This Week in Psychedelics - 1.15.21

Cannabis

• South Dakota: Republican Governor Officially Backing Litigation to Reject Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Initiative (NORML)

• Montana Lawmakers Reject Funding To Implement Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Program (Marijuana Moment)

• Mississippi: Medical Organizations Join Legal Fight to Overturn Election Result Legalizing Medical Cannabis Access (NORML)

• Amsterdam doubles down on plans to restrict tourist access to cannabis coffee shops (CNN)

• New Jersey Is ‘On The Verge’ Of Implementing Marijuana Legalization, Governor Says In State Of The State Speech (Marijuana Moment)

• Mexico releases long-awaited medical cannabis regulations (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Activists Give Out Free Marijuana To Encourage COVID Vaccination With ‘Joints For Jabs’ Campaign (Marijuana Moment)

• USDA Releases Final Rule For Hemp, Two Years After Crop Was Federally Legalized (Marijuana Moment)

• UK grants second only licence to grow medical marijuana (Financial Times)

• Virginia Governor Unveils Bill To Legalize Marijuana As Lawmakers Schedule First Hearing (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Governor Says Marijuana Legalization Is A 2021 Priority (Marijuana Moment)

• Kansas Lawmakers Push To Legalize Medical Marijuana In 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado authorities issue recall of contaminated cannabis (Marijuana Business Daily)

• USDA Approves Hemp Regulatory Plans From Rhode Island And Another Indian Tribe (Marijuana Moment)

• The Future of Fully Legal Cannabis (Playboy)

• Top Texas Lawmakers Say Medical Marijuana Expansion Is On The Table For 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Survey: Most Americans Say Marijuana Possesses Less Abuse Potential Than Alcohol (NORML)

• North Dakota Activists Submit 2022 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• North Dakota Lawmakers File Bill To Significantly Expand Marijuana Decriminalization Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Legalizing marijuana boosts junk food sales (The Academic Times)

• Medical Marijuana Leads To Reduced Opioid Use, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis dispensaries struggle to find financial support amid pandemic (KRON4)

• FDA Unveils Plan To Fill CBD Research Gaps With ‘Real-World Data’ In 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Introducing Mode: The world's first smart cannabis dosing device (KVVU-TV)

• Arizona Prepares To Accept Marijuana Applications Next Week As New Draft Legalization Rules Are Issued (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• LSD Could Be the Key to Alleviating the Mental Health Crisis—if Government Allows It (Foundation for Economic Education)

• MindMed Expands Psychedelic Microdosing Division, Adds Groundbreaking Study Evaluating LSD Microdosing Through Next-Gen Digital Clinical Markers (Psilocybin Alpha)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psychedelic Mushrooms Grew in a Man's Veins After He Injected Them (Gizmodo)

• NeonMind Engages Dr. C. Laird Birmingham to Develop Protocols for Phase 2 Clinical Trial Using Psilocybin to Treat Obesity (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Psilocybin is Being Studied to Help Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (Baystreet)

• Psilocybin produces an immunology-related genetic response in the prefrontal cortex of pig brains (PsyPost)

• CBDV Begins Research on Psilocybin with Section 56 Exemption from Health Canada (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Core One Labs Announces Breakthrough in Solving Psilocybin Dosing Problems by Introducing Biosynthetic Psilocybin to its Patented Thinstrip Delivery Method (AccessWire)

• Silo Pharma Provides Details of Patent License Agreement for Psilocybin and Cancer Applications (GlobeNewswire)

• Revive Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration with North Carolina State University for Natural Biosynthesis Enzymatic Platform To Develop Psilocybin (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• Should You Say “I Love You” While on MDMA? (DoubleBlind)

• Awakn Life Sciences Appoints CRO to Conduct Phase II Study of MDMA as a Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (Psilocybin Alpha)

Peyote

• Inside a Massive, Illicit Peyote Ceremony During Mexico's COVID Lockdown (VICE)

Iboga

• Ibogaine vs. Iboga Alkaloids for Treating Addiction (Psychedelic Science Review)

