CNBC's Jim Cramer said Tuesday that Elon Musk's revelation that he takes prescription ketamine for depression was brave and “saved a lot of people from committing suicide.” “I defend it as much as I can because there are a lot of people who would never be brave enough to admit that they take this medication,” Cramer said on “Squawk on the Street.” Cramer was reacting when the Tesla CEO told former CNN host Don Lemon that the treatment helps him and is good for investors. “Ketamine is helpful in getting you out of a negative mood,” Musk told Lemon. “If there's something I'm taking, I should keep taking it.” The video was posted five days after Musk canceled Lemon's deal for a new talk show on X, the billionaire businessman's social network formerly called Twitter. The interview was supposed to have been the first episode. “It's a shame,” Cramer said. Musk admits that he has depression and admits that he takes a medication that has helped millions of people and “because of that, they ridicule him?” Cramer said. “Why should we care that he needs a legal substance to be able to create things that you and I can't create?” Cramer said he worked with Johnson & Johnson to understand the benefits of ketamine for depression. “This medicine is a safe protector; a safe protector means it has saved many people from committing suicide.” The Food and Drug Administration in 2019 approved J&J's ketamine-like nasal spray to treat depression in patients who have not benefited from two or more antidepressants. “I hope people recognize this man that he just saved a lot of lives. I don't think it was his intention, but he did it,” Cramer said. Over the years, the “Mad Money” host has defended Musk's brilliance as a visionary, but has also questioned some of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's comments and stances on controversial topics. Musk's use of ketamine was reported in The Wall Street Journal in January, in the context of concerns raised by some Tesla and SpaceX executives. Ketamine was recently in the news because “Friends” actor Matthew Perry's autopsy report said he died from the “acute effects of ketamine.” Ketamine is controversial due to its reputation as a party drug known as Special K. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in distress, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
