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This Week in Psychoactives - 9.27.19

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CANNABIS

  • Canberra becomes the first city in Australia to legalize marijuana (CNN)

  • House Passes Cannabis Banking Bill in Historic Vote (Leafly)

  • Cannabis Delivery Wins Final Approval in Massachusetts (Leafly)

  • Twice as Many Americans Use Cannabis for Medicine Over Recreation, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

  • Cannabis-based drug for childhood epilepsy approved for use in UK (The Guardian)

  • Brain activity 'dampened' by vaped THC, similar to those with schizophrenia: study (CBC)

  • Lower Doses Of Marijuana May Be More Effective For Improving Libido, Review Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Washington DC Law Allows Students to Use Medical Marijuana in Schools (MERRY JANE)

  • Marijuana use higher among white New Yorkers, though 94% of pot busts are people of color (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

  • The DEA Joins the FDA in THC Vapes Crackdown (Filter)

  • Illinois Governor Will Pardon Thousands of Former Cannabis Offenders (MERRY JANE)

  • Wisconsin and South Dakota Are Preparing 2020 Legalization Measures (Leafly)

  • Senior Marijuana Use Increases, But Where Is The Research? (The Fix)

LSD

  • The FBI Just Arrested a 'Psychedelic Nazi' on LSD After Tapping His Wild Text Chats (VICE)

  • Disneyland Paris visitor on bad LSD trip falls into Adventureland lake, turns up naked after 130-person search (The Orange County Register)

  • Syracuse Man Arrested After Punching Officer While On Apparent LSD Trip (Times-Union Newspaper)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

  • Why the Magic Mushroom Story Could be as Big as the Cannabis Boom (PR Newswire)

  • Mixing Meditation and Magic Mushrooms? (Mindful)

MDMA

  • New research shows MDMA can be comedown-free (Mixmag)

AYAHUASCA

  • My 30 Years of Providing Shamanic Healing with Ayahuasca (Kahpi)

  • Stopping Veteran Suicide with Ayahuasca: Interview with Wyly Gray of Veterans of War (Psychedelic Times)

  • Ayahuasca Has a Special Connection with My People, the Shipibo (Kahpi)

  • One man’s journey with ayahuasca (GQ)

  • Ayahuasca: tradition versus tourism (The Mancunion)

IBOGA

  • Opioid addicts seek alternative treatment in Mexico (10News)

NOVEL PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES

  • Ben Westhoff on the Origins of Deadly Party Drugs in Fentanyl, Inc. (Westword)

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

  • Older adults with COPD more likely to use synthetic cannabinoids, study finds (Medical Xpress)

OPIOIDS

  • Pennsylvania Giving Away Free Naloxone To Combat Overdoses (The Fix)

  • Should Heroin Be Used to Treat Addiction? (Pain News Network)

  • The White Van Prescribing Buprenorphine Outside a Baltimore Jail (Filter)

METHAMPHETAMINE

  • SAMHSA’s “Meth Monster” Video Is Pure Fear-Mongering Propaganda (Filter)

  • Their unborn baby tested positive for meth. Then they learned their house was once a meth lab. (CBS News)

  • Mexican drug cartels fueling meth comeback in US, with seizures at 'historically high levels' (Fox News)

CAFFEINE

  • Study says too much caffeine can trigger migraines (WKRC)

  • Coffee May Lower Risk of Gallstones (The New York Times)

TOBACCO

  • Walmart to Stop Selling E-Cigarettes in Stores (TIME)

  • Vape brand Juul is reportedly at the center of a criminal probe (Engadget)

  • Juul hires former tobacco exec as CEO and ceases all US marketing (Engadget)

  • Survey Suggests Lung Disease Misinformation Has Compounded Confusion About the Hazards of E-Cigarettes (Reason)

  • Big Tobacco Will Take Advantage of the Mysterious Vaping Illness (VICE)

  • LA Board Of Supervisors Votes To Ban Flavored Tobacco (CBS Los Angeles)

  • Plan To Raise Age To Buy Tobacco To 21 In Denver Moves Ahead (CBS Denver)

ALCOHOL

  • Why alcohol remains a big threat to unborn babies in South Africa (The Conversation)

KRATOM

  • Florida man with Down syndrome died in hot car as caretaker slept off kratom overdose: sheriff (Fox News)

  • How Kratom can be beneficial for sports athletes? (GHANAsoccernet.com)

  • What Type Of Kratom Information Will You Find On Reddit? (Kratom Guides)

  • Kratom In Michigan: Legal or Regulated? (Kratom Guides)

  • Meet the Plant That Is In the News For All the Wrong Reasons (Grit Daily)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Dr. Bronner’s Donates $150k to Legalize Medical Psilocybin in Oregon (DoubleBlind)