Nitrous Oxide

• Police investigation launched after cargo of nitrous oxide canisters discovered in Ribble Valley (Burnley Express)

Ketamine

• A Deadly ‘Ketamine Cocktail’ Is Causing Overdoses on the Streets of Bangkok (VICE)

• Novamind Expands Psychedelic Medicine Access in Utah (Psilocybin Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Somerville, Massachusetts Decriminalizes Naturally Occurring Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

• COMPASS Pathways establishes Centre of Excellence with Sheppard Pratt to accelerate research and improve patient experience in mental health care (COMPASS Pathways)

• New York, Virginia And Other States Consider New Drug Decriminalization Bills (Marijuana Moment)

• The World's ‘Largest Illegal Darknet Marketplace’ has Been Shut Down (VICE)

• UFC looks into Johns Hopkins study on psychedelic drugs as potential therapy for fighters (ESPN)

• Michigan Prosecutor Won’t Pursue Most Marijuana Or Psychedelics Cases, ‘Regardless Of The Amount’ (Marijuana Moment)

• DEA Agents Report Agency’s Lack of Basic COVID-19 Safety Measures (Filter)

• When Getting High Is a Hobby, Not a Habit (New York Times)

• How This Black-Led Psychedelic Collective Is Combining Anti-Racism With ‘Sacred Plant Medicine’ (Vogue)

• Eleusis Accelerates Psychedelic Drug Discovery and Development Team with Appointment of David Nichols, Ph.D., as Director of Molecular Pharmacology (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Coping with Antidepressants and Psychedelics (Spirit Pharmacist)

• Psychedelic Illusions are Not Pathological, and May Even Help You See Better (Chacruna)

• Engineering Psychoplastogens: Toward a Safer Alternative for Treating Depression (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Silo Pharma Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement for Potential Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Approach with University of Maryland, Baltimore (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Revealing Trends in Russia’s Dark-Web Drug Markets (TalkingDrugs)

• Numinus Wellness Forges Forward into Psychedelic Discovery Research with the Orbitrap Exploris 120 Mass Spectometer (Cision)

• Having A Bad Trip On Psychedelics: Is There Some Value? (Healing Maps)

• The Emerging Revival of Psychedelics in Neuroscience (Psychology Today)

• Mental Health Demand For Development Of Psychedelic Drug Therapies Is Increasing (PR Newswire)

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 Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Amsterdam Planning to Ban Tourists From Coffeeshops

Francesca Street, writing for CNN:

When international tourists finally return to the canal-lined historic streets of Amsterdam, one of the city's main travel attractions might be off limits.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has proposed a new policy that would ban foreign visitors from accessing the city's coffee shops.

There are several reasons why people like traveling to Amsterdam—captivating museums, historic churches and castles, gorgeous fields of tulips, lazy canal rides, refreshing public parks, scrumptious stroopwafels, and the allure of legal prostitutes. But one of the most compelling reasons that tourists flock to the city is to visit the coffeeshops:

[An August 2019 survey] questioned 1,100 international visitors between the ages of 18 and 35 who were visiting Amsterdam's Red Light District, an area of the city that's been the focus of much of Amsterdam's most recent tourism regulations.

In this survey, referenced in Halsema's most recent correspondence, over half of those surveyed said they chose to visit the Dutch capital because they wanted to experience a cannabis cafe.

The results were that 34% indicated they'd come to Amsterdam less often if they weren't able to visit coffee shops, and 11% said they wouldn't come at all.

For a long time Amsterdam was the gold standard for buying and consuming cannabis in public, but those days are coming to an end now that there so many other places in the world that allow people to do those things. Hopefully this legislation won’t pass, because I’d like to return to Amsterdam and visit some coffeeshops in the post-pandemic world. But even if it does, I could see it getting overturned in the future after more countries legalize marijuana.

And if you’re wondering what the number one reason that people visit Amsterdam is, it turns out that it’s actually pretty wholesome and healthy:

While Amsterdam's 2019 tourist survey suggested coffee shops have a strong appeal for visitors, those surveyed said the most common reason for visiting Amsterdam isn't the coffee shops, the Red Light District or even the city's museums and cultural attractions.

