Elon Musk On Ketamine And Investors' Value: 'If There Is Something I'm Taking, I Should Keep Taking It'

Elon Musk once again made the case for using psychedelics. In a new interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, the business magnate said prescription ketamine has helped him with occasional depressive episodes. He also suggested that taking the ketamine has also been beneficial for investors in his companies.

The Tesla TSLA and SpaceX chief executive says he takes "a small amount once every other week," and sometimes less frequently, to treat the "chemical tides" that can trigger his depression. "Ketamine is helpful for getting one out of a negative frame of mind," Musk told Lemon.

Though Elon Musk will not likely be attending the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference on April 16-17 in Florida – though of course he’s invited – the issue of ketamine and its benefits for treating depression and other mental health issues is among many important topics we will be discussing.

See also: Elon Musk, You’re Cordially Invited To The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference In Chicago, No Need To RSVP, See You There?

When asked whether ketamine could interfere with his government contracts and his position in the financial district, Musk said no. 

"From the standpoint of Wall Street, what matters is execution. Are you building value for investors?" the tech mogul said. "From an investor standpoint, if there is something I'm taking, I should keep taking it."

Lemon On X No More? What Went Down

During his conversation with Lemon, Musk said he originally mentioned his prescription ketamine use on X "because I thought maybe this is something that could help other people."

Likely following reported concerns by Tesla and SpaceX executives about Musk's use of drugs, Lemon asked him if he ever "abuses" the anesthetic drug, to which the billionaire replied: "I don't think so. If you use too much ketamine, you can't really get work done, and I have a lot of work."

Shortly after the interview at Tesla headquarters in Austin, Lemon announced that Musk had canceled his deal for a new talk show on the entrepreneur's social platform, without him knowing why the deal fell through. 

"I challenge you, Elon, to watch the whole interview and tell the world why this isn't what you claim you want on X," Lemon said, referring to Musk’s stated desire to turn X into a free speech forum.

Lemon had his contract with CNN terminated in April 2023. In January 2024, X announced their new endeavor as part of the platform's attempt to expand video offerings. New partners include former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D) and sports radio host Jim Rome, CNBC reported. 

X's verified corporate account confirmed that the company had decided it would not "enter into a commercial partnership" with Lemon's show. Further, Musk posted on X that Lemon "lacked authenticity" and that "his approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media.'"

See Also: Elon Musk Calls Banning Drugs A ‘Net Societal Negative,’ Just Like ‘Dumb’ Alcohol Prohibition

The former CNN anchor posted the first episode of "The Don Lemon Show" on YouTube and said his plans to release future episodes on streaming platforms including Spotify and iHeartRadio, adding that he expects X to follow the deal through.

Now Read: Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy Warn Of WW III In Discussion About Ukraine, Russia, China & Peace

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.