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

• Medidosing LSD: The Middle Way (Lucid News)

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

• The Real Reason Cybin Bought Entheon’s DMT Clinical Trial (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Ayahuasca

• Study to Analyze Ayahuasca for Refugee Trauma (DoubleBlind)

• Aaron Rodgers Opens Up About Use of Psychedelics, Mental Health (Sports Illustrated)

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

• Drug testers warn of new synthetic cannabinoid being sold as MDMA (The New Zealand Herald)

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

• MindMed Shelves 18-MC for Opioid Use Disorder and Further Cuts Pipeline (Psychedelic Spotlight)

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)

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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 Month in Psychedelics - June 2022

Policy

Thailand legalized the cultivation and sale of cannabis after removing the plant from its banned narcotics list. As such, it has become the first nation to do so in Southeast Asia, which is well-known for having extremely strict drug laws. However, this move does not mean that Thailand has entirely legalized cannabis, as the government is still heavily discouraging personal use for non-medical reasons and officials have warned against smoking or vaping it in public.

Colorado’s governor signed a bill that will allow the state to legalize MDMA prescriptions if and when the federal government eventually allows its therapeutic use. This new legislation would legalize prescribing, dispensing, transporting, possessing, and using MDMA after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves it as a prescription drug, which is expected as soon as next year.

Industry

A petition challenging two patents held by Compass Pathways was denied by the Patent Trial and Appeal board. Although the challenger (Freedom to Operate) presented evidence that synthetic psilocybin is not a new invention, and thus should not be patentable, the United States Patent and Trademark Office disagreed. Unfortunately there is no ability for Freedom to Operate to appeal this decision.

Research

Another placebo-controlled study found that LSD microdosing does not improve mood or cognitive ability. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean that microdosing is ineffective, it is more evidence that it may not be as life-changing as its proponents believe it to be.

Harm Reduction

Festivalgoers in England have been warned that a combination of Brexit, Covid-19 lockdowns, and attempts by police to disrupt the supply chain have led to a dangerous increase in fake MDMA. Researchers found that roughly half of substances sold as the drug did not contain any of the advertised compound. Instead, purchasers were buying drugs containing cathinones, novel psychoactive substances, and/or caffeine. Be safe out there folks!

Miscellaneous

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has started running clinical trials to see if psychedelic-assisted therapy is effective at treating a variety of conditions that veterans of recent wars commonly experience. This marks the first time that psychedelic research has been conducted on members of the U.S. military on such a wide scale and hopefully it will yield positive results.

Additional Top Stories

• DARE 2.0 is "Keepin' it Real" in US schools (Substance)

• An Ayahuasca Retreat Claims to Sell 'Miracles.' Former Workers and Guests Say It's Unsafe and Abusive. (VICE)

• Prescription cannabis products with more THC may ease chronic pain, at least a little, study finds (CNN)

• Another Phoenix Church Sues DEA Over Religious Use of Ayahuasca (Phoenix New Times)

• Malaysia Ends Mandatory Death Penalty for Nonviolent Drug Crimes (High Times)

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.

Weekly Psychedelic Links - June 2022

6.3.22

Cannabis

• Virginia: Approved Budget Recriminalizes Public Marijuana Possession Over Four Ounces of Marijuana (NORML)

• Connecticut Gov. signs bill to crack down on weed gifting (Leafly)

• North Carolina Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Finds THC Detected in Blood or Breath Does Not Indicate Impairment (High Times)

• Medicinal cannabis reduces pain and the need for opiate painkillers among cancer patients (PsyPost)

• North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Make Hemp Permanently Legal (High Times)

• With veto, path to marijuana legalization in Delaware still open but fraught with unpredictability (WHYY)

• FBI Marijuana Arrest Data May Be Critically Flawed, And DOJ Is Being Asked To Investigate (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana Senate Approves Bill Allowing Public Employees to Use Medical Pot (High Times)

• New York Senate Passes Gray Market Cannabis Bill (High Times)

• Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

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

• Gen Z Prefers Weed Over Booze (High Times)

• Marijuana Research Has Exploded In Recent Years Despite Barriers Caused By Prohibition, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Peru Issues Draft Law to Allow and Regulate Patient-Grown Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• New York Senate Approves Bill To Mandate Medical Marijuana Health Insurance Coverage (Marijuana Moment)

• Austria Imports Record Amount of Medical Weed While Constitutional Challenges Loom (High Times)

