Have you had an experience with synthetic mescaline, peyote, or San Pedro?

Chacruna:

Researchers at Maastricht University are working on a research study about mescaline use, including synthetic mescaline, peyote, and San Pedro. This anonymous internet survey asks questions about your experiences with these substances, including the short-term and long-term effects. If you have ever had such an experience, we would greatly appreciate you completing the survey. If you know of others who have ever had an experience with mescaline, please send them the link and encourage them to participate. This includes people who had such an experience long ago.

The study will permit a better understanding about the phenomenology, interpretation, and acute and enduring effects of mescaline. The hope is that, ultimately, they will receive thousands of responses to the survey so that they can better understand the experiences after ingesting mescaline, resulting in valid and reliable measures of such experiences to use in clinical research. 

The team has conducted survey and laboratory studies investigating the phenomenology of psychedelic substance use and this new survey is an important extension of our published and ongoing research. If you are interested in participating or would like to know more about the study, please click the link below to the secure study site. We anticipate that it will take you approximately 30-45 minutes to complete the survey. Your participation is completely anonymous.

If you have any experience with any of these drugs, consider participating in this study.

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Five Models for Regulating Drug Supply

Transform:

There are five basic models for regulating drug supply. We describe them below, starting with the most restrictive and moving to the most open. Variants on these models already exist and function across the world, supporting the entirely legal distribution of a range of medical, quasi-medical and non-medical psychoactive drugs.

Of course, the precise nature of the respective regulatory frameworks and enforcement infrastructure varies from country to country.

There is also some degree of boundary blurring between these models. This leads to a certain amount of generalisation, but also helps emphasise that such models will inevitably operate differently in different locations.

We have also made some basic suggestions as to how to adapt these basic models to cater for the challenges of non-medical drug supply in the future.

This is a superb breakdown of various models for regulating drugs. In my opinion, it’s a must-read for any psychonaut searching for the most effective ways to reform drug policies.

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Thailand Approves Medical Marijuana

Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat, writing for Reuters:

Thailand approved marijuana for medical use and research on Tuesday, the first legalization of the drug in a region with some of the world’s strictest drug laws.

The junta-appointed parliament in Thailand, a country which until the 1930s had a tradition of using marijuana to relieve pain and fatigue, voted to amend the Narcotic Act of 1979 in an extra parliamentary session handling a rush of bills before the New Year’s holidays.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the Thais out there. What a wonderful gift.

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Go Take the 2019 Global Drug Survey

The Global Drug Survey has been collecting useful and enlightening drug usage data at the end of each and every year since 2014. And it’s already that time again—the 2019 survey launched just last month.

From the organization’s About Us page:

"GDS is an independent research company based in London. We produce reports for global media, public health and corporate organisations. GDS use its data and expertise to create digital health applications delivering screening and brief interventions for drugs and alcohol. We create free online harm reduction resources and anonymous, confidential self-assessment tools. GDS also produces a range of drug education materials for health and legal professionals, the entertainment industry and the general public.

GDS aims to make drug use safer, regardless of the legal status of the drug, by sharing information with individuals, communities, health and policy organisations.

Using anonymous online research methods Global Drug Survey runs an annual survey in 10 languages, which is hosted by partners in over 20 countries. We work with global media giants around the world who act as hubs to promote our survey and our findings, ensuring that the first people to see the results are the general public.

Survey findings are frank, honest, and revealing. GDS explores the positives and negatives of drug use and detects new drugs trends as soon as they appear. GDS has a unique insight into personal decision-making about drug use . Our international networks of researchers and specialists have extensive experience in data analysis and report writing."

I submitted my survey over the weekend and would love it if you do the same by clicking here. It will take about 15 or 20 minutes for the average person to fill out, but if you’re an experienced psychonaut like me it may take you closer to an hour (or two) to finish, because you’ll likely need to answer additional questions.

Fortunately there is a “Save and Continue” option that you can use if you are partway through and find yourself needing to take a break. I can vouch that this feature works properly, as I had to use it a couple times myself!

The survey period will remain open until the end of the year, so make sure you finish filling yours out before then! And stay tuned—results will be published May 16, 2019.

Image by JuralMin, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

An Open Apology for Racist Language in the Women and Psychedelics Forum

Valerie Leveroni Corral, writing for Chacruna:

During the Women and Psychedelics Forum, co-promoted by the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and the East West Psychology Program of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), held November 19 at CIIS in San Francisco I twice used the n-word during my remarks.

I apologize for my careless and insensitive use of this racist term. It inflicted harm on people of color who have faced years of racist oppression. I also inflicted harm on the community, the Women & Psychedelics Forum, the organizers, and CIIS.

While I am sorry for my offense, I recognize there is no way to extract the pain or to soften the blow I obliged others to endure. The onus is on me to rectify the harm caused and, although I cannot take back the damage, I will work to understand and acquire a greater knowledge of racism to which I contributed and how to end it. I promise to regularly inquire, both personally and externally, to gain information that broadens my understanding of racism in America and work against racist ideology, my own and that of others. I will do everything in my power to carry out my commitment.

What exactly did she say? A transcript or video clip of this section of the panel would help those of us who weren’t there have a clearer understanding about what happened. The collective open apology from the group explores it a bit more and makes Chacruna’s stance on the issue very clear, but there are still details missing from this story that would be helpful to have.

Regardless of whether we ever get more information or not, it’s reassuring to see Corral and Chacruna make a public apology like this. Good on them.

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