Ketamine
CompoundDissociative anesthetic with rapid-acting antidepressant properties used in clinical therapy settings.
Example: It holds more patents than any other compound we track — mostly concentrated in one drug, Spravato — see why that hasn't translated into broader interest.
What is ketamine used for in therapy?
As an anesthetic since the 1970s, and more recently as a rapid-acting antidepressant. Esketamine (brand name Spravato) is FDA-approved as a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression; "ketamine clinics" also administer racemic ketamine off-label, usually by IV infusion, for depression and other mood disorders.
Is ketamine legal?
It's a Schedule III controlled substance in the US — legal for its approved medical and anesthetic uses, illegal outside them. Legal status varies by country; see our legal-status directory for jurisdiction-specific detail.
What's the difference between a clinical and a recreational ketamine dose?
A clinical dose runs roughly 30-150mg. Recreational users have reported taking up to 1,000mg — on the order of ten times higher — which is the dose range linked to the bladder damage covered below. See our coverage of the reporting behind those numbers.
What are the risks of ketamine use?
Repeated, high-dose use is linked to ketamine cystitis — bladder damage severe enough to require surgery in some documented cases — along with dissociation (see K-Hole) and addiction potential. A 2026 BBC documentary followed teenage patients being treated for exactly this.
Is ketamine therapy covered by insurance?
It depends on the country and the treatment. Norway funds ketamine-assisted therapy nationally; in the US, Spravato is covered by many insurers when FDA-indicated criteria are met, while off-label infusion-clinic ketamine is typically out-of-pocket. See our coverage of Norway's reimbursement model.
Related Articles
Ketamine Has More Patents Than Any Compound We Track. So Why Isn't Big Pharma More Interested?
Ketamine holds 71 granted patents in our tracker — more than psilocybin, more than MDMA, more than anything else. Almost all of them trace to one drug. Here's why the compound with the biggest head start isn't getting the psychedelic industry's gold-rush treatment.
The NYT Put Numbers on Ketamine's Danger Zone: A Clinical Dose Is 30–150mg, Recreational Users Reported Taking 1,000
"The dose makes the poison," The New York Times' Andrew Jacobs wrote this week, revisiting the pharmacology question at the center of the Cornell lawsuit we...
A BBC Documentary Followed Teenage Ketamine Addicts Into a Bladder Ward. The Times Gave It Four Stars.
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Norway Pays for Ketamine Therapy Nationally. A UK Trial Just Beat Standard NHS Talk Therapy 89% to 45%.
Psychedelic Alpha's Ryan Khan reported from Estonia's first international psychedelic-therapy conference, TAIP 2026 in Tallinn, with a five-country snapshot...