• Weed Joke on Jeopardy! Triggers Viewers (High Times)

LSD

• Neuroscientists gain a deeper understanding of how LSD affects molecular brain activity (PsyPost)

• Ceruvia Lifesciences to Supply LSD to Qualified Researchers at No Cost (PR Newswire)

Magic Mushrooms

• Oregon Officials’ Rejection Of Rules For Spiritual And Religious Psilocybin Use Called Into Question (Marijuana Moment)

• In Algeria, Ancient Cave Art May Show Psychedelic Mushroom Use (Atlas Obscura)

• New studies shed light on the mysterious process by which psilocybin can rapidly improve depression symptoms (PsyPost)

• B.C. company opens Canada's largest licensed psychedelic mushroom growing facility (CBC)

• Policy and Legal Considerations for Religious and Community Use of Psilocybin Mushrooms under Oregon Measure 109 (Chacruna)

MDMA

• A Balm for Psyches Scarred by War (The New York Times)

• 'Highly unusual': Methamphetamine found in MDMA tablets for the first time in New Zealand (Stuff.co.nz)

Peyote

• The Navajo Nation to Protect the Sanctity of Azeé – Peyote Medicine from Legalization and Commercial Use (Chacruna)

Nitrous Oxide

• Warning over climate threat from laughing gas used during childbirth (Sydney Morning Herald)

• Linking nitrous oxide to climate risk is yet another example of the disdain shown to women’s pain (The Guardian)

Ketamine

• Ketamine can treat depression — but teletherapy could make it accessible (Inverse)

Miscellaneous

• Canada to decriminalize some drugs in British Columbia for three years (The Guardian)

• Maryland Bill To Fund Psychedelics Research And Access For Veterans Takes Effect Without Governor’s Signature (Marijuana Moment)

• DARE 2.0 is "Keepin' it Real" in US schools (Substance)

• Indigenous and drug policy groups seek to preserve traditional approaches as psychedelic markets open in Oregon (OPB)

• Michigan Activists Give Up 2022 Push For Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative, Shifting Focus To 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

• The Intertwined Prohibitionist Histories of Psychedelics and Kratom (Psychedelics Today)

• Why this startup is encouraging employees to microdose psychedelics at work (Fast Company)

• From Psychedelic Pharma To Crop Gene Editing - The UK’s Big Opportunity (Forbes)

• Don’t Count on RFRA to Protect Psychedelic Churches (Lucid News)

• Tripping over the potential of psychedelics for autism (Spectrum)

• Understanding the Current Legal Status of Psychedelics in the United States (JD Supra)

• Can you take the trip out of psychedelics and still treat depression? (New Scientist)

6.10.22

Cannabis

• Thailand legalises cannabis trade but still bans recreational use (BBC)

• Prescription cannabis products with more THC may ease chronic pain, at least a little, study finds (CNN)

• North Carolina Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill To House, But Questions Loom About Further Action This Year (Marijuana Moment)

• Delaware: Lawmakers Decline to Overturn Cannabis Legalization Veto (NORML)

• Voters In Five Texas Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization In November, Activists Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill to Protect State Workers from Termination for Medical Cannabis (Ganjapreneur)

• Portugal Group Demands Freedom to Vote for Personal Use of Cannabis (High Times)

• The Rapidly Expanding Cannabis Industry Needs To Get Its Marketing Act Together, A New Report Finds (Forbes)

• If you’re high your love life might not be as great as you think (New York Post)

• Ukraine to Legalize Medical Cannabis, Health Minister Says (High Times)

• Illinois Governor Signs Bill To Close Marijuana Expungement ‘Loophole’ (Marijuana Moment)

• Inflation’s so insane Snoop Dogg gave his blunt roller a raise (Leafly)

• Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

• West Virginia Activists Are Collecting Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization Measures On Local Ballots (Marijuana Moment)

• Medical Cannabis & Sleep Disorders: What Do We Really Know? (The Fresh Toast)

• Is the word ‘marijuana’ racist? (Leafly)

• Opening the Curtain on Cannabis in the Opera (High Times)

LSD

• LSD microdosing does not appear to improve mood or cognitive ability, according to new placebo-controlled study (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Clinical Trial in South Africa to Study Efficacy of Psilocybin on Women with HIV and Depression (High Times)

