Elon Musk Defends His Prescribed Ketamine Use, Argues That Tesla Investors Can Benefit From It

Elon Musk says that his prescribed ketamine use could help him deal with his negative chemical mind state, which he argues could consequently benefit Tesla inventors.

Elon Musk Defends Prescribed Ketamine Use

The famous Tesla CEO shared his remarks during a one-hour interview with Don Lemon, a former CNN host. Even before the interview's publicization, the matter had already sparked attention when Musk canceled X's contract with Lemon shortly after the latter had an interview with the billionaire.

Last January, X revealed that Lemon would bring his honest and unique voice to the platform through weekly 30-minute episodes.

The interview Lemon had with Musk examined various topics, including allegations regarding the CEO's drug use. When asked about the matter, Musk revealed that he was prescribed ketamine by a physician. The CEO previously revealed his drug prescription in a post on X, wherein he said that he takes ketamine when his brain becomes extremely negative.

I have serious concerns about SSRIs, as they tend to zombify people.

Occasional use of Ketamine is a much better option, in my opinion. I have a prescription for when my brain chemistry sometimes goes super negative.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2023

During the interview with Lemon, Musk defended his ketamine use. He did so by pointing to the value of Tesla as a publicly held firm. He suggests that using ketamine helped him with his leadership over the automaker.

Musk notes that execution is what matters. He adds that, from the standpoint of an investor, the CEO takes anything, he should keep on taking it.

He also adds that he does not abuse the drug due to his workload, which typically involves 16-hour days and weekend work. He says that he cannot get wasted, as he will not be able to get work done if this happens.

ALSO READ: Can Regular Oral Doses of Ketamine Reduce One's Suicidal Thoughts? Here's What Experts Says

What Is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a dissociative medical drug that causes people to feel detached or separated from their physical environment or body. It is used by veterinarians and medical practitioners as an anesthetic, though there are people who also illegally use it to get wasted and high.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized the drug as a Schedule III non-narcotic. Its use has only been approved for general anesthetic purposes. However, there are cases where doctors prescribe the drugs for uses that are off-label, such as treating depression. "Off-label" use refers to using the drug for treatments that have not been approved by the FDA.

There are people who use the drug for its hallucinogenic features, as it can incapacitate, sedate, and lead to short-term memory loss. Because of this, the drug has also been used as a date-rape drug.

Though the medical drug can safely be used under controlled medical practice and limits, it can become hazardous if it is recreationally used, as potentially life-threatening effects could result.

Among other cases, the death of actor Matthew Perry last year was found to be attributed to ketamine. The late actor was said to consume it once every alternating week.