In an interview conducted by former CNN journalist Don Lemon, Musk said that ketamine helps him cope with his depression-like “negative state.”
According to the British medical journal The Lancet, ketamine was classified as the fifth most dangerous drug to health – after heroin, cocaine and alcohol, and before amphetamine, marijuana and LSD. This agent is used in veterinary medicine as an anesthesia before surgery, and less frequently in psychiatry it is prescribed to combat depression.
– From Wall Street's point of view, it's about getting the job done. Therefore, from the investors' point of view, if I take something, I should continue to take it, Musk argued in the interview.
What drugs might Musk have been taking?
A Wall Street Journal investigation published in January found that Musk used drugs including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms, which concerned executives and board members of his companies.
The article raised concerns that Elon Musk's illegal drug use would likely constitute a violation of federal policy that could jeopardize government contracts for SpaceX, which accepts space mission orders from NASA.
In turn, another newspaper, “The Journal”, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that one of Tesla's directors was so frustrated with Musk's behavior related to his tendency to use psychoactive substances that he did not run for re-election to the board in 2019.
Musk responded to the article on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in January, saying he agreed to three years of random drug testing at the request of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which partners with SpaceX. – Not even trace amounts of drugs or alcohol were found – Musk declared at the time.
Tesla's CEO told Lemon he had a doctor's prescription for ketamine. The billionaire estimated that he took “a small dose every other week.”
His comments were in response to Lemon's question about what Musk's ketamine prescription was for and whether he was ever concerned “that it could interfere with government and Wall Street contracts and approvals.”