  • Massachusetts Implements Emergency Ban on All Cannabis and Nicotine Vapes (MERRY JANE)

  • Over 800 cases of vaping illnesses reported to CDC (The Hill)

  • Psychedelics Can Help Treat a Variety of Psychiatric Disorders, New Review Says (MERRY JANE)

  • ‘Vaper’s lung’ likely to enter the medical lexicon (The Irish Times)

  • The Truth About Looking in the Mirror on Psychedelics (VICE)

  • Can microdosing psychedelics take the edge off a first date? (Mic)

  • Enough evidence to support introduction of pill testing in NSW, inquiry told (The Sydney Morning Herald)

  • Inside the centre exploring the effect of psychedelic drugs on mental health (The Independent)

  • Psychedelic Therapy Advocate Recalls Coming Of Age In The 1960s (High Times)

  • Alan Watts and Psychedelic Christianity (The Institute for the Advancement of Psychedelic Christianity)

  • How to Do Psychedelics Without Killing Yourself (The Stranger)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 9.13.19

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CANNABIS

  • Three Companies Subpoenaed in Weed Vape Illness Investigation (Rolling Stone)

  • British vapers are safe, claim health experts after deaths in US (The Guardian)

  • U.S. Pot Industry Faces Antitrust Overhang: Cannabis Weekly (Bloomberg)

  • Overregulation Drives Illegal Marijuana Market In Legal States, Study Suggests (Marijuana Moment)

  • These Cops Are Seizing Cash from People Who Smell Like Weed Before They Fly to California (VICE)

  • New Mexico Will Now Allow Out of State Residents to Get Medical Marijuana Cards (MERRY JANE)

  • Canadian Company Planning to Introduce Odourless Cannabis (Leafly)

  • Harmful Stereotypes About Marijuana Consumers Persist In The Media, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • DEA Wants 3.2 Million Grams Of Marijuana Legally Grown In 2020 (Forbes)

  • Tim Hortons’ WiFi Blocks Legal Cannabis Websites (Leafly)

  • Cannabis smoking may lower diabetes risk in obese individuals: study (Speciality Medical Dialogues)

  • Joe Biden Says Marijuana Should Remain Illegal As A Misdemeanor At Democratic Debate (Marijuana Moment)

  • Legal Marijuana Is A ‘Positive Amenity’ For New Colorado Residents, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Where Presidential Candidate Mark Sanford Stands On Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • The CIA's Secret Quest For Mind Control: Torture, LSD And A 'Poisoner In Chief' (NPR)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

  • Motion to prevent sale of magic mushrooms defeated by Vancouver council (CBC)

  • Could Magic Mushrooms Soon Be Used for Therapy in Denver? (5280)

MDMA

  • King's College London needs volunteers for a new MDMA study (Mixmag)

DMT

AYAHUASCA

  • Watch the Vibrations of Ayahuasca Songs Projected on Water (DoubleBlind)

NOVEL PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES

  • Chilling map shows which synthetic drugs are killing Kiwis around New Zealand (Newshub)

KETAMINE

  • Tripping My Way Toward Wellness One Ketamine Infusion at a Time (The Bold Italic)

OPIOIDS

  • Data Touted by OxyContin Maker to Fight Lawsuits Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story (ProPublica)

  • ACLU Sues Bureau of Prisons for Denying a Federal Prisoner Buprenorphine (Filter)

  • Taliban's Opium Fields Blocking Chinese Conquest of Afghanistan (Breitbart)

  • These Newborn Babies Cry for Drugs, Not Milk (The New York Times)

COCAINE

  • Cocaine burned massive hole in man's throat before untimely death: report (Fox News)

METHAMPHETAMINE

CAFFEINE

  • Drinking tea improves brain health, study suggests (ScienceDaily)

TOBACCO

  • Trump Announces Disastrous Plan to Ban Flavored Vapes Across the US (Filter)

  • FDA criticizes Juul for telling students its e-cigs are ‘totally safe’ (Engadget)

  • Denver Pushing to Raise Tobacco Purchasing Age, License Retail Stores (Westword)

  • Utah representative pushes to ban e-cigarette products, claiming study found illegal drugs in e-liquids (Fox 13 Now)

  • Bloomberg Takes on Vaping After Giving $1 Billion to Fight Tobacco (The New York Times)

ALCOHOL

  • Only a fraction of the costs of excessive drinking are paid for by alcohol taxes (Medical Xpress)

  • Doctor Warns Alcohol Is The Most Dangerous Substance To Unborn Babies (WCCO)

KRATOM

KHAT

  • Judge rules Somali man detained for stimulant can stay in US (SFGate)

