contracts with Nasa. Musk and SpaceX employees were subjected to regular drug tests after the incident, he has said.

Ketamine, widely known as a party drug, has exploded in use in recent years and more people are using the substance to treat depression, with clinics springing up around US cities.

Musk has told people he “microdoses” the substance, according to the report. Microdosing – taking small amounts of a substance such as ketamine or LSD – is regularly promoted in Silicon Valley as a way to improve productivity or creativity or treat depression and anxiety.

Steve Jobs was open about his use of LSD, while Justin Zhu, the co-founder of marketing start-up Iterable, was fired as chief executive in 2021 for microdosing at work.

Musk has espoused the benefits of ketamine in the past. Last year, he tweeted: “I’ve talked to many more people who were helped by psychedelics & ketamine than SSRIs and amphetamines,” he tweeted last year.

He has also said that “people should be open to psychedelics” and a longtime friend, David Marglin, has said that he has been on “mild exploratory journeys” with the billionaire. On Tuesday, Musk tweeted: “Zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much. From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option.” Musk did not respond directly to the Wall Street Journal report or to a request for comment. There is a growing clinical interest in using ketamine to treat depression, with several private providers in the UK offering it, although it cannot be prescribed on the NHS.