Instead, visitors championed the pretty wholesome appeal of walking or cycling around the city.

Banning tourists from coffeeshops most likely won’t kill tourism in Amsterdam, but it certainly would diminish it quite a bit.

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This Month in Psychedelics - March 2020

Although COVID-19 was first discovered in December, it took a few months for the pandemic to finally spread to North America, Europe, and Australia. Now that it has officially arrived, people all across the globe are feeling its impact. Social distancing, sheltering-in-place, quarantines, job loss, financial instability, sickness, death… these are just some of the ways that this virus is rapidly forcing society to change.

The pandemic has had an enormous influence on the world of psychedelics too. In this month’s recap you will learn about what COVID-19 is doing to the cannabis industry, drug policy reform efforts, and the mysterious world of drug dealing.

While the virus has certainly taken the spotlight, there was also plenty of non-pandemic news this month too: sexual abuse in psychedelic research, tripping on placebos, breeding bad trips out of magic mushrooms, and much more.

Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

Without further ado, let’s get into the news:

The Cannabis Industry Meets Coronavirus

American cannabis businesses had some big wins this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several American states deemed cannabis access to be “essential” or made it easier to access cannabis in other ways. So while you may not be able to go to dinner and a movie, if you live in a state with a medical or recreational cannabis market you should check your local laws to see if you can still buy a bag or two of your favorite bud to survive your extended stay at home.

Across the pond in the Netherlands, Dutch coffee shops were initially planning to close their doors due to the coronavirus, sparking long lines of people stocking up before hunkering down at home. Fortunately the government changed its mind and shops were later told that they could offer take-home deals similar to the takeout options restaurants are offering at a time when everyone is being asked to stay put.

But not everything went well for the cannabis industry. Medical marijuana doctors in Colorado were told they can’t use telemedicine due to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulations, which is putting staff and patients at heightened risk. And a federal agency (the Small Business Administration) informed cannabis businesses that they are not eligible for coronavirus disaster relief since cannabis is still federally illegal. The only silver lining is that this limitation does not apply to business that produce or sell hemp or hemp-derived products, which were legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill.

Drug Policy Reform Efforts Are Struggling

Drug policy reform efforts hit a snag as well. What was once shaping up to be a year of massive cannabis reform may turn out to be a lackluster year after all is said and done. The pandemic has affected cannabis legalization bills in several U.S. states, which has made them seem a lot less likely to be successful this year.

Psilocybin reform movements in California and Oregon are being forced to adapt too. California’s psilocybin legalization activists have requested the ability to collect signatures online. And in Oregon, a campaign to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic use has implemented an option for potential signees to fill out an electronic form to request an official ballot petition by mail, which can then be printed, signed, and sent back. An Oregon drug decriminalization campaign is also now offering a printable option.

A psychedelic decriminalization campaign in Washington DC delayed its signature gathering effort out of concern for COVID-19 and is considering a new “micro-scale petition signature collection” approach in order to try and make the November ballot.

The Emergence of Remote Psychedelic Therapy

Two new psychedelic medicine clinics providing ketamine therapy opened up this month: Field Trip Health in Toronto and Mindbloom in New York City. That was before the pandemic spread to North America.

After the spread of COVID-19, Mindbloom adapted by offering a remote option for its ketamine therapy service. Now patients can experience a virtually administered psychedelic therapy session from the comfort and safety of their own homes instead of needing to go into the clinic for treatment.

Sexual Abuse in Psychedelic Research

One of the most distressing stories last month involved allegations of sexual abuse that may have taken place between a therapist and his patient during a sanctioned MDMA research study. Additional accounts of abuse involving psychedelic therapists have been reported during the last few years, indicating that there may be a dark problem brewing within the field of psychedelic therapy.

If you or someone you know has suffered from abuse you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline (800.656.HOPE) for help.

Tripping on Placebos

There’s always that one friend who always claims they’re really feeling the effects of a psychedelic even though they didn’t take a large enough dose to match their exuberant claims.

So it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that this phenomenon was replicated in the scientific literature last month when a study found that participants reported experiencing psychedelic effects even though they weren’t really given psychedelics at all—they actually received placebos.