DATURA

  • Killer Hallucinogenic Weed Blooming in Upper West Side Median Strip: Report (NBC New York)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Oregon Voters Could See Measure To Decriminalize All Drugs On 2020 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

  • Researchers Find Unexpected White Blood Cells in Patients With Mysterious Vaping Illness (VICE)

  • Berkeley City Council To Vote On Decriminalizing Psychedelics (Marijuana Moment)

  • Why some South American indigenous tribes give their dogs psychedelic drugs (The Outline)

  • Google puts drug addiction recovery info front and center (Engadget)

  • Emotional breakthroughs during psychedelic experiences linked to future increases in mental well-being (PsyPost)

  • NSW Health backs plan for early warning system on drugs (The Sydney Morning Herald)

  • New law gives NZ police discretion not to prosecute drug users, but to offer addiction support instead (The Conversation)

  • The HPPD Debate: Is Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder Real? (MERRY JANE)

  • REPORT: 1/4 Of Youth Have Seen Drugs For Sale On Snapchat & Instagram (Your EDM)

  • DARPA wants benefits of psychedelics but without hallucinations (The Sociable)

  • Too many hooked on prescription drugs - health chiefs (BBC)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 8.23.19

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CANNABIS

  • Federal Data Shows Youth Marijuana Use Isn’t Increasing Under Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • Illicit Cannabis Vape Carts Hospitalized 7 in California, Doctors Say (Leafly)

  • Maryland Court Rules Marijuana Odor Not Enough To Search A Person (NPR)

  • Step Aside, Cannabinoids: Weed’s Flavonoids Fight Cancer, Too (MERRY JANE)

  • Marijuana Flower Offers More Pain Relief Than Other Cannabis Products, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Texas Might Have Accidentally Decriminalized Marijuana (GQ)

  • Bernie Sanders Calls For Legalization Of Marijuana And Safe Injection Sites (Marijuana Moment)

  • Canadian Men Are Twice as Likely to Use Cannabis as Women, Survey Says (MERRY JANE)

  • New Industry-Backed Marijuana Legalization Measure Filed In Florida (Marijuana Moment)

  • The FBI Just Launched a Corruption Probe Into the Weed Industry (MERRY JANE)

  • No eating, no drinking, and now, no marijuana before surgery, doctors say (The Boston Globe)

  • Oklahoma Bans Employment Discrimination Against Marijuana Patients (MERRY JANE)

  • Netflix Curbs Tobacco Use Onscreen, But Not Pot. What's Up With That? (NPR)

  • Elizabeth Warren’s Criminal Justice Plan Involves Legalizing Marijuana And Safe Injection Sites (Marijuana Moment)

  • State shuts down Walled Lake marijuana testing lab for fudging test results (Detroit Free Press)

  • Canadian woman faces lifetime ban after getting caught with CBD oil at U.S. border (CBC)

  • Credit Unions Can Bank Hemp Businesses, Federal Agency Announces (Marijuana Moment)

  • Jacksonville lawyer who claimed marijuana was legal must pay arrested clients $370k (The Florida Times-Union)

  • Fatty meal might affect how you absorb CBD (UPI)

  • North Carolina House OKs Ban on Smokable Hemp (Leafly)

  • Oregon Has Way Too Much Legal Weed. This Is Where It's Going (VICE)

  • Colorado man who says he was delivering hemp charged in SD with selling marijuana (Rapid City Journal)

  • Nearly every single person arrested for weed in NYC this year was black or Latinx (Queens Daily Eagle)

  • CBD Infused Food Products Ruled Illegal in Washington State (Sapling)

  • ‘The system is swamped.’ Canada can’t keep up with requests to study cannabis (Science Magazine)

  • Marijuana Can Boost Risks of Drinking Alcohol (Psych Central)

  • Canadians continue to buy cannabis illegally (Quartz)

  • Contrary to widespread belief, cannabis addiction is possible. Here’s what it’s like (Global News)

LSD

  • Tripping on Broadway: A New Musical Explores LSD Use by Cary Grant and More (The New York Times)

  • How Peter Fonda’s LSD trip with the Beatles produced a classic John Lennon lyric (Los Angeles Times)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

MDMA

  • MDMA treatment for alcoholism reduces relapse, study suggests (The Guardian)

  • Man dies from 'severe reaction' to MDMA days after the authorities warned of a strong batch of the drug circulating in Jersey (Jersey Evening Post)

  • Woman fell off Cornwall cliff and died after quitting social media and taking MDMA pills (Cornwall Live)

  • Girl, one, found CHEWING on MDMA capsule she found in dumped in a playground (The Sun)