MDMA

• Colorado Governor Signs Bill To Legalize MDMA Prescriptions Pending Federal Approval (Marijuana Moment)

• Brexit helping cause harmful increase in fake ecstasy, study warns (The Guardian)

Ayahuasca

• I Tried Everything. Then I Tried Ayahuasca. (Esquire)

Miscellaneous

• Psychedelic Pharma’s Big Spin (Lucid News)

• The Nationwide Reach of Harmful Drug “Paraphernalia” Laws (Filter)

• Tracing The History of Hallucinogens in China (TalkingDrugs)

• How psychedelic drugs might treat depression (BBC)

• Bosses want to feed psychedelics to their staff (The Economist)

• The Great Cannabis Microdosing PR Conspiracy (High Times)

6.17.22

Cannabis

• Germany set to legalise sale of cannabis in licensed shops (Metro)

• Study Finds Weekly Cannabis Use Has Minimal Impairment on Physical Health (High Times)

• How cannabis-fed chickens may help cut Thai farmers’ antibiotic use (The Guardian)

• Analysis: Cannabis Retailers Drive Economic Growth, Are Not Magnets for Crime (NORML)

• Maine’s Legal Marijuana Stores Are Effectively Displacing Illicit Market, State Report Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Zealand Leaders Demand Cops Stop Spraying Chemicals on Cannabis (High Times)

• Study: Regular Cannabis Consumers Perform Better Than Occasional Users on Distracted Driving Tasks (NORML)

• Kentucky Governor Issues Medical Marijuana Executive Order Creating Advisory Committee To Study Patient Access Options (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Shows Medical Cannabis Enrollment Has Quadrupled (High Times)

• EPA Warns Workers They’re Banned From Using Marijuana Or Investing In The Industry In New Memo (Marijuana Moment)

• DEA Reports Significant Uptick in Marijuana-Related Seizures, Arrests (NORML)

• Athens, Georgia on Cusp of Major Decriminalization Ordinance (High Times)

• Teen Marijuana Use Dropped Dramatically In Colorado In 2021, State Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Lawsuit Seeks Insurance Coverage for Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• GOP Senate Candidate Pushes ‘Pot For Potholes’ Marijuana-Funded Infrastructure Plan In Hilarious Campaign Ad (Marijuana Moment)

• Superior Court in Brazil Affirms Right to Cannabis Home Grow (High Times)

• Federal Court Sides With Nebraska Medical Marijuana Activists In Lawsuit Over Ballot Requirements (Marijuana Moment)

• West Virginia Advocates Collecting Signatures for Decriminalization Ballot Measures (High Times)

LSD

• The Elephant in the Room is LSD (Lucid News)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin-induced mystical experiences linked to lasting positive psychological effects (PsyPost)

• Anticipating Legalization: Making Psilocybin Accessible (Cannabis Science and Technology)

• Could magic mushrooms in care homes help curb fear of death? Psychedelic drugs could 'revolutionise' end-of-life treatment, expert says (Daily Mail)

MDMA

• Paraguay May Be Shifting from Producing LSD and MDMA to Consuming Them (InSight Crime)

5-MeO-DMT

• What’s the Best Way To Take 5-MeO-DMT in a Clinical Trial? (Technology Networks)

Iboga

• Ibogaine Isn’t a “Cure” for Addiction—But It Can Be a Useful Detox Tool (Filter)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Oregon ban on synthetic cannabis products will be nation’s first (Oregon Live)

Ketamine

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 1 (Psychedelic Science Review)

• The 'normalised' drug that the UK takes more of than any other country (Liverpool Echo)

Miscellaneous

• Mind-Altering Drug Docuseries Lined Up At Netflix From Alex Gibney & Michael Pollan (Deadline)

• Malaysia Ends Mandatory Death Penalty for Nonviolent Drug Crimes (High Times)

• Is drug testing going to become a regular part of UK festivals? (iTV)

• Missoula City Council measure would decriminalize hallucinogenic plants (Missoula Current)

• Local Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure Stalls In Amherst, Massachusetts (Marijuana Moment)

• The abuse of power in psychedelic retreats (leafie)

• Psychedelics Can Help Boost Scientific Creativity, Review Finds (Analytical Cannabis)

• NFTs Are Getting Psychedelic. Is It Worth the Trip? (Lucid News)

• Michigan moves to outlaw fake urine as marijuana popularity soars (MLive)

6.24.22

Cannabis

• Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick (The New York Times)