Breeding the Bad Trip Out of Magic Mushrooms

One company is attempting to redesign magic mushrooms so that they will never again cause a bad trip.

Instead of trying to increase the amount of psilocybin in mushrooms, the company is studying a compound that the fungi possess called aeruginascin that may act similarly to the way CBD behaves in cannabis, which could possibly reduce or eliminate the potential for challenging or traumatic psychedelic experiences.

COVID-19 Is Impacting Drug Dealing

One thing you might not think of when it comes to the coronavirus is the impact that the pandemic has had on the black market for illegal drugs. But just like everything else, COVID-19 has also played a role in changing drug dealing too.

Similar to restaurants and grocery stores that can drop food off at your door so you don’t have to leave your house, dealers who deliver drugs are reporting that business is booming. As one dealer put it, “When you have people at home all day, what else are they going to do?”

All that demand—plus added risks for dealers—has led to price increases.

Innovative dealers in Russia have changed the game by turning the act of buying and selling drugs into a treasure hunt. Instead of meeting up in-person with clients, the dealers stash the drugs in geotagged locations for online buyers, avoiding any risk of being detected or coming into contact with the coronavirus.

Tripping During A Pandemic

With plenty of extra time on their hands, many psychonauts have been taking advantage of the opportunity to trip. But it may not be the best time to take psychedelics, considering the setting that we all find ourselves in and the set that many people have at the moment. If you’re suffering from anxiety, depression, grief, or trauma then perhaps now isn’t the best time to trip.

Cannabis Reform Wins in Africa and the U.S.

Two countries in Africa relaxed their grip on marijuana prohibition this month. Both Malawi and Ghana legalized cannabis for health and industrial purposes in hopes of benefiting from rising global demand for medicinal cannabis products.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota passed a referendum to legalize medical and recreational cannabis, making it the first and only Native American tribe to establish a legal market in a state where cannabis is otherwise prohibited.

Just in the nick of time, Virginia lawmakers approved a decriminalization bill and sent it to the governor’s desk before the pandemic spread to North America. Governor Ralph Northam is in favor of decriminalization and is expected to sign the bill into law.

Native American Church Requests Peyote Not Be Included in Decriminalization Initiatives

Not everyone is excited about decriminalizing psychedelics. The Native American Church (NAC) released a statement requesting that peyote not be mentioned explicitly in any future decriminalization initiatives in order to preserve their sacred cacti.

Now instead of calling out peyote specifically in its list of psychedelic plants and fungi, organizations like Decriminalize Nature will need to advocate for decriminalizing “mescaline-containing cacti”, a phrase that does not directly implicate peyote. The NAC hopes that removing the cacti from decriminalization initiatives will help ensure that they don’t go extinct.

Ayahuasca Healings’ Trinity de Guzman Calls Coronavirus A “Necessary Purge”

The founder of the Ayahuasca Healings retreat center in Washington, Trinity de Guzman, is no stranger when it comes to controversy. A few years back Guzman falsely claimed that he was founding the first legal ayahuasca church even though that wasn’t the case. Now he has made headlines again by claiming that the coronavirus is “a necessary purge” for the human race.

Drug Possession Defelonized in Colorado

Coloradans have yet another reason to celebrate now that the state has officially defelonized the possession of small amounts of all drugs, which means that offenders will not be incarcerated in the majority of cases.

But that doesn’t mean drugs are now legal or even decriminalized; those convicted for small-time drug possession will still end up with a misdemeanor on their criminal record.

Corporadelic: A Psymposia Series About Psychedelic Capitalism

One of the most thought-provoking pieces I read this month was actually a six-part series called “Corporadelic” that Russell Hausfeld wrote for Psymposia. The series explores the potential issues what we might see with psychedelic capitalism, and its one that every psychonaut should read so we can avoid preventable mistakes as the for-profit psychedelic industry and framework bursts on the scene and continues to evolve.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’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.

This Week in Psychoactives - 3.20.20

Cannabis

• Amid Coronavirus, San Francisco, New York, Deem Marijuana Businesses 'Essential' (NPR)

• Dutch queue for cannabis as coronavirus closes cafes (FRANCE 24)

• Cannabis cafes can offer takeaways to head off the return of street dealers (DutchNews.nl)

• 'The legal stuff is garbage': why Canada's cannabis black market keeps thriving (The Guardian)

• Colorado Just Issued The First Marijuana Delivery License In The State (Marijuana Moment)

• Medical Marijuana Doctors Can't Use Telemedicine During Virus Outbreak (Westword)

• Legalizing Marijuana Increases Housing Prices, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• CBD Alone Can Treat Depression and Break Drug Addictions, Case Study Shows (MERRY JANE)

• Connecticut Residents Strongly Support Legalizing Marijuana, Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• California Psilocybin Legalization Activists Request Online Signature Gathering Amid Coronavirus (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Indicates the Magic Mushroom Compound Baeocystin is Not Psychedelic (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Hawaii Lawmakers Introduce Plan To Study Psychedelic Mushrooms With Goal Of Legalizing Access (Marijuana Moment)

• Scientists Solve Another Crystal Structure of the Psilocybin Analog Miprocin, 4-HO-MiPT (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Study Shows Norpsilocin is More Potent Than Psilocin at 5-HT2A (Psychedelic Science Review)

• A Hockey Player Blamed Shrooms for His Brutal Attack on a Woman. It Worked (VICE)

Ayahuasca

• What Are the Coronavirus Risks with Ayahuasca Ceremonies? (EntheoNation)

Peyote

• Native American Churches Request that Peyote Not Be Included in Decriminalization Initiatives (Psymposia)

Opioids

• Coronavirus Is Leading to Shortages of Fentanyl And Meth (VICE)

Cocaine

• Fiona Apple quit cocaine after ‘excruciating’ night with Quentin Tarantino (Page Six)

Nicotine

• JUUL Tricks Its Customers Into Advocating for the Florida Flavor Ban (Vaping360)

• A Scientist Persuaded Italy to Exempt Vape Shops From COVID-19 Lockdown (Filter)

• Ireland bans menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco starting May 20 (Euronews)

• Young adults don't know what's in nicotine products they vape, study finds (Medical Xpress)

• Minimum price for tobacco could boost health of poorer people, study suggests (BT)

• British American Tobacco circumventing ad ban, experts say (The Guardian)

Alcohol

• States Boost Hospitality Industry With Booze Delivery and Takeout Sales (U.S. News and World Report)

• So Alcoholics Anonymous Is “Proven” to Work After All? Not So Fast (Filter)

Kratom

• Kentucky Poison Control Center Officials Call Kratom A Drug of Concern (Kratom Guides)

Kava

• Kava consumption banned in all police premises (The Fiji Times)

Khat

• Governor Bans Sale of Miraa Over Coronavirus Fears (Kenyans.co.ke)

Miscellaneous

• Harm Reduction in the Time of Coronavirus (Medium)

• Baltimore To End Most Drug Prosecutions Amid Coronavirus Outbreak (Marijuana Moment)

• ‘Business Is Booming’ for Drug Dealers Who Deliver (The Daily Beast)

• 'Dosed' Review: The Case for Plant-Based Recovery (The New York Times)

• Myths and Realities About the Decriminalization of Psychedelics in the US (Chacruna)

• Safe injection sites: Coronavirus underlines why they make sense (New York Daily News)

• Microdosing or Using Psychedelics? How to Support Academic Research (Medium)

• Prohibition Partners Releases PSYCH: The Psychedelics as Medicine Report (Prohibition Partners)

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 - 1.3.20

Cannabis

• New Law Finally Authorizes Cannabis Cafés in Colorado, the First State to Allow Recreational Sales (Reason)

• Italy court rules home-growing cannabis is legal, reigniting dispute (Reuters)

• Illinois Governor Pardons Over 11,000 People For Marijuana One Day Before Legal Sales Begin (Marijuana Moment)

• Lab says its marijuana breath analyzer will hit the market in 2020 (San Francisco Chronicle)

