ketamine

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with a history of both medical and recreational use. Recently, it has gained attention in relation to the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry, where ketamine was reportedly involved. Concurrently, a derivative of ketamine, esketamine, is being utilized in a nasal spray medication called Spravato, approved for antidepressant use. Cultural researcher Marta Echaves notes this shift, suggesting that in the future, ketamine itself might be less known than its pharmaceutical derivatives. This highlights the evolving landscape of drug use, where substances once primarily known for recreational purposes are now being re-contextualized and administered within medical frameworks, raising discussions about their changing perception and application.