The usage of ketamine in the trials for depression typically uses IV administration over a fairly long timespan with highly specific dosages. It is not comparable to street usage of the drug.

As with any psychotropic medication, one should do their research. Psychiatrists whom I’ve spoken with seem generally excited about the prospect of more rapidly acting agents for the treatment of depressive episodes, but with the caveat that data is not there yet to draw any conclusions. And, as with every other treatment for depression, psychotherapy + medication outperforms medication alone. There remains power in the talking cure.