• Federal Weed Prosecutions Fell by 28% in 2019 (MERRY JANE)

• Illinois Lieutenant Governor Buys Marijuana On State’s First Day Of Legal Sales (Marijuana Moment)

• College Students Binge Drink Less in States with Legal Weed, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)

• Florida Marijuana Lawsuit: ‘Stealth Deadline’ Means Legalization Might Miss 2020 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Scientists Just Discovered a More Potent, Natural Form of THC (MERRY JANE)

• Virginia Prosecutor Announces His Office Will Not Pursue Marijuana Possession Cases (Marijuana Moment)

• Study: Cannabis use rising among depressed Americans (The Mercury News)

• 65 Outstanding Black And Hispanic Men Leading In Cannabis (Benzinga)

• Cannabis IQ drop is a myth, new twin study confirms (Leafly)

• Oklahoma Activists File Revised 2020 Marijuana Legalization Measure To Protect Medical Program (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• World’s First Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Panel Starts Work in Denver (Filter)

• Scientists Solve the Crystal Structure of the Psilocbyin Derviative 4-HO-DPT (Psychedelic Science Review)

MDMA

• Stay away from this pill: Urgent warning about deadly blue LEGO-shaped ecstasy tablets with three times the average dose of MDMA (Daily Mail)

• The new year is prime time for unnecessary drug-related deaths – legalising MDMA could stop them (The Independent)

Opioids

• Opioid Deaths Rise When Auto Plants Close, Study Shows (The New York Times)

• Pharmacies Don’t Know How to Dispose of Leftover Opioids and Antibiotics (TIME)

• Synthetic opioids like fentanyl ravaged the US during the last decade. They may do even more damage to Asia in the next (KPLR11)

• Decriminalization is not a radical solution to the opioid crisis. And it would work. (Macleans.ca)

Cocaine

• How to Break Your Casual Cocaine Habit (VICE)

Methamphetamine

• What makes meth so addictive? (Terre Haute Tribune-Star)

• 63% Of Hawaii State Hospital Patients Have Used Meth (Honolulu Civil Beat)

Nicotine

• FDA to Ban All E-Cigarette Pod Flavors Except Tobacco and Menthol (The Wall Street Journal)

• FDA Ban on Flavored E-Cigarettes Is Expected to Exempt Open-System E-Liquids (Reason)

• Vape Bans Won’t Make You Safer (The Nation)

• Michigan Supreme Court won't accelerate appeal on e-cigarettes (Detroit Free Press)

• Gov. Cuomo proposes ban of all flavored nicotine, vaping products (News 12)

• U-Haul to Implement Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy for Healthier Workforce (Yahoo! Finance)

Alcohol

• Binge drinking and heavy alcohol consumption may damage the heart (Reuters)

• Research Uncovers The Link Between U.S. Demographics And Beverage Alcohol Consumption (Forbes)

• Why I Stopped Calling Myself an Alcoholic (TIME)

• Medical professionals warn of dangers of mixing cold weather and alcohol (KRNV)

• What causes hangovers, blackouts and 'hangxiety'? Everything you need to know about alcohol these holidays (Medical Xpress)

Kratom

• Users cite benefits of kratom, but substance abuse organizations warn of dangers (Longview News-Journal)

Miscellaneous

• Top Ten Psychedelic Moments of 2019 (Psychedelic Times)

• Best psychedelic videos of 2019 (The Daily Psychedelic Video)

• TripApp Is the Latest Mobile Innovation to Make Drug Use Safer (Filter)

• Do Psychedelic Entrepreneurs Need Psychedelic Experience? (The Trip Report)

• What the future holds for medical psychedelics in Canada (Global News)

• Scientists Uncover ‘Strong Relationship’ Between Psychedelic Use And Connection With Nature (Marijuana Moment)

• A mobile addiction treatment center battles stigma, shame, and rising overdoses in South Philly (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Pete Buttigieg Says We Should Decriminalize All the Drugs (Reason)

• A Code of Ethics for Honest Drug Reporting (TalkingDrugs)

• 1,000 people sent me their addiction treatment stories. Here’s what I learned. (Vox)

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.