DMT

AYAHUASCA

SALVIA DIVINORUM

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

  • Dangerous Synthetic Cannabinoids Found in Liquid Claiming to be CBD (Cannabis Now)

  • Spice crisis deepens as 9 kids collapse after taking zombie drug and deaths surge (Mirror)

NITROUS OXIDE

  • Mum died after self-medicating with 100 canisters of laughing gas (Metro)

KETAMINE

  • A single ketamine infusion combined with mindfulness-based therapy shows promise in treatment of cocaine addiction (PsyPost)

  • Ketamine may not be an actual antidepressant, but may decrease the burden of symptoms (Medical Xpress)

  • Boise organization researches ketamine use to treat depression (The Arbiter)

  • Donald Trump Thinks He Can Stop Veteran Suicides With Ketamine (Spin)

OPIOIDS

  • Wide distribution of Naloxone effective in preventing opioid-related deaths (Medical Xpress)

  • ‘Saved from a horrible fate’: Legal heroin prescribed to hundreds of UK drug users, figures reveal (The Independent)

  • 76% of opium produced in the world is discovered in Iran (Tehran Times)

  • Access to naloxone reduces opioid overdose deaths, saves money, study says (UPI)

  • Naloxone, a drug that reverses overdoses, can save lives. Here's why you should learn how to use it. (The Washington Post)

  • How often is fentanyl in your drugs? Some hard data (Rooster Magazine)

  • Canada Might Have Found a Back Door to End the War on Drugs (VICE)

  • How the Shakers Became America’s Best Opium Producers (The Daily Beast)

  • Op-Ed: A drug called buprenorphine saved me from heroin addiction. It could save millions more — if we let it (Los Angeles Times)

  • People Have Used, Abused Opioids For Thousands of Years (The Fix)

  • Opium addiction in Korea's past (Korea Times)

  • Babies born after opioid exposure deserve legal recognition, lawyers argue (Charleston Gazette-Mail)

  • Wisdom teeth removal is contributing to the opioid crisis, experts warn (CBS News)

  • 'What Would You Do?' focuses on the opioid crisis (ABC News)

COCAINE

  • Mexico judge approves recreational cocaine for two users (BBC)

  • Crack Cocaine Makes a Paris Neighborhood ‘Hell’ for Users and Residents (The New York Times)

METHAMPHETAMINE

  • Meth and heart disease correlation not fully understood (Medical Xpress)

  • The ‘fourth wave’ of the opioid crisis: Feds warn of a rise in meth use (TribLIVE)

CAFFEINE

  • Mormons warn that coffee, vaping are no-nos despite fancy names, alluring flavors (Fox News)

  • Is It Better to Drink Coffee Before or After You Exercise? The Answer Might Surprise You (Yahoo! Lifestyle)

TOBACCO

  • Tobacco industry anti-smoking ads reached less than half of U.S. adults (Reuters)

  • Why US lags behind on graphic cigarette warnings (BBC)

  • NYC Is Coming For Your Flavored Juul Pods (Gothamist)

ALCOHOL

  • Costa Rica Confirms 2 More Suspected Alcohol Poisoning Deaths, Raising Death Toll to 25 (TIME)

  • Why Warning Pregnant Women Not to Drink Can Backfire (The New York Times)

KRATOM

  • Kratom would require prescription in Michigan under Senate bill (WJRT)

  • Kratom Legality In Texas: Is It Legal To Buy, Carry, and Consume In The State? (Kratom Guides)

  • Is It Legal To Carry Kratom Products In Ohio? (Kratom Guides)

  • Does Kratom Really Help Athletes in Sports? (The Sports Daily)

  • What is kratom and why is its safety being questioned? (Health24)

KAVA

  • Kava Consumption Still An Issue Says Methodist Church President (Fiji Sun)

SANANGA

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Dozens of People in Multiple States Have Lung Disease Linked to Vaping, and No One Knows Why (Gizmodo)

  • Vaping May Harm Your Blood Flow—Even Without Nicotine (WIRED)

  • The World’s First Clinical Trials on Microdosing LSD and Psilocybin Are Coming (MERRY JANE)

  • Berkeley, CA May Be Next the City to Decriminalize Natural Psychedelics (Filter)

  • Synthetic Drugs Will Change the Global Drug Trade Forever (VICE)

  • Extinction Rebellion founder calls for mass psychedelic disobedience (New Scientist)

  • Pupils who take drugs, drink and smoke more likely to be unhappy (The Guardian)

  • Americans spend $150B on cocaine, meth, marijuana, heroin (UPI)

  • Use of Marijuana, Meth, Hallucinogens Up in New SAMHSA Survey (Medscape)

  • What Science Says About Using Sleep Medications (Discover Magazine)

