An article by Scientific American, which was published last year, discusses how medical professionals are engaging in the studies to learn more. “Pain is this four-letter word that can mean so many different things,” says Stanford University School of Medicine assistant professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, Vivianne Tawfik. “There’s a role for opioids,” she tells Scientific American. “There might end up being a prescribed role for psychedelics. The jury’s still out.”