• California may require labels on cannabis products to warn of mental health risks (OPB)

• Vets And Medical Cannabis: It’s The Least We Can Do (Forbes)

• Louisiana: Multiple Marijuana Reform Bills Signed Into Law; Measures Take Effect August 1 (NORML)

• Spain Approves Medical Cannabis Reform: Pharmacy Dispensation Planned for End of 2022 (High Times)

• Medical Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Drunk Driving And Safer Roads, Study On Auto Insurance Data Suggests (Marijuana Moment)

• Switzerland to Lift Ban on Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• DEA Marijuana Busts Increased In 2021, Seizing Over 5.5 Million Plants (Marijuana Moment)

• U.S. English Teacher Sentenced to 14 Years in Russia for Pot ‘Smuggling’ (High Times)

• North Carolina House Republicans Block Senate-Passed Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis ‘Very Promising’ as Opioid Replacement, Early Study Results Show (High Times)

• U.S. Supreme Court Denies Medical Marijuana Workers’ Compensation Cases (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Shows Cannabis Use Could Lead to Increased Kindness and Empathy (High Times)

• Senate Committee Votes To Let People Who’ve Used Marijuana Work For CIA, NSA And Other Intelligence Agencies (Marijuana Moment)

• Analyses: Drug Interdiction Efforts at US Borders Typically Yield Only Small Quantities of Marijuana (NORML)

• MLB Teams Can Now Be Sponsored By CBD Companies, Baseball League Official Says (Marijuana Moment)

• Mississippi Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Weed Possession (High Times)

• Scientists find little evidence to show cannabis oils help end pain, according to major study (Daily Mail)

• District of Columbia: Council Advances Legislation Prohibiting Most Employers from Discriminating Against Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

• New Gene Technology Allows Growers To Boost THC Levels In Cannabis (Forbes)

LSD

• ‘I’m happier now and nowhere near as intense’: GoDaddy.com’s founder pivots to LSD (The Daily Dot)

Magic Mushrooms

• Judges Deny Challenge to Psilocybin Patent (VICE)

• COMPASS Pathways presents largest ever study of psilocybin therapy, at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Pa. bill to study of psilocybin – the drug in magic mushrooms – as mental health treatment languishes in Harrisburg (PhillyVoice)

• Oregon County Considers Banning Legalized Psilocybin Therapy (Filter)

• How an NHL Enforcer Broke His Body — and Turned to Psychedelics to Heal His Brain (Rolling Stone)

MDMA

• MDMA trials under review in Canada over alleged abuse of study participants (The Guardian)

• Canadian Firm Seeks Approval to Manufacture MDMA and Other Psychedelics (High Times)

DMT

• DMT is Effective at Treating Depression, New Study Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• What do we see when dying? How a psychedelic trip can trigger at life’s end, and why we need to be better prepared for it (South China Morning Post)

Ayahuasca

• An Ayahuasca Retreat Claims to Sell 'Miracles.' Former Workers and Guests Say It's Unsafe and Abusive. (VICE)

• Another Phoenix Church Sues DEA Over Religious Use of Ayahuasca (Phoenix New Times)

• The Ayahuasca King's Last Tour (The Texas Observer)

Ketamine

• Tripping Through Motherhood: How Some Women Are Using Ketamine to Treat Postpartum Depression (Glamour)

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 2 (Psychedelic Science Review)

Miscellaneous

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• Two psychedelic-related initiatives may be on the 2022 Colorado ballot (The Denver Channel)

• Alliance launches to advance psychedelic healthcare in Europe (Psychedelic Health)

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• States are embracing psychedelics, paving the way for FDA approval (DoubleBlind)

• Rabbi Ben Gorelick Plans to Use Religious Freedom Against an 8-Year Minimum Psychedelic Charge (High Times)

• Numinus Applies for International Patent Filing of Psychedelics Production Process (Psychedelic Alpha)

• The New Psychedelic Plot (The Wall Street Journal)

• Efforts to Decriminalize Psychedelics Can Extend to Rural Places, Too (The Daily Yonder)

• Recreational psychedelics remain far behind on legalization path (Pique Newsmagazine)

• Psychedelic Therapy Will Not Save Us (Mad in America)

• Mummies who mushroom: The mums using psychedelics to take the edge off modern parenthood (Harpers Bazaar)

• Extending the Reach of Psychedelic Therapy With Psychoplastogens (Technology Networks)

• The Great Microdosing Debate (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Celebrating the Psychedelic Dawn (Lucid News)

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.

This Year in Psychoactives - 2019

Happy New Years Eve! As has become a tradition here at Think Wilder, today I am publishing my fifth-consecutive yearly roundup of psychoactive drug news from 2019. Just like every other year so far, the way I track the news has continued to evolve and as a result this year’s roundup post is a little bit different than last year’s.

First off, I added new categories to my regular roundups throughout the year so I could bring even more comprehensive news coverage to my readers. These categories include: yopo, DXM, methamphetamine, caffeine, nicotine, benzodiazepines, GHB, nootropics, kanna, datura, and sananga. In addition, the absinthe category from years’ past was converted to a more general alcohol category to more effectively track news about all forms of alcohol, not just absinthe.

Coming off the heals of last year’s absolutely massive yearly roundup (seriously—it was more than 16k words!), I started off 2019 by trying to collect every single link possible for my “This Week in Psychoactives” column. However, I eventually found that relentless link-gathering approach to be completely unsustainable for both my work ethic and my mental health. There are just way too many news stories about drugs popping up nowadays, especially compared to when I first started doing this back in 2015! As a result, I’ve been trying to figure out the types of stories I want to include and which to toss aside, and I’ve landed on trying to include only the most newsworthy stories to reduce the amount of worthless noise in each roundup.

This blog post does not even attempt to be as comprehensive as last year’s roundup. Therefore, there are several drug categories that you won’t find listed below, even though there may have been quite a bit of news surrounding them. Instead I have selected what I felt like were the most important stories of the year to share with you. I’ve learned that I can’t simply throw every single news story into a roundup and have it turn out well.

We’ve got a lot to cover this year, but before we do, here is a video version of this recap that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

Without further ado, let’s get into this year’s news!

Cannabis

Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (VALI)

Undoubtedly one of the biggest stories this year involved a widespread negative reaction to vaping that seemed to spring up all across the U.S. virtually overnight. The phenomenon went by many names throughout the year—”e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury” (EVALI), “vaping-associated pulmonary injury” (VAPI), or sometimes simply “vaping lung disease.” However, the moniker that most accurately identified the issue at hand was “vaping-associated lung injury” (VALI).

VALI impacted thousands of people and even killed more than 50. After a couple smooth decades of e-cigarette usage and several unexceptional years with cannabis vape pens, this epidemic came out of nowhere, and fast. Interestingly, it seemed to nearly exclusively affect vapers in America, not the rest of the world.

Researchers found unexpected white blood cells in patients who had the disease, but no one could figure out exactly what was causing it. Tests found illicit THC vape cartridges tainted with hydrogen cyanide and heavy metals. One study found that the illness might have been caused by toxic fumes. Some THC vape pens were found to be contaminated with synthetic cannabinoids.

Shortly after the initial outbreak, one of the main culprits of concern was vitamin E acetate, an oil additive that was increasingly being used as a thickener during the manufacturing process of THC vape carts. Multiple studies linked the additive to the illness, but a poor understanding and inaccurate reporting of the issue on the behalf of the CDC and mainstream media attempted to shift the blame to e-cigarettes, rather than the real guilty party—the illicit THC vape pen black market.

Eventually the CDC admitted that THC vapes, not e-cigarettes, were the primary cause of VALI and finally labeled vitamin E acetate as the most likely offender. This prompted Ohio to ban the additive from its medical marijuana vape products.

And the fallout didn’t stop there. Massachusetts implemented an emergency ban on all cannabis and nicotine vapes but later lifted the ban on medical marijuana vapes. Apple removed all vaping-related apps from its app store. Since the blame was initially focused on nicotine-based e-cigarettes, reactionary bans unfortunately hit them as well.

Three companies were subpoenaed in an investigation and the California-based THC vape manufacturer Kushy Punch was caught making and selling illegal products on the side of its legal business and had its licensed revoked. A popular additive company named Honey Cut was found to be involved as well.

The legal THC vape cartridge market was also found selling some of these poisonous products as well—VALI cases were directly linked to legal cannabis vapes sold in Massachusetts and the products contained high levels of lead.

Although it seems like there may have been multiple possible causes for the illness and investigations are still underway, thankfully it seems like the VALI scandal may be coming to an end.

Cannabis Policy in 2019 and Beyond

There were several cannabis policy reform victories in 2019, and this is by no means a comprehensive list. Among the highlights, Guam and two Caribbean islands legalized cannabis for adult use while Israel decriminalized recreational cannabis and Canberra became the first city in Australia to legalize marijuana. In the United States, Illinois legalized weed while Hawaii and New Mexico decriminalized cannabis.

When it comes to consuming weed at the same place you purchase it, Alaska became the first state to legalize on-site marijuana consumption, but the country’s first cannabis cafe in the U.S. ended up in Los Angeles. And cannabis cafes will be coming to Colorado soon, now that a law has finally authorized them.

Meanwhile, public support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high, with multiple polls reporting that two-thirds of Americans saying that cannabis should be made legal.

Once maligned, cannabis now has a bright outlook. Illinois cannabis dispensaries open tomorrow for adult-use sales, federal marijuana legalization efforts are moving forward, Mexico plans to legalize cannabis next year, and almost 20 states are considering whether to legalize or decriminalize weed in 2020.

Magic Mushrooms

Funky Fungi Spurred A Psychedelic Decriminalization Movement

Denver voters surprised the psychedelic community by narrowly voting to decriminalize the use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms in May. The race was so close that media outlets initially reported that the measure had failed to gain enough support and had to revise their reports the next morning when it was determined that the initiative had barely won with 50.6% of the vote. This win was a huge first for psychedelic policy reform in the country.

Shortly after that, the City Council in Oakland, CA unanimously approved a Decriminalize Nature resolution to decriminalize magic mushrooms along with several other psychedelic plants and cacti. And the movement to decriminalize natural psychedelics has continued to spread across the nation.

However, not everyone supports the idea of decriminalizing, medicalizing, or legalizing psychedelic drugs at this time. Author Michael Pollan, a well-known writer who is new to the psychedelic beat, argued against rushing to change laws involving psychedelics without proper forethought lest there be a public backlash against them like there was in the 1960s due to Timothy Leary and the hippie movement. His ideas faced quite a bit of criticism from the psychedelic community, which is for the most part sick and tired of waiting for change, itching to usher in saner drug laws as soon as possible.

Regardless of what naysayers like Pollan think, efforts to create a legal market for psychedelic mushrooms in California and legalize them for medical use in Oregon are underway. And Denver’s psilocybin mushroom policy review panel is expected to launch next month.

A Mushrooming Industry

Although magic mushrooms are not legal in most countries, that hasn’t stopped businesses from wanting to get in on what is expected to be a ripe financial opportunity, in a new form of opportunistic psychedelic corporatism. Three Chinese companies entered the field, a Canadian online dispensary opened up to sell microdoses by mail order, a company is developing psilocybin mushroom tea and coffee in Denver, and the world’s first magic mushroom nasal spray for PTSD and depression is being developed in Oregon. None of these products will be available for legal purchase unless magic mushrooms are legalized for medical or recreational use, but assuming that eventually happens, it looks like we will need to strap in for a world of fresh innovation coming out of the emerging magic mushroom industry.

MDMA

MDMA Close to Getting FDA Approval

There was a ton of valuable MDMA research that came out in 2019, including a study that found MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to be effective at treating alcohol use disorder and another paper that reported ecstasy users to be more empathetic than people who take other drugs.

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD will be entering its round of Phase 3 trials soon, which may mean that it could be legal for medical use as soon as 2021—just as Rick Doblin (the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) has previously predicted.

DMT

Endogenous DMT Was Discovered in the Brain

A debate about whether DMT is created in the human brain has gone on for decades, and although it wasn’t exactly resolved this year, there is at least one new argument to consider. That’s because a natural source of the drug was found in the brains of rats, indicating that same thing might be happening in humans.

5-MeO-DMT

5-MeO-DMT Splashes Onto the Scene With Plenty of Controversy

While it was once a relatively obscure psychedelic drug only known to the most hardened psychonauts, 5-MeO-DMT became far more popular in 2019, although not without a ton of internal debate from its users. Professional boxer Mike Tyson made waves after announcing that he was a big fan of the drug because it helped him cure his addictions. And studies found that the psychedelic toad venom is capable of relieving depression, anxiety, and stress.

One of the main controversies surrounding 5-MeO-DMT involves widespread malpractice among some of the traveling practitioners who administer it to adventurous psychonauts around the world. A discussion has opened up about how to hold these dangerous practitioