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Weekly Psychedelic Links - August 2022

8.5.22

Cannabis

  • Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for drug possession and smuggling (Leafly)

  • Another American Caught With Weed in Russia Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison (High Times)

  • Cannabis no more of a risk than tobacco and alcohol – study (Cannabis Health News)

  • Federal Marijuana Records Would Be Expunged Under New Bipartisan Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Study Says Legalization Hasn’t Caused More Teens To Try Cannabis (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis Cafes Emerge in Post-Legalization Thailand (High Times)

  • Study Shows Cannabis Users 55% Less Likely to Develop Common Liver Cancer (High Times)

  • Arkansas Marijuana Campaign Files Lawsuit To Put Legalization Measure On Ballot After State Board’s Rejection (Marijuana Moment)

  • US weed homegrowers produce 8x more than Colorado legal market, says new report (Leafly)

  • Feds Seek Contractor To Help Test Marijuana Compounds In People’s Breath (Marijuana Moment)

  • New 3D Structures of Cannabinoid Receptor Inform Safer Drug Design (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • New Report Recommends Tips for Successful Cannabis-Impaired Driving Campaigns (High Times)

  • Colleges In States That Legalize Marijuana See A Boost In Application Numbers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Brazilian Government’s Selective Blindness to Cannabis Evidence (TalkingDrugs)

  • Largest Federal Workers Union Calls For Ending Marijuana Tests For Most Government Employees In Legal States (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin Microdosing Shows No Benefit to Creativity, Cognition, Perception in New Scientific Study (Willamette Week)

  • Oregon Psilocybin Rules Set To Be Finalized in December (High Times)

  • Lead Plaintiff in Canadian Right To Try Lawsuit Shares His Psilocybin Story (Lucid News)

  • The Rise of Casual Shrooms (VICE)

MDMA

  • It’s Festival Season! How Should We Group Dose MDMA? (Lucid News)

DMT

Ayahuasca

Mescaline

  • Mescaline: A Neglected Tool for Psychotherapy (Sam Woolfe)

Peyote

  • The Peyote Plot: The Indigenous Fight to Conserve the Sacred Plant and the Spiritual Medicine it Contains (DoubleBlind)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Ketamine

  • Double-action mechanism found that makes ketamine less addictive (New Atlas)

  • How ketamine chic became the new heroin chic (Dazed)

Miscellaneous

  • Poll States 28% of Americans Have Tried At Least One Psychedelic Substance (High Times)

  • The Need for 100,000 Psychedelic Facilitators is Real (LA Weekly)

  • Morgan Stanley Publishes Optimistic Report on Psychedelics (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • California Bills To Legalize Psychedelics Possession, Allow Interstate Marijuana Commerce And More Teed Up For Key Hurdle Next Week (Marijuana Moment)

  • MindMed Board of Directors Approves Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Majority Of Americans Support Psychedelics Research For Military Members, New Poll Finds As Bipartisan Reform Advances In Congress (Marijuana Moment)

8.12.22

Cannabis

  • Report: Spike in Marijuana Positives Fueling Truck Driver Shortage, Supply Chain Disruptions (NORML)

  • Ottawa on track to spend $200M per year on cannabis for veterans (CBC)

  • Wisconsin Governor Pardons Several for Cannabis Offenses (High Times)

  • Missouri will vote on marijuana legalization in November (Leafly)

  • Arkansas Supreme Court Orders State To Put Marijuana Legalization Initiative On Ballot, But Votes May Not Be Counted (Marijuana Moment)

  • Colorado Marijuana Shops Are 98 Percent Compliant With ID Checks To Prevent Underage Sales, State Regulators Say (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis And Lower COVID Hospitalizations: Is There A Connection? Here’s What A New Study Found (The Fresh Toast)

  • Biden DOJ Says Medical Marijuana Patients Are Too ‘Dangerous To Trust’ In Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit On Gun Rights (Marijuana Moment)

  • Voters Across Wisconsin Will See Marijuana Questions On Their Ballots In November (Marijuana Moment)

  • ‘Very good for tourists’: Thailand aims for high season with U-turn on cannabis (The Guardian)

  • The (Possibly) Best and Worst Countries To Get Caught With Pot (Benzinga)

  • New Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Filed For 2024 Ballot, With Backing Of State’s Largest Medical Cannabis Company (Marijuana Moment)

  • Can memory loss be good? How cannabis can help with PTSD (Leafly)

  • Arresting illicit weed sellers repeats our drug war mistakes (NJ.com)

LSD

  • Neuroscience research suggests LSD might enhance learning and memory by promoting brain plasticity (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin therapy is prompting states to reconsider laws about magic mushrooms (USA Today)

  • Many Oregonians will have to vote again on psilocybin (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

  • Buried Treasure: How Does Psilocybin Reduce Compulsivity? (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Can Psilocybin Treat Obesity? New Evidence, Future Directions (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Inside the lab that's creating enough psilocybin for everyone on Earth (Wisconsin Public Radio)

  • Phase 2 clinical trial to examine efficacy of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa (Healio)

  • Coos County cities move to ban psilocybin for medical use in their communities (KCBY)

  • Optimi Health To Launch Therapeutic Psilocybin Product In Partnership With Patient Advocate Thomas Hartle (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

  • Las Vegas Wastewater Study Finds Absolutely Bonkers Spike In MDMA Levels During EDC (BroBible)

  • Where Ecstasy Meets Power: The Unique Risks of MDMA Therapy (Sam Woolfe)

Ayahuasca

  • Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Won’t Be Disciplined for Using Psychedelic Drug (Sports Illustrated)

  • Aaron Rodgers’ former Packers QB coach reacts to psychedelic drug revelation (New York Post)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Psilera’s New Compounds Show Potential for Significant Treatment Improvement in Depression and Neurodegenerative Disorders (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Majority of 'Bath Salt' Deaths Concentrated in Just Two States (Medpage Today)

  • Woman likely drowned after taking hallucinogenic drugs, coroner finds (Stuff.co.nz)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • States That Legalize Marijuana See ‘Significant Reductions’ In Synthetic Cannabinoid Poisonings, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • A 'very unpleasant time' - new synthetic drug in NZ (Radio New Zealand)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Urgent warning to parents over teens inhaling nitrous oxide after canisters found across Dublin (The Irish Sun)

Ketamine

  • How The Brain Changes In People With Chronic PTSD Following Ketamine Treatment (Healing Maps)

Miscellaneous

  • VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence (Technology Review)

  • The DARE Program Is Back in Some School Districts — Here’s What to Know (Teen Vogue)

  • Compass Pathways Sued for Stealing Trade Secrets (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • An initiative to decriminalize most plant-based psychedelics is likely to fall short on signatures (Colorado Public Radio)

  • Colombia’s New President Wants to End the Drug War. Can He Succeed? (Filter)

  • Bear high on hallucinogenic 'mad honey' rescued in Turkey (Irish Mirror)

  • How Do We End the ‘War on Drugs’? Perhaps Scandinavia Has the Answer.. (Volteface)

  • Psychedelics are having a moment and women could be the ones to benefit (MIT Technology Review)

  • Over the counter culture: Are psychedelics coming to the corner shop? (The Independent)

  • Psychedelics researchers and investors should focus on delivering therapy, not drugs (STAT)

  • Muslims on Drugs: Psychedelics, Queerness, and Identity in the Post-9/11 Era (DoubleBlind)

  • What Role does Philosophy Play in the Future of Psychedelics? (TalkingDrugs)

  • First Reddit Community-Led Scientific Study to Launch on Quantified Citizen (Yahoo!)

  • Red Wall Voters Want Drug Law Reform – New Polling Shows (Volteface)

  • Psychedelic Clinical Trials and the Michael Pollan Effect (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Young Psychedelic Philanthropist Blazes Path for the Psychedelic Future (Lucid News)

  • Rediscovering Our Ancestral Roots of Exploration (Chacruna)

  • What Happens when Psychedelics Meets Video Games? (Lucid News)

8.19.22

Cannabis

  • Brittney Griner Appeals Conviction in Russian Drug Case (High Times)

  • North Dakota will vote on cannabis legalization in November (Leafly)

  • Arkansas court orders recreational cannabis amendment put back on ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Pot-smoking tourists not welcome in Thailand, says health minister (Reuters)

  • South Dakota Reservation Bans Alcohol, Allows Cannabis (High Times)

  • Analysis: Racial Disparities in Marijuana Possession Arrests Becoming More Pronounced in Prohibition States (NORML)

  • ‘Clean weed’ is about to be everywhere in California. Here’s what you need to know (Los Angeles Times)

  • Ohio Voters In Seven More Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization At The Ballot This November (Marijuana Moment)

  • Idaho Activists Launch Medical Marijuana Ballot Push For 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Alberta cannabis sales slow to grow as online identity verification deters consumers, say retailers (CBC)

  • Gallup: Those with First-Hand Experience with Cannabis Likely to Perceive It Positively (NORML)

  • Majority Of Texas Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Most Wisconsin Voters—Including Republicans—Support Legalizing Marijuana, Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Is Oregon Ready for the Coming Psilocybin-Fueled Mushroom Tourism Boom? (Portland Monthly)

  • Optimi Health Unveils Canada’s First Natural Therapeutic Psilocybin Product For Approved Patients (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

  • Warnings over dangerously high-strength MDMA pills found at Boardmasters (Mixmag)

DMT

  • Small Pharma Receives Approval for DMT-Assisted Psychotherapy and SSRI Drug Interaction Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

  • The Misfortune of “Right Wing” Psychedelia” in Brazil (Chacruna)

  • Anonymous Letter to Conservative Masters of the UDV (Chacruna)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Nitrous Oxide

  • Atlanta neighbors frustrated by nitrous oxide use outside Widespread Panic show (KMIZ)

Ketamine

  • We Asked the Experts: What Exactly is in Ketamine? (TalkingDrugs)

Miscellaneous

  • Video of a forester who found a drunken bear gorged on hallucinogenic honey became a hit on the Internet (The Saxon)

  • California Psychedelics Legalization Bill Gutted by Key Committee (DoubleBlind)

  • Psychedelics as a sacrament? Lawsuit says drugs are a religious right. (The Washington Post)

  • Integration of psychedelic experiences linked to self-actualization via improvements in personal development and self-insight (PsyPost)

  • Two In Five Americans Say They’ve Changed Their Mind On Drug Policy, With Most Becoming “More Liberal,” Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

8.26.22

Cannabis

  • Federal Trade Commission issues refunds to CBD buyers, here’s why (Leafly)

  • Nebraska Officials Will Take A Second Look At Signatures For Rejected Medical Marijuana Ballot Measures (Marijuana Moment)

  • New medical marijuana campaign launches in Idaho for 2024 ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Study Shows 20% Increase in Frequency of Cannabis Consumption in Recreational States (High Times)

  • FBI Says CBD Use Is An ‘Automatic Disqualifier’ For Employment Despite Federal Hemp Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • Oklahoma’s legalization initiative at risk due to state delay (Leafly)

  • The casualties of California legalizing pot: Growers who went legal (The Washington Post)

  • U.S. Forest Service Reminds Workers Of Federal Marijuana Ban And Warns Against CBD Use (Marijuana Moment)

  • Dennis Rodman Proposes To Negotiate Russia Brittney Griner Release (High Times)

  • Why The Legal Cannabis Industry Needs The Black Market (Forbes)

  • Legalization Opponents Sue To Block Initiative From Missouri Ballot (High Times)

  • Cannabis for Chronic Pain Linked to Slightly Increased Risk of Arrhythmia (Healthline)

LSD

  • First Patient Dosed in Trial of LSD for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Psychiatric Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin May Help Treat Alcohol Addiction, Study Shows (TIME)

  • Three Out Of Four Oregon Counties Will Vote On Banning Or Postponing Psilocybin Services This November (Marijuana Moment)

  • Inside Paul Stamets’ Massive Microdosing Study (DoubleBlind)

Ayahuasca

  • Mormon Bishop And Former GOP Utah Rep. Champions Ayahuasca After Faith-Affirming Psychedelic Experience (Marijuana Moment)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Trip Advisors: Group Promotes 5-MeO-DMT Harm Reduction By Exposing Shamanic Hustlers (Forbes)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • The DEA is Attempting to Ban Two New Psychedelic Drugs (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Clearmind Medicine Announces Additional Positive Pre-Clinical Results for its Cocaine Addiction Treatment (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • BetterLife Lead Drug (BETR-001) Promotes Structural Neural Plasticity with Possible Nootropic Effects Similar to That of LSD Without Hallucinogenic Side Effects (Psychedelic Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Laughing Gas During Labor Is Becoming More Popular Among Women in the United States (People)

Ketamine

  • Ketamine’s upgrade to an employee benefit in US may hasten the legitimacy of psychedelics in SA (BizNews)

DXM

  • FDA Approves First, Only NMDA Receptor Antagonist for Major Depressive Disorder (Pharmacy Times)

Miscellaneous

  • Psychedelic Stocks: MindMed and atai Slash their Pipelines, Mydecine Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelics Use Increasing Among Adults, But Decreasing For Teens, New Federally Funded Studies Find (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences linked to increased pro-environmental behaviors (PsyPost)

  • How near-death experiences and psychedelics alter attitudes about death (EurekAlert!)

  • Does Microdosing Actually Work? The Science Is Still Conflicted (VICE)

  • Issues of Patient Safety and Ethical Violations in Psychedelic Therapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • As Plant-Medicine Churches Grow, Legal Questions Linger (Lucid News)

  • This Psychedelic Theater Troupe Has Been Quietly Changing the World for Decades (DoubleBlind)

  • Do Psychedelic Trips Actually Start In The Gut Instead Of The Brain? (Healing Maps)

  • The Psychedelic Community Takes Itself Too Seriously (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Ethics in Psychedelic Therapy: The Promises and Pitfalls of Increased Suggestibility (Sam Woolfe)

  • Do You Even Trip, Bro? On Psychedelic Masculinity (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • How Long Can the Psychedelic Renaissance Last? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • The Legal Risks of Psychedelic Therapy and Coaching (EntheoNation)

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.

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.

Weekly Psychedelic Links - April 2022

4.1.22

Cannabis

  • New Hampshire House Approves State-Run Marijuana Legalization Bill And Rejects Psilocybin Decriminalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

  • Hopes fade in Kentucky for legalizing medical marijuana this year (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • New Jersey Regulators Delay Launch of Recreational Pot Sales (High Times)

  • Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Bill To Increase Marijuana Penalties For Children—But Not Adults (Marijuana Moment)

  • South Dakota: Governor Noem Vetoes Marijuana Expungement Legislation (NORML)

  • Alabama Senate Committee Approves Bill To Force Women Who Want Medical Marijuana To Show Negative Pregnancy Tests (Marijuana Moment)

  • Medical marijuana bill in Tennessee falters (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Dutch Coffeeshops Doubt Quality and Success of Pending National Cannabis Trial (High Times)

  • The Struggle for Cannabis Legalization in Bermuda (High Times)

  • Missouri Lawmakers Approve GOP-Led Marijuana Legalization Bill In Committee (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pennsylvania Lawmakers Advance Their Own Cannabis Banking Bill (High Times)

  • How Legal Cannabis Could Revive Southern Economies (Rolling Stone)

  • Weed Sprouts Across New Zealand Parliament Grounds Weeks After Occupation (High Times)

  • CBD May Help Boost Cognitive Performance in Gamers (High Times)

  • Study Finds Hemp Feed Can Reduce Stress in Cattle (High Times)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • The Next Big Addiction Treatment (The New York Times)

  • Psyched Wellness and the National Research Council of Canada Announce Preliminary Data from Studies of Neuroprotective Properties of AME-1 (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Can magic mushrooms be used to treat racial trauma? (The Guardian)

  • Colorado Still Hammering Out Details for Decriminalizing Psilocybin (Green Market Report)

  • 2 people who used 'magic' mushrooms then developed rare 'wood-lovers paralysis' describe losing control of their bodies: 'I couldn't even chew' (Business Insider)

MDMA

  • Footage of therapists spooning and pinning down patient in B.C. trial for MDMA therapy prompts review (CBC)

Ayahuasca

  • Machine Gun Kelly Recounts Life-Changing Ayahuasca Trip on ‘Kimmel’ (Rolling Stone)

Iboga

  • Ibogaine blocks some of the rewarding effects of alcohol in rodent model of addictive behavior (PsyPost)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Myriad New Drugs Complicate Legalization, as Well as Harm Reduction (Filter)

Ketamine

Miscellaneous

  • Georgia Lawmakers Approve Bill To Create Psychedelic Study Committee (Marijuana Moment)

  • Michigan Activists Begin Signature Gathering For Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative Following State Certification (Marijuana Moment)

  • Positive Drug Tests for US Workers Reportedly Hit 20-Year High (Filter)

  • New study explores relationship between psychedelics and consciousness (ScienceDaily)

  • How to Microdose Drugs Based on What You’re Using (VICE)

4.8.22

Cannabis

  • House Approves Federal Marijuana Legalization Bill For Second Time In History (Marijuana Moment)

  • House of Representatives Passes Bill to Expand Cannabis Research (High Times)

  • Adult-Use Cannabis Sales Launch In New Mexico (High Times)

  • D.C. Lawmakers Reject Bill To Effectively Legalize Marijuana Sales For Adults And Crack Down On ‘Gifting’ Market (Marijuana Moment)

  • Maryland will vote on legal cannabis in November (Leafly)

  • Regulate cannabis like corn? US Farm Bill proposal raises eyebrows, hopes (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Thailand dreams of high-end cannabis tourism after marijuana is legalised (The Guardian)

  • Medical marijuana patients targeted by sneaky new federal drug testing rule (Leafly)

  • Judge Rules in Favor of Mother for Cannabis Use While Pregnant (High Times)

  • Delaware Marijuana Legalization Effort Revived With Two-Track Approach Following House Defeat (Marijuana Moment)

  • Canadian Airport Could Get Cannabis Dispensary (High Times)

  • Marijuana Legalization Tied To Significant Decrease In Foster Care Placements, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Georgia Medical Cannabis Bill Dies in State Senate (High Times)

  • South Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Approved In House Committee And Heads To Floor (Marijuana Moment)

  • 5,000 British adults could take part in cannabis trial (The Times)

  • Europe’s First Cannabis Wellness Spa Opens in Switzerland (High Times)

  • Oklahoma Supreme Court Upholds Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative Following Legal Challenge By Competing Campaign (Marijuana Moment)

  • Feeding Cows Hemp Helps Them Chill Out, Federally Funded Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Hemp Paper Could Be the Future of Printing (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • These Natural Psilocybin Droplets Come in Exact Dosages and Don’t Upset Your Stomach (Lucid News)

  • Oregon Psilocybin Rules ‘May Have a Negative Impact on Lower Income Individuals’ (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • People who used 'magic mushrooms' less likely to develop opioid use disorder, study finds (USA Today)

  • New research sheds light on how psilocybin influences sleeping patterns (PsyPost)

  • Oregon's proposed Psilocybin rules await public comments (KDRV)

  • New species of psychedelic mushroom believed to live in Kakadu National Park (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

  • Melmac Mushroom Strain: Effects, Potency & More (DoubleBlind)

  • Terminally Ill Patients Fight for Access to Psilocybin Under Federal “Right to Try” Act (Lucid News)

  • Mushrooms Have Their Own Language, New Study Suggests (Psychedelic Spotlight)

MDMA

  • Colorado Lawmakers Approve MDMA Bill While Rejecting Broader Psychedelics Measure As Ballot Initiatives Loom (Marijuana Moment)

Ayahuasca

  • Children Sacrificed by Incas Found With Cocaine, Ayahuasca in Their Bodies (Newsweek)

  • Building peace with psychedelics: Here’s what happened when Palestinians and Israelis took ayahuasca together (Big Think)

  • A Medicine Heritage of 160 Indigenous Peoples: The Origins of Ayahuasca Before Globalization (Chacruna)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Beckley Psytech Announces Dosing of First Healthy Volunteers in Phase 1 Clinical Trial Assessing Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Second Innovative Formulation of 5-MeO-DMT (Psilocybin Alpha)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Field Trip Health Ltd. Granted US Patent Covering Novel Psychedelic Molecule FT-104 (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • PharmaDrug Advances DMT-Analogue Program for Glaucoma with Production of Medical Device Designed to Provide Sustained Control of Elevated Intraocular Pressure (Yahoo!)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • UK woman dies after eating a synthetic cannabis gummy (Newshub)

Ketamine

  • Ketamine prescribed in P.E.I. for major depression inaccessible because of costs, patient says (SaltWire)

Miscellaneous

  • Canada’s SAP Expansion Signals a Step Forward for Psychedelics (Psychedelics Today)

  • Michigan Has Real Shot at First-in-the Nation Psychedelic Decrim Victory (Filter)

  • LSD Capitalism Promises a Bad Trip for Us All (Jacobin)

  • Trials starting soon at the University of Texas Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy (KVUE)

  • Funders at Johns Hopkins Shape The Future of Psychedelic Research (Lucid News)

  • Just How Far Can Psychedelics Push The Boundaries of How We Assign Consciousness? (ScienceAlert)

  • 6 questions investors should ask when evaluating psychedelic biotech companies (TechCrunch)

4.15.22

Cannabis

  • Maryland Governor Lets Bill To Implement Marijuana Legalization Take Effect Without His Signature (Marijuana Moment)

  • Virginia: Gov. Youngkin Moves to Re-criminalize Personal Possession of Marijuana (NORML)

  • The Feds Will Return More Than $1 Million in Marijuana Money That California Cops Stole From Armored Cars (Reason)

  • Psychologists have developed a new psychometric assessment of cannabis intoxication (PsyPost)

  • Poll: Majority of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana, Expunging Past Convictions, and Allowing Banks to Work with Cannabis Businesses (NORML)

  • Majority Of Europeans Support Marijuana Legalization, New International Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Mayor of Amsterdam Threatens To Ban Tourists From Coffeeshops (High Times)

  • Spanish police take down 'Europe's biggest' cannabis farm (Reuters)

  • NYC Mayor Wants To ‘Explore’ Putting Marijuana Greenhouses On Rooftops Of Public Housing Buildings (Marijuana Moment)

  • Virginia: Governor Youngkin Signs Legislation to Improve Medical Cannabis Program (NORML)

  • Illinois Bill To Close Marijuana Expungement ‘Loophole’ Heads To Governor, While Workplace Protection Measure Stalls (Marijuana Moment)

  • Several GOP Senators Oppose Legalizing Pot Following MORE Act Vote (High Times)

  • North Dakota Activists File New Marijuana Legalization Initiative For 2022 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

  • The first New Jersey recreational dispensaries will open April 21 (Leafly)

  • South Dakota Marijuana Activists Issue ‘Yellow Alert’ For Signature Drive To Put Legalization On Ballot As Deadline Nears (Marijuana Moment)

  • How are Cannabis Cultural and Harm Reduction Practices Created? (TalkingDrugs)

  • Seven In Ten North Carolina Voters Back Medical Marijuana Legalization As Senate Reform Bill Remains Stalled (Marijuana Moment)

  • Six In Ten Louisiana Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, New Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • Freedom to Operate Releases Study to Protect the Development of LSD-based Therapies from Unfounded Patent Claims (PR Newswire)

  • Why Investors Should Care About MindMed’s LSD Trial for Anxiety (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin Spurs Brain Activity in Patients With Depression, Small Study Shows (The New York Times)

  • How credible is psilocybin-assisted therapy? Study suggests people are cautious about psychedelic treatment for depression (PsyPost)

  • Oklahoma Senators Approve Psilocybin Research Bill But Delete Decriminalization Provision Passed By House (Marijuana Moment)

  • Protestors Target the DEA in Support of Psilocybin for Terminally Ill Patients (Lucid News)

  • On Entheogenic Practitioner Duties and Privileges under Oregon’s 109 Program (Dr. Bronner's)

  • Oregon’s psilocybin program stands on thousands of years of indigenous experience (Herald and News)

  • Mommies Who Mushroom (Harper's Bazaar)

MDMA

  • Health Canada announces review of all MDMA trials, as complaint alleges major flaws and safety issues (CBC)

Ayahuasca

  • ‘We expect to win.’ Ayahuasca churches vow to remain as court case largely dismissed. (Religion News Service)

  • This golfer drank urine, did hallucinogens and ate 800 grapes a day to fight disease (New York Post)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Could the Sonoran Desert Toad Cure Narcissism? (Psychedelics Today)

  • I’m a 1-percenter who found purpose in life tripping on toad venom: What it’s like (New York Post)

Iboga

  • Why Ibogaine Is a Promising Treatment for Addiction (Lucid News)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Researchers May Have Created LSD-Analogs that Treat Depression Without the Trip (Lucid News)

  • Cybin Announces Positive CYB004 Data Demonstrating Significant Advantages Over Intravenous and Inhaled DMT (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • 9 years after an acid trip, I still have anxiety-inducing visual distortions that only stop when I sleep (Insider)

Ketamine

Miscellaneous

  • Psychedelic Stocks Are Having A Really Bad Trip (The Washington Post)

  • Numinus Acquiring Novamind in First Major Psychedelics Merger (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Survey Suggests Psychedelics are Linked to Neo-Shamanistic Beliefs (Lucid News)

  • Do Psychedelics Need Psychiatrists? (NEO.LIFE)

  • Can the Clever Use of Old Legal Strategies Thwart Psychedelic Monopolies? (VICE)

  • Study maps psychedelic-induced changes in consciousness to specific regions of the brain (PsyPost)

  • Maryland Bill To Fund Psychedelics Research And Access For Veterans Goes To Governor’s Desk (Marijuana Moment)

  • Decriminalize Nature Feels Growing Pains as Local Groups Clash with Board (Lucid News)

  • Missouri Bill Would Allow Therapeutic Psychedelic Use (High Times)

  • What it’s like tripping on mad honey, the hallucinogen that (maybe) is an aphrodisiac (Salon)

  • When Will The Media Take Drug Deaths Seriously? (Volteface)

  • Why Psychedelics Could Soon Replace Antidepressants (PR Newswire)

4.22.22

Cannabis

  • Switzerland aims for summer start of recreational cannabis trial program (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Marijuana Legalization Tied To ‘Significant Reductions’ In Prescription Drug Use, Researchers Find (Marijuana Moment)

  • Belize Close to Legalization, Evangelicals Want Anti-Reform Referendum (High Times)

  • Early Lines and Free Doughnuts: Legal Marijuana Sales Begin in New Jersey (The New York Times)

  • DEA Says Illegal Marijuana Trafficking From Mexico Is Declining Amid State Legalization Movement (Marijuana Moment)

  • Another U.S. Senate Candidate Tokes in Campaign Ad in Indiana (High Times)

  • Cannabis: How It Affects Our Cognition And Psychology – New Research (IFLScience)

  • Florida bride and caterer charged with lacing wedding food with cannabis (CNN)

  • What Impact Will the French Elections Have on Cannabis Reform? (High Times)

  • Recreational marijuana consumption lounge opens in New Mexico (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Delaware Lawmakers Revive Pot Legalization Effort (High Times)

  • Ohio Lawmakers File New Marijuana Legalization Bill On 4/20 That Mirrors Ballot Initiative Activists Are Pursuing (Marijuana Moment)

  • US lawmakers are warming up to the cannabis industry (CNN)

  • How 4/20 Became the Biggest Day in the Stoner Calendar (VICE)

  • New Hampshire Senate Committee Rejects Cannabis Legalization Bill (High Times)

  • Florida Official Sues Biden Administration Over Gun Rights For Medical Marijuana Patients On 4/20 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Survey Shows Cannabis Use on the Upswing (High Times)

LSD

  • MindMed Collaborator Dr. Matthias Liechti to Present Topline Clinical Trial Results for LSD in Anxiety Disorders at PSYCH Symposium (Psilocybin Alpha)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Maine Senate Approves Medical Psilocybin Bill, But House Refusal Kills Measure For The Year (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psilocybin Could be a Therapeutic Breakthrough For Addiction (TIME)

  • How psychedelic mushrooms helped pro surfer Koa Smith overcome depression and trauma: ‘I never slipped back’ (The Independent)

  • Treating depression with psychedelics: red flags and FAQ (Eiko Fried)

  • Filament Health Is Issued Patent By United States Patent And Trademark Office (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

  • Colorado House Passes Bill To Legalize MDMA After Federal Approval, Sending It To The Senate (Marijuana Moment)

  • Understanding the Effects of MDMA on Bipolar Disorder (Healthline)

Iboga

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Cybin Announces Publication of International PCT Patent Application for Inhalation Delivery of Multiple Psychedelic Molecules (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Mindset Pharma Strengthens IP Portfolio with Another New Provisional Patent Application Covering its Next-Generation DMT and 5-MeO-DMT Drug Candidate Compounds (Psilocybin Alpha)

Ketamine

  • Psychedelic companies are betting big on ketamine as the next Prozac (Fast Company)

Miscellaneous

  • A psychedelic therapist allegedly took millions from a Holocaust survivor, highlighting worries about elders taking hallucinogens (STAT News)

  • Study suggests belief-changing psychedelic experiences tend to increase the attribution of consciousness to other beings (PsyPost)

  • Drug War Industries Face Obsolescence (Drug WarRant)

  • Exclusive Data Shows Canadian Cops Target More Black and Indigenous Folks for Drug Arrests (VICE)

  • Massachusetts Psychedelics Activists Plan To Put Decriminalization On Local Ballot And Force Lawmakers To File State Bills (Marijuana Moment)

  • What’s the Best Psychedelic Therapy Protocol? It’s Debatable. (Lucid News)

  • Honduras Shows How Drug Policy is Also Climate Policy (TalkingDrugs)

  • GoDaddy Billionaire Bob Parsons Believes Psychedelics Can Heal Trauma—And He’s Putting His Money (And Brain) On The Line (Forbes)

  • Pioneering Clergy of Diverse Religions Embrace Psychedelics (Lucid News)

  • The Emergent Field of Psychedelic Chaplaincy (Chacruna)

  • Kevin O’Leary Predicts These 3 Psychedelic Companies Will Merge, But Should They? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Are psychedelics the answer to solving the mental health crisis? (Euronews)

4.29.22

Cannabis

  • Biden Finally Grants Relief To People With Federal Marijuana And Drug Convictions After More Than A Year In Office (Marijuana Moment)

  • In Mexico, this city ordered its cops to let everyone smoke weed—and not just on 4/20 (Leafly)

  • Maine: Various Marijuana Bills Become Law Absent Gov. Mills’ Signature (NORML)

  • Florida bride, caterer charged after wedding guests drugged with cannabis at reception (Global News)

  • Medical Cannabis Bill in Wisconsin Likely Already Dead (High Times)

  • Virginia: Senate Kills Governor’s Recriminalization Amendment, Bill Addressing Synthetically Derived Marijuana Products (NORML)

  • Mayhem Erupts at Melbourne Cannabis Rally as Police Haul Off Patients (High Times)

  • New Hampshire Senate Defeats House-Passed Marijuana Home Grow Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study Shows Drivers in Legal States Less Likely to Drive While High (High Times)

  • Austin, Texas Voters Can Officially Start Voting On Local Marijuana Decriminalization Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

  • Positive Drug Tests for Pot Hit All-Time High (High Times)

  • Seven In Ten Americans Back Marijuana Legalization, With Majorities Embracing Pro-Reform Politicians, Two New Polls Find (Marijuana Moment)

  • Is Cannabis Legalization Moving Forward in Taiwan? (High Times)

  • Texas Activists Say They Have Enough Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization On Another Local Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

  • Kentucky Governor Approves Cannabis Research Facility (High Times)

  • Could Elon Musk’s Twitter end the cannabis social media ban? (Leafly)

  • Washington Lawmakers Delete the Word ‘Marijuana’ from State Statutes (High Times)

  • North Dakota Officials Approve Marijuana Legalization Ballot Language, Clearing Campaign For Signature Gathering (Marijuana Moment)

  • President’s Son Suggests Cannabis Legalization in Nicaragua (High Times)

  • Weed could be grown in space – and it might be the best cannabis yet (New York Post)

  • Kentucky Governor Announces Medical Cannabis Plan (High Times)

  • NY weighs giving pizza joints, other eateries OK to sell cannabis-infused food (New York Post)

  • Italian City of Bologna Supports Recreational Cannabis Reform (High Times)

  • Now that cannabis is legal, do I have to hire potheads? (New York Post)

  • The Battle for Cannabis Legalization Is On in Honduras (High Times)

  • Australia Poll Finds 50% in Favor of Recreational Pot Reform (High Times)

LSD

  • MindMed Collaborator Dr. Matthias Liechti to Present Topline Clinical Trial Results for LSD in Anxiety Disorders at PSYCH Symposium (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • The dark side of the acid counterculture movement (Far Out)

Magic Mushrooms

  • This Ottawa store is selling magic mushrooms to protest 'unjust' laws (CBC)

  • The Mission to Make Psilocybin Available to UK Cancer Patients (Filter)

  • People who hear about psilocybin-assisted therapy think it’s important to have a guide who has used psilocybin (PsyPost)

  • Hyphae Labs Expands Harm Reduction to Consider Psilocybin (Lucid News)

  • Do magic mushrooms have ‘strains’ like cannabis? (Leafly)

  • One Psychedelic Ride: Brooklynites Bike for the Decriminalization of Magic Mushrooms (BK Reader)

  • Can a Religious Exemption Boost Legal Psilocybin Access in Oregon? (Filter)

  • Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Has Potential for Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder (Pharmacy Times)

MDMA

  • Colorado Bill To Legalize MDMA Prescriptions Heads To Governor Following Senate Passage (Marijuana Moment)

  • MAPS Navigates Multiple Scandals: Why Health Canada Is Reviewing MDMA Trials (Psychedelic Spotlight)

DMT

  • How One Man Tried to Build a DMT-Based Cult on Reddit and Lost Everything (VICE)

Ayahuasca

  • The surprising reason Inca children were drugged before human sacrifice (Big Think)

Peyote

  • Decrim Movement Split Over Peyote, Possession Limits, and Tactics (Lucid News)

Iboga

  • Could Ibogaine Help Address the Opioid Crisis? (Lucid News)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Mindset Pharma Strengthens IP Portfolio with Another New Provisional Patent Application Covering its Next-Generation DMT and 5-MeO-DMT Drug Candidate Compounds (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ketamine

  • Psychedelic spirituality: Ketamine and the future of mental health (KCRW)

  • 'They were going to cut my throat': Sharon Osbourne slams cancel culture and admits she underwent ketamine therapy after fiery on-air debate led to TV suspension and death threats (Daily Mail)

Miscellaneous

  • A New Database Seeks to Prevent “Bad” Psychedelic Patents (Lucid News)

  • Push To Decriminalize Drugs In Washington State Survives Early Challenge (Marijuana Moment)

  • Biden’s Drug Strategy Mixes Harm Reduction With Harm Production (Filter)

  • The Advantages of Psychedelic Prohibition (DoubleBlind)

  • Drug Decriminalization Inches Closer in Saskatoon, Canada (Filter)

  • Urban Outfitters Is “Mainstreaming Psychedelics” Because They’re Selling Psychedelic Water That’s Not Actually Psychedelic (DoubleBlind)

  • First Annual California Psychedelic Conference Highlights Influential People (High Times)

  • Are ‘Pseudodelics’ The Future For Mental Health? (Volteface)

  • How To Open Your Wallet: The Hyped and Distorted Claims of Online Psychedelic Marketing (Psymposia)

  • Avoiding the Power Trip (Medium)

  • Understanding 3 Risks of Investing in Psychedelic Stocks (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative of the Americas: A Respectful Path Forward for the Psychedelic Movement (Chacruna)

  • The Trials and Tribulations of Psychedelic Research (Microdose)

  • Psychedelic Navigation across the Seas (Tam Integration)

  • Psychedelics Meets the Theory of Everything (Lucid News)

  • Is Nanotechnology The New Path For Psychedelics? (Green Market Report)

  • Why psychedelics like psilocybin from magic mushrooms and LSD are seeing a surge in medical interest, in treatments for depression, addiction and more (South China Morning Post)

  • Are psychedelics undergoing a spiritual and therapeutic awakening? (KCRW)

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.

Disclaimer: "Weekly Psychedelic Links" 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.

This Week in Psychedelics - 2.11.22

Cannabis

  • South Carolina Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Officially Approved In Senate, Heads For House Consideration (Marijuana Moment)

  • Maryland Lawmakers Introduce Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill (High Times)

  • UK trial of medical cannabis and long covid to get underway this month (Cannabis Health News)

  • The Super Bowl won’t be lit: no cannabis ads allowed (The Verge)

  • Bill Introduced to Raise THC Limit in Hemp to One Percent (High Times)

  • Cannabis Store Co-owned By Top Virginia Senator Sells Mislabeled Products With Illegal THC Content, Media Investigation Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study Shreds Cannabis ‘Amotivational Syndrome’ Theory (High Times)

  • Flower still king of US marijuana market, though supremacy waning (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Oklahoma Becomes Marijuana Legalization Battleground Between Advocates, With Legal Challenges And A New Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

  • New York Cracks Down on Illegal Cannabis Businesses (High Times)

  • Missouri Supreme Court Unanimously Orders Medical Marijuana Applicant Disclosures (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pennsylvania Senate committee holds first-ever hearing on legalizing recreational marijuana (WGAL)

  • Police Seizure Of Marijuana Dispensary Cash Leads To Federal Litigation (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis platform Leafly closes merger with SPAC, goes public on Nasdaq (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • The Eternal Pricing Struggle of UK Medical Cannabis Patients (TalkingDrugs)

  • Weedmaps Ad Satirizes Plight Of Broccoli Emoji As Marijuana Stand-In On Social Media (Marijuana Moment)

  • Young cannabis users at increased risk of repeat stroke (Medical News Today)

  • Federally Owned Utility Company Walks Back Threat To Block Electricity For Marijuana Businesses (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cali Vibes Rocks Long Beach, Allowing Cannabis (High Times)

  • How does cannabis use affect brain health? Caution advised, more research needed, experts say (ScienceDaily)

LSD

  • Microdose Psychedelics Presents a Molecular Masterclass: The LSD Conference (GlobeNewswire)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin microdosing does not reduce symptoms of depression or anxiety, according to placebo-controlled study (PsyPost)

  • Lawmakers say no to bill legalizing psilocybin-assisted therapy in Maine (The Portland Press Herald)

  • Oregon proposes only using one type of mushroom for new psilocybin system, and no pills (OPB)

  • More States Follow Oregon’s Lead Toward Legal Psilocybin Therapy (Lucid News)

  • Usona Identifies Controlled Crystal Engineering Process for Large-Scale Synthesis of Psilocybin Polymorphs (Business Wire)

  • Maine CDC Director Opposes Bill to Legalize Therapeutic Psilocybin (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • The Many Types of Psychedelic Mushrooms (Truffle Report)

  • Mazatec Shamanic Knowledge and Psilocybin Mushrooms (Chacruna)

MDMA

DMT

Ayahuasca

  • Creating Awareness on Sexual Abuse in Ayahuasca Communities: A Review of Chacruna’s Guidelines (Chacruna)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Scientists Create Cell-Based Psychedelic Toad Venom, a Potential 5-MeO-DMT “Bio-Factory” (Lucid News)

Mescaline

Iboga

  • Osoyoos Indian Band eyes cutting-edge drug treatment centre (Vancouver Sun)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Cybin Announces Grant of U.S. Patent Covering its Proprietary Compound CYB004 (Deuterated DMT) for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders (Psilocybin Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Another new weapon to beat Corona, first 'nasal spray' launched in India (News Track)

  • Nitrous Oxide Safe For Dental Procedures In Children With Sickle Cell Disease: Study (Medical Dialogues)

Ketamine

  • Ketamine effectively silences suicidal thoughts, especially in bipolar patients (Study Finds)

  • Researching Ketamine for Social Anxiety Disorder (Truffle Report)

  • Yale researcher receives grant to study effects of ketamine in individuals with epilepsy (Yale Daily News)

  • Trip Tunes: A Conversation with Producer Jon Hopkins About Making Music for Ketamine (DoubleBlind)

  • Ketamine Infusions in the Home May Facilitate Safe Treatment Access During the Pandemic (Pharmacy Times)

Miscellaneous

  • Can microdosing psychedelics boost mental health? Here’s what the evidence suggests. (National Geographic)

  • Utah House Overwhelmingly Approves Psychedelics Study Task Force Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • Maryland Senate Bill Would Provide ‘Cost-Free Access’ To Psychedelics For Military Veterans (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelics Offer New Route to Recovery from Eating Disorders (NEO.LIFE)

  • Are Psychedelics the Future of Pain Relief? (VICE)

  • Michigan Activists Submit Psychedelics Decriminalization Language (High Times)

  • DEA Faces Backlash Over Proposed Scheduling Of Five Psychedelic Compounds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Proposed Drug-Decrim Ballot Initiative All Set in Washington State (Filter)

  • Can Psychedelics Make People More Drawn to Conspiracy Theories? (Sam Woolfe)

  • Yes, Psychedelics Do Change Our Metaphysical Beliefs (DoubleBlind)

  • Panel Discusses Coalition Building to Unlock Therapeutic Effects of Psychedelics (The Yale School)

  • Legal Psychedelics: The U.S. Cities Where Psilocybin, LSD And Others Are Decriminalized (Healing Maps)

  • Canada’s Reforms on Psychedelics Are Slowly Taking Shape (Bloomberg)

  • Survey Shows 65% of Affected Americans Want Access to Psychedelic Treatments for Mental Health Conditions (Pharmacy Times)

  • New Polling by Mind Medicine Australia Reveals Over 60% of Australians Support Increased Access to Psychedelic Medicines (Mind Medicine Australia)

  • Big Pharma In Psychedelics: Inside Mindset Pharma’s Deal With Otsuka (Forbes)

  • Using Real-World Evidence to Accelerate Psychedelic Drug Development (Truffle Report)

  • Is city getting ‘high’ on hallucinating drugs? (The Hindu)

  • Drug Euphoria Is a Good Thing, Actually (Filter)

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.

This Year in Psychedelics - 2021

Before we get into this recap of the biggest psychedelic news stories from 2021, I’d like to address the fact that this blog post is coming out a month late. Normally I strive to publish my yearly recaps on New Year’s Eve, but things have been really hectic on my end lately and I’ve been barely keeping up with putting out the weekly link roundups, much less creating monthly and yearly recaps or other types of content.

So I apologize for not getting this out into the world sooner. I’ve started to realize that I bit off way more than I can chew over the last year and fell behind on things here at Think Wilder. Here’s hoping 2022 will be a little more focused so I can meet my deadlines and get my work out in a timely manner for y’all to enjoy!

Just like last month’s recap, there is no video recap of this year’s psychedelic news recap up on YouTube. I’ll have another update about some changes coming to my YouTube channel that should hopefully be out later this week on my channel, so make sure you subscribe there if you’d like to be informed about things on that front.

Moving on to the main show, there was a ton of huge news in 2021. Without further ado, let’s jump into the news.

Policy

Wins

Nine U.S. cities decriminalized psychedelics:

When it comes to cannabis policies there were several successes at the state level, even though attempts to change things at the federal level were unsuccessful. Four states legalized weed:

In addition, Alabama legalized medical marijuana and New Jersey and Louisiana decriminalized cannabis.

Taking things a bit further, Baltimore, MD and Scotland decriminalized the use of all drugs.

The governors of Connecticut and Texas signed legislation that will enable the states to study the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. And New Zealand legalized drug checking, becoming the world’s first country to do so.

Industry

One of the biggest stories in the psychedelic industry involved the fight over patenting various aspects involving psychedelics. The one that probably stirred up the most discontent was when COMPASS Pathways submitted a patent application that attempted to claim the right to common, preexisting psychedelic therapy techniques. This prompted a discussion about patents in psychedelia, with many people wondering if companies should own the future of the field. COMPASS Pathways has five U.S. patents and a total of ten worldwide, so they are quickly claiming rights to a lot of intellectual property in the space. But not without a fight—last month a non-profit known as Freedom to Operate submitted a new legal filing that argues against COMPASS Pathways’ patent on its form of synthetic psilocybin based on the idea that it is not a novel invention. The results from this case will set a precedent for not just COMPASS Pathways but for other psychedelic companies as well.

Psychedelic companies started making waves on the stock markets around the world, with five companies joining the Nasdaq (Mindmed, atai Life Sciences, Field Trip Health, Enveric Biosciences, and Bright Minds Biosciences) and Cybin joining the New York Stock Exchange.

Psychedelic companies secured a historic amount of funding, estimated at a cool $2 billion.

A few other interesting stories in the realm of psychedelic industry from 2021:

Research

Published Studies

Several studies came out:

Future Studies

Looking ahead:

  • A study looking to treat tobacco addiction with psilocybin will receive federal funding

  • The NIH granted Yale nearly $200k to fund the studying of psilocybin for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder

  • The Australian government earmarked $15 million for psychedelic research

  • The DEA has proposed a dramatic increase in the production of cannabis and psychedelics for research in 2022

Research Centers

A record-breaking number of psychedelic research centers were announced or opened:

In addition to these new psychedelic research centers, Harvard Law School’s Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation will contribute to the effort to create evidence-based laws and policies involving psychedelics.

Harm Reduction

The FDA and CDC issued warnings to consumers about potential risks involving delta-8 THC, a relatively new psychoactive cannabinoid that has grown in popularity due to its widespread legality but remains essentially unregulated at this time. Apparently there has been a significant increase in reported adverse health effects from people using this drug.

However, before you go ahead and toss any of these products you may already own out of the window, it may be helpful to know that it’s not like people are getting poisoned. In fact, it’s far more likely that they are unintentionally getting high after using delta-8 THC because of misunderstandings, bad labeling, and a lack of experience.

The Fireside Project has been helping people process psychedelic experiences via its free peer support phone line since it launched last April, but the organization took things to the next level by releasing a psychedelic peer support app. Now psychonauts in need of support can find help on either the phone or via chat, which may be helpful for people who prefer one form of communication over another.

Drug checking is an essential practice for any responsible psychonaut, and new technologies are coming out that will ensure more innovative and accurate results than ever before. The popular harm reduction organization known as DanceSafe released a new ketamine test kit (called the Morris reagent) that was engineered to identify the difference between ketamine and common analogues like DCK and 2FDCK. And a startup called Miraculix took things one step further by creating rapid at-home test kits that can assess the potency of various psychoactive drugs, including MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin.

Harm reductionists have yet another tool that can be used to help psychonauts use drugs as safely as possible; a new app called Pill-iD lets users scan pills to see what they contain.

However, it’s not a perfect option because rather than find out what’s actually inside a pill, the app instead uses machine learning to cross-check the user’s image against a large database of scanned pills to provide details about what drug is actually contained within, the risk level from taking it, and any potential side effects.

So while it’s not advisable to rely solely on this new app to find out what’s inside your pill, it could help inform naïve users that there is a possibility they might have bought an adulterated drug. As I’ve tried to hammer home over and over again, it’s always advisable to use a reagent test kit to further rule out the possibility that your pills contain unwanted drugs and to properly weigh your substances before you take them.

Miscellaneous

What a year! Tons of new psychedelic research studies, a streak of drug policy reform wins, the growing psychedelic industry, and several important developments in psychedelic culture… last year was certainly a lot to take in.

Now that you’ve read my recap of the biggest psychedelic news from 2021, I’d like to recommend the following highlights from other publications that you might enjoy:

And lastly, I will leave you with the links to the annual psychedelic news recaps I’ve published over the last six years. I hope you have a wonderful 2022 and make sure you subscribe to my monthly newsletter to keep up-to-date with all the latest psychedelic news.

Previous Years in Psychedelics

That’s all for this year’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 year’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 Psychedelics - 1.21.22

Cannabis

  • Thailand Plans to Make Marijuana Legal, Scrapping Jail Terms and Fines for Possession (Bloomberg)

  • U.S. Senate Candidate Smokes Marijuana Blunt In Campaign Ad About Harms Of Criminalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • After One Year As President, Biden’s Marijuana Promises Remain Unfulfilled (Marijuana Moment)

  • Mississippi House Approves Medical Marijuana Bill With Amendments (Marijuana Moment)

  • It’s high time that people caught with cannabis be spared jail, declare public (The Telegraph)

  • London’s Cannabis Diversion Plan Draws Political Fire (Filter)

  • Kansas Medical Marijuana Hearings Cancelled After Senate GOP Leader Reroutes House-Passed Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • What Is THC-O Acetate, And Why Is It Getting Attention? (Forbes)

  • Study Shows Cannabis was Food Staple for Ancient Chinese Dynasty (High Times)

  • Most Americans Predict Biden Won’t Uphold Marijuana Decriminalization Promise In 2022, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Austin, Texas Cannabis Decriminalization Initiative Set for Ballot in May (High Times)

  • Rhode Island Governor Includes Marijuana Legalization And Expungements In Budget Request (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis use impacts cognitive ability beyond intoxication: study (CTV News)

  • Minnesota Democratic Leaders Preview Marijuana Legalization Plan For 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Ohio Advocates Submit Additional Signatures for Cannabis Proposal (High Times)

  • Kentucky Addresses Cannabis Reform Through New Legislation (High Times)

  • Canada might be home to the world’s first airport dispensary (Leafly)

  • Nebraska Activists Say New GOP Medical Marijuana Bill Is A ‘Poison Pill’ Meant To Detract From Ballot Efforts (Marijuana Moment)

  • South Dakota Governor Demands Cannabis Advocates Cover Legal Costs (High Times)

  • Banking Activity Increases In States That Legalize Marijuana, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis Companies Target Teens on Social Media, Study Claims (High Times)

  • Cloudastructure’s Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Cannabis Surveillance (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Controversial Kansas Lawmaker Files Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Possession And Cultivation (Marijuana Moment)

  • Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Tell DEA To Allow Psilocybin Treatment For Terminal Patients (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Research Probes Psilocybin’s Effect on Suicidality (Lucid News)

  • Optimi Health Submits Natural Psilocybin Combined Drug Delivery and Extraction Formulations for Provisional Patent (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

  • Why MDMA Makes You Horny (VICE)

  • Use of ecstasy and cocaine drops during pandemic (Irish Examiner)

  • Numinus Announces Key Milestones in MAPS-Sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Clinical Trial (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • The MDMA Comedown: Why Coming Down From Molly Feels So Bad (DoubleBlind)

  • A psychedelic trip to recovery: How psychedelics can help treat PTSD (The Ubyssey)

DMT

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Files for Clinical Trial and Ethics Approval for Phase 1 DMT Human Stroke Study (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Why Do People See Elves And Other "Entities" When They Smoke DMT? (IFLScience)

Ayahuasca

Morning Glory Seeds

  • What Is LSA? Your Guide To The Complicated Psychedelic (Healing Maps)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • BetterLife Receives FDA Response On Its Pre-IND Application For Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Treatment With BETR-001 (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Study: Cannabinoids May Help Prevent and Treat Peanut Allergies (The Marijuana Herald)

  • Trial Will Test Synthetic Cannabinoid for Weight Loss in Obesity (Medscape)

  • Dyadic Introduces Novel Method to Produce Synthetic Cannabinoids and Precursors Utilizing C1 Cell Line Production Platform and Patent Pending Process (GlobeNewswire)

Ketamine

  • Plastic Surgeons Are Using Ketamine to Make Nose Jobs More Pleasant (Allure)

Datura

  • Are your food grains adulterated with poisonous dhatura (Times of India)

Miscellaneous

  • DEA Proposes Adding 5 More Psychedelics to Schedule 1 Controlled Substances (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic use is only “weakly” associated with psychosis-like symptoms, according to new research (PsyPost)

  • Utah Lawmaker Files Bill To Explore Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics (High Times)

  • Psychedelics ‘Train Has Left the Station’ Says Federal Drug Official as More States Seek Access (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Sydney Researchers Awarded Over $2.2 Million By Australian Government To Study MDMA, Psilocybin (Forbes)

  • Missouri Lawmaker Files Bill To Decriminalize Low-Level Drug Possession (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic legalization now (The New Amsterdam Psychedelic Law Blog)

  • Psygen Receives Dealer’s Licence To Become Canada’s First Dedicated Psychedelics Manufacturing Facility (The Dales Report)

  • Allowing psychedelic assisted therapy is an enlightened move, medical experts say (National Post)

  • Majority of Mental Health Patients Support Access to Psychedelics, Survey Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic Company Highlights in 2021 (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Talking Drugs Updates from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (TalkingDrugs)

  • Pandemic Tripping With Psychedelics (Green Market Report)

  • What are the potential risks of microdosing psychedelics? (Leafly)

  • Cybin Set to Measure Psychedelic Effects on the Brain Using Kernel Flow’s Revolutionary Technology (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Peek Inside Philadelphia’s Psychedelics Revolution (Philadelphia Magazine)

  • Psychedelic Science Leader Eleusis to Become Public Company in Merger with Silver Spike Acquisition Corp. II (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • How Port Townsend, Washington, Decriminalized Psychedelics (Filter)

  • Athletes and Psychedelics: Mental Health and Performance (Truffle Report)

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.