  • Psychedelics and Women’s Health (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Argentina Tries To Stop Synthetic Drug Traffickers Sidestepping Prosecution (InSight Crime)

  • Should Psychedelic Therapists Have First-hand Experience with Psychedelics? (Chacruna)

  • Safe injection rooms are key to halting rise in drug deaths – expert (The Guardian)

  • Psychedelic Yoga (Psychology Today)

  • Man Who Died of OD Was Allegedly “Kicked Out of Treatment for Smoking” (Filter)

  • Why are stimulant-related deaths spiking in the U.S.? (Salon)

  • Turf war between rival drug gangs sparks surge in shootings (Liverpool Echo)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

On the Monday following each edition of “This Week in Psychoactives,” I post a “Last Week in Psychoactives” video recap to my YouTube channel. After that is done, I retroactively add the video to the corresponding blog post. Here is this week’s video recap, which actually covers the past four weeks’ worth of news since I was away on vacation for a few weeks:

This Week in Psychoactives - 5.10.19

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CANNABIS

  • Debunking Reefer Madness: New Study Says Weed Doesn’t Actually Cause Psychosis (MERRY JANE)

  • Top Congressional Democrats Announce Bill To Federally Deschedule Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study: 80 percent of cannabis users say weed helps their workouts (Fox 8)

  • New Zealand Government Releases Details Of Marijuana Legalization Referendum (Marijuana Moment)

  • China Cashes In on the Cannabis Boom (The New York Times)

  • Illinois Governor Announces Plan to Legalize Marijuana (TIME)

  • THC-Blood Levels Can’t Be Determined Postmortem, Research Finds (Leafly)

  • Cannabis Users Have Worse Sperm Health Than Tobacco Smokers, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)

  • North Dakota: Governor Signs Law Reducing Marijuana Possession Penalties (NORML)

  • The First Arkansas Medical Marijuana Dispensary Just Got Its License (Leafly)

  • TSA to Travelers: We’re Not Looking for Your Weed (MERRY JANE)

  • Louisiana House Unanimously Approves Bill to Allow CBD Sales (Leafly)

  • Cannabis Industry Work Costing U.S. Veterans Their Retirement Pensions (Forbes)

  • The Great White Shortage: Canada May Soon Run Out of CBD (MERRY JANE)

  • Alabama Senate Approves Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • Workers Are Smoking Weed More Than Ever, So Employers Are Dropping Drug Tests (MERRY JANE)

  • California Cannabis Market Not Tracked or Traced as Promised (Leafly)

  • Marijuana Patients Are Ditching Benzos for Weed, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

  • The Feds Prosecuted Even Fewer Marijuana Trafficking Cases In 2018 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Ohio May Become First State to OK Medical Marijuana for Depression and Insomnia (MERRY JANE)

  • Federal Agency Clarifies Rules On Adding CBD To Alcoholic Beverages (Marijuana Moment)

  • American Accused of Growing Weed in Myanmar Faces 10 Years in Prison (MERRY JANE)

  • Texas House Votes To Expand State’s Medical Marijuana Program (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Science Behind Combining Cannabis And Caffeine (Benzinga)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

  • Denver Voters Approve Measure To Decriminalize Psychedelic Mushrooms (Forbes)

  • California Activists Take First Steps To Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms Statewide (Marijuana Moment)

MDMA

  • MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD may have benefits beyond reductions in clinical symptoms (PsyPost)

  • MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD: study design and rationale for phase 3 trials based on pooled analysis of six phase 2 randomized controlled trials (Springer Link)

  • Consider This Before Self-Medicating With MDMA (The Wall Street Journal)

AYAHUASCA

  • Health Canada allows more religious groups to import ayahuasca (Global News)

  • Ayahuasca and the Twelve Steps: An Anonymous Friendship (Chacruna)

  • The Problem With Ayahuasca (Thrive Global)

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

  • CDC traces unexplained bleeding outbreak to synthetic cannabinoids (Healio)

KETAMINE

  • Former Playboy Model’s Killer Was ‘Out Of His Mind’ On Ketamine During The Brutal Slaying, Lawyer Says (Oxygen)

OPIOIDS

  • Opioid overdose deaths decline when pharmacists can dispense naloxone (Reuters)

  • Study: Naloxone Prescriptions Low Despite Deadly Opioid Crisis (U.S. News and World Report)

  • Federal Court Rules Inmate Must Have Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment (Reason)

  • Narcan, the lifesaving overdose-reversal drug, is scarce in N.J. cities that need it most (Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • AHN Researcher Working To Develop Longer-Lasting Naloxone For Opioid Overdoses (WESA)

  • Inside Elizabeth Warren's $100 Billion Policy Plan to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic (Fortune)

  • White patients far more likely to get popular addiction treatment prescription, study finds (Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Report: nurses who carry naloxone denied life insurance coverage (WKBW)

  • Louisiana prisons pilot addiction-fighting implants for inmates; lack of FDA approval draws criticism (The Advocate)

  • Deputy and two firefighters hospitalized after fentanyl exposure (WDBO)

COCAINE

  • Feds: A popular drug from the disco era is making a deadly return (NBC News)

  • The mums who took cocaine during play dates (BBC)

  • FLASHBACK: Bernie Asks Group Of Young Children: ‘Anyone Ever Seen Cocaine?’ (The Libertarian Republic)

METHAMPHETAMINE

  • Meth Abusers At Risk For Little-Known But Potentially Deadly Disease (NBC 7 San Diego)

TOBACCO

ALCOHOL

  • Alcohol use soaring worldwide: The average adult now consumes about 1.7 gallons of pure alcohol per year (USA Today)

  • These policies were supposed to stop pregnant women from drinking. A new study says they’re hurting babies. (Vox)

  • One in five harmed by others drinking alcohol over past year, survey finds (The Guardian)

  • The War On Alcohol: Is This Prohibition 2.0 (Forbes)

KRATOM

  • The Debate Over Kratom, An Opioid-Like Plant Legal In Massachusetts (CBS Boston)

  • Oxford Police proposes ban on Kratom products (The Oxford Eagle)

  • How Cannabis and Kratom Can Help With Addiction Recovery (Civilized)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • 1,000-Year-Old Pouch Contains Traces of 5 Ancient Psychoactive Drugs (Inverse)

  • Mexico’s President Proposes Drug Decriminalization With Legal Supply Via Prescription (Marijuana Moment)

  • Feds Dismantled the Dark Web Drug Trade—but It's Already Rebuilding (WIRED)

  • Berlin park designates 'pink zone' areas for drug dealers (The Guardian)

  • Drug-testing device gives false positives on poppy seeds, CBD oil, says Vancouver lawyer (CBC)

  • Overdose In An Arizona Prison? Get Ready to Pay Up. (The Appeal)

  • Where Philadelphia stands on supervised-injection sites, per two polls (Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Houston Police Shot Man Killed in Fraudulent Drug Raid at Least Eight Times (Reason)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

On the Monday following each edition of “This Week in Psychoactives,” I post a “Last Week in Psychoactives” video recap to my YouTube channel. After that is done, I retroactively add the video to the corresponding blog post. Here is this week’s video recap:

This Week in Psychoactives - 4.26.19

ThisWeekInPsychoactives.jpeg

CANNABIS

  • CBS Poll: Nationwide Support For Marijuana Legalization At All-Time High (NORML)

  • All the Top Democrats Running for President Favor Legalizing Marijuana (Reason)

  • Marijuana Legalization Not Linked To Increased Traffic Deaths, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Years After Legalization, Maine Releases First Cannabis Industry Rules (Leafly)

  • Mexican Lawmakers Plan To Tackle Marijuana Legalization This Summer (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Clean Slate Act's Record-Sealing Provisions Go Further Than Cory Booker's Marijuana Justice Act (Reason)

  • North Dakota: Governor Signs Medical Cannabis Expansion Laws (NORML)

  • Alabama Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • CBD reduces impairment caused by cannabis (EurekAlert!)

  • Homeland Security Says Cannabis Users Lack ‘Good Moral Character’ (Leafly)

  • USDA Clarifies That Farmers Can Import Hemp Seeds From Other Countries (Marijuana Moment)

  • Texas House Votes To Legalize The Farming Of Industrial Hemp (Marijuana Moment)

  • Wisconsin Legalization Would Save Lives, Bring $1.1B Benefit, Study Says (Leafly)

  • Utah is allowing only 10 cannabis farms. Will that be enough to supply the state’s new medical marijuana program? (Salt Lake Tribune)

  • Denver City Council to vote on allowing cannabis clubs to operate closer to daycare and rec centers (KDVR)

  • Cannabis websites in US and Canada crash on biggest 4/20 day (The Guardian)

  • Lawmakers Want Legal Protections For Universities That Research Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • SFPD Spread Misinformation about Fentanyl-Laced Marijuana (SF Weekly)

  • The Weed Industry Is Burning Millions on DC Lobbyists and Getting Nowhere (VICE)

  • Earth Day Begs The Question: Is Cannabis Farming Sustainable? (Forbes)

  • USDA Accepting Applications For Hemp Intellectual Property Protection (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis, Marijuana, Weed, Pot? Just Call It a Job Machine (The New York Times)

  • How Israel Became the Global Leader in Cannabis Research (Green Entrepreneur)

  • Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome, Without the Hype (Filter)

  • Where Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Stands On Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • Where Presidential Candidate Seth Moulton Stands On Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • Keeping Score: Major League Sports’ Stance on Cannabis (Leafly)

  • Can Cannabis Replace Wellbutrin? (Civilized)

  • The Indica vs. Sativa Distinction Isn’t Real (Slate)

  • Did a Cannabis Company Just Patent the Spliff? (Leafly)

  • Quitting Cigarettes? Joints Rolled With CBD Might Help (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Paradoxical Power of Medicinal Microdosing (Psychology Today)

  • Uplifting a New Face & Voice of Cannabis: A Happy 4/20 with Safon Floyd of EstroHaze (Psychedelic Times)

LSD

  • “Discover who you truly are.” Albert Hofmann’s Bicycle Day and A Critical Look at LSD (Psychedelic Times)

  • Here's Why You Don't Mix LSD and Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers (The National Interest)

  • Is microdosing LSD a solution to the 'crisis of meaning' in modern life? (Montreal Gazette)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

  • Award Winning Filmmaker Brings Psilocybin Documentary To Denver Prior To Decriminalization Vote (Prime Time News)

  • Research shows psilocybin — a Schedule I narcotic — to be of great help to patients with end-of-life problems (Anchorage Press)

MDMA

  • "Japanese Walter White” Accused Of Teaching Students To Make Ecstasy (The Fix)

  • Study Suggests MDMA Could Help People With PTSD, Autism (The Swaddle)

  • War, Morality, and MDMA: A Conversation with an Anonymous Military Psychologist (Psychedelic Times)

  • To Unravel PTSD, She Took MDMA. A Promising Therapy Offers Hope (KJZZ)

AYAHUASCA

  • Do Ayahuasca Shamans See Microbial Worlds in Their Visions? (Kahpi)

  • Police intervene in 'healing ceremony' after death: report (NL Times)

  • Ayahuasca Spirits Are Special Because They Are Not Real (Kahpi)

  • Ayahuasca: the alternative antidepressant (The Vermont Cynic)

5-MEO-DMT

  • Psychedelic Toad Venom Relieves Depression, Anxiety And Stress, Studies Find (Marijuana Moment)

PEYOTE

IBOGA

  • The Future of Medical Ibogaine (Psychedelics Today)

  • Serotonin transporter–ibogaine complexes illuminate mechanisms of inhibition and transport (Nature)

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

  • Spice-related overdoses on the rise in Alabama - again; feds warn about ‘disturbing’ trend (AL.com)

NITROUS OXIDE

  • Arctic Laughing Gas Emissions Could Accelerate Global Warming (EcoWatch)

  • Hippy crack is no laughing matter (GQ)

KETAMINE

PCP

  • Man accused of PCP-crazed shotgun killing of Chinese missionary pleads guilty in KC (The Kansas City Star)

  • Driver was high on PCP in crash that split car in half, cops say (Lehigh Valley Live)

OPIATES/OPIOIDS

  • The FDA Just Approved the First Generic Nasal Spray to Reverse Opioid Overdoses (TIME)

  • After Leaving Thousands in Agony, the CDC Is Finally Clarifying Its Painkiller Restrictions (Tonic)

  • Demystifying buprenorphine misuse: Has fear of diversion gotten in the way of addressing the opioid crisis? (Taylor and Francis)

  • FDA clears Psychemedics hair test for fentanyl (Seeking Alpha)

  • Do Electronic Health Record Prompts Increase Take‐Home Naloxone Administration for Emergency Department Patients After an Opioid Overdose? (Wiley Online Library)

  • Fentanyl Speedballs Are the Latest Disturbing Trend in America's Opioid Crisis (VICE)

  • Narcan is just the start of fighting the opioid overdose epidemic (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Heroin used to pass through South Africa en route to Europe. Now much of it stays, with devastating effects (Los Angeles Times)

  • Vancouver pot king hopes to brew opium tea to help drug addicts (The Chronicle Herald)

  • How the US military's opium war in Afghanistan was lost (BBC)

  • New “Generic” Naloxone: Expect More Big-Pharma Sleight of Hand (Filter)

  • Fentanyl killed a Penn physician’s son. Now she works to save other families from the same pain. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Life after a life of addiction (Cincinnati Enquirer)

METHAMPHETAMINE

CAFFEINE

  • Beverages containing caffeine more harmful to liver than alcohol? (The Asian Age)

  • Unless we act now, scientists warn, that coffee so many of us love could become extinct (WCPO)

  • Wholesale coffee is cheaper than it’s been in years. That’s not good news. (Vox)

  • Experts Find Out How Many Cups of Coffee Are Needed to Enhance Your Workout (Inverse)

  • Coca-Cola is making a big push into coffee (CNBC)

  • Leading expert warns of dangers after man (34) dies from caffeine toxicity (Irish Independent)

  • SC could ban kids from buying caffeine-packed energy drinks, but not this year (Charleston Post Courier)

  • Is Kombucha Environmentally Friendly? Here’s The Real Tea (Bustle)

  • Dear Pharmacist: Caffeine is a natural option for ADHD (The Gainesville Sun)

  • The One Thing I Gave Up That Made A Massive Difference In My Anxiety (mindbodygreen)

  • 9 Benefits Of Matcha Tea That Will Make You Want To Drink It Every Day (Woman's Health)

TOBACCO

  • Walgreens, Rite Aid to Raise Tobacco Buying Age to 21 and Older (The Wall Street Journal)

  • Vermont House Gives Final Approval To Tobacco 21 Bill (WAMC)

  • 21 and older: Proposal to raise tobacco-buying age nationwide drawing mixed feelings (WEAR)

  • New Evidence of Smoking Disparities Underlines That Tobacco Harm Reduction Is Social Justice (Filter)

  • ‘Tobacco 21’ Proposal Draws Debate In Florida (WLRN)

  • Vaping teens exposed to as much nicotine as tobacco smokers but don't know it (NBC News)

ALCOHOL

  • Why faking positive emotions at work can lead to heavier alcohol consumption (Quartz)

  • Illinois Senate approves statewide rule for alcohol delivery (WQAD)

  • 5 Reasons You're Depressed After Drinking too Much Alcohol (Mens Health)

  • Anne Hathaway doubles down on giving up alcohol until her son is 18, but says she'll spend the 'back half of my life completely sloshed' (INSIDER)

NOOTROPICS

  • An Experiment With Smart Drugs – What I Learned From Modafinil (The Quint)

KRATOM

  • Kratom Craze: After wife’s death, Franklin County man seeks ban on popular substance (KMOV)

  • What is kratom? ‘Controversial’ herbal supplement leads to overdoses in the U.S. (Global News)

  • Kratom: Castle Rock Deciding What to Do About Controversial Substance (Westword)

  • When pregnant women take kratom, their babies may suffer (Medical Xpress)

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Another dark web marketplace bites the dust --Wall Street Market (ZDNet)

  • Joe Biden’s long record supporting the war on drugs and mass incarceration, explained (Vox)

  • Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT (PLOS)

  • Imperial launches world’s first Centre for Psychedelics Research (Imperial College London)

  • Psychedelics as a treatment for disorders of consciousness (Neuroscience of Consciousness)

  • How a drug gang devastated our helpless family (The Guardian)

  • America’s Only Publicly Traded Addiction Treatment Chain Makes Millions Off Patients. What Could Go Wrong? (Mother Jones)

  • Trump Justice Department Goes After Overdose Prevention Sites as ‘Crack Houses’ (The Daily Beast)

  • Psychedelic therapy: The patients paying $2k to get high with their doctor (news.com.au)

  • B.C.’s chief health officer calls for decriminalization of illicit drugs (The Globe and Mail)

  • British Police Are Raising Their Voices Against the Drug War (Filter)

  • Confronting Sexual Misconduct in the Psychedelic Community: An Interview with Daniel Pinchbeck (Chacruna)

  • Trump has been... good?... for psychedelic drugs???... (The Outline)

  • What Politicians Daring Each Other to Be Drug Tested Reveals (Filter)

  • Building a Psychedelic Community During the War on Drugs (Chacruna)

  • Psychedelics to treat mental illness? Australian researchers are giving it a go (The Conversation)

  • Psychedelics as a Path to Social Learning (The Wall Street Journal)

  • Shades of Sobriety: Life Shows That Recovery Needn’t Mean Abstinence (Filter)

  • The Five Phases of Psychedelic Initiation (Chacruna)

  • How drug decriminalization could help stem an epidemic of drug overdoses (The Globe and Mail)

  • Trump Praises China for Killing Drug Traffickers (Reason)

  • Young People of Color As Leaders in The Movement To End the War on Drugs (Psymposia)

  • Prison For Forced Addiction Treatment? A Parent's 'Last Resort' Has Consequences (NPR)

  • The Psychedelic State of South Texas (Texas Monthly)

  • Drug Use in Music Festivals Across the United States (One EDM)

  • Your Guide to Microdosing for Anxiety and Depression (Allure)

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Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

On the Monday following each edition of “This Week in Psychoactives,” I post a “Last Week in Psychoactives” video recap to my YouTube channel. After that is done, I retroactively add the video to the corresponding blog post. Here is this week’s video recap: