A lot happened this month, including another U.S. city that decriminalized psychedelics, mixed results from the largest psilocybin therapy trial to date, the first real case of fentanyl-tainted cannabis in the U.S., and much more.
Here’s a video version of this month’s recap if you’d prefer to watch the update instead:
There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:
Policy
Wins
Voters in Detroit passed a proposal to decriminalize the personal possession and therapeutic use of psychedelic plants and fungi, making them the lowest law enforcement priority in the city. Meanwhile, voters in seven Ohio cities approved ballot measures to decriminalize cannabis.
Losses
South Dakota’s Supreme Court killed a cannabis legalization bill and Mississippi’s governor stopped an attempt to legalize medical marijuana in the state.
Future
Germany’s new government has signaled that it plans to legalize cannabis in the country and U.S. Republicans are making moves to decriminalize the plant at the federal level.
At the state level, a Florida lawmaker filed a bill that would decriminalize all drugs and a new proposal to study magic mushrooms would make Pennsylvania a leader in psychedelic research.
Industry
COMPASS Pathways was granted its fifth U.S. patent for its methods of treating treatment-resistant depression with crystalline psilocybin. This is the company’s 10th patent overall, with five in the United States, two in the United Kingdom, and two in Hong Kong.
Research
Published Studies
The results from the largest psilocybin therapy trial to date are in, and they are mixed. While the study found that the treatment may be effective at treating depression, concerns over adverse effects that some participants experienced have called psilocybin therapy for the treatment of depression into question.
Harm Reduction
New Zealand became the first country to permanently legalize drug checking by passing a bill to allow a pilot program offering the harm reduction service at festivals to continue and expand its operations. The new law will go into effect on December 6th.
Miscellaneous
After years of baseless scare stories involving fentanyl-tainted cannabis in the U.S., the first actual case was discovered in Connecticut this month. Although this does appear to be a real confirmation of contaminated cannabis, experts do not believe it reflects a wider trend.
And wrapping up this month’s top stories is my annual recommendation to fill out the 2022 Global Drug Survey. This is the world’s largest drug survey and responses will help researchers better understand how and why people use drugs.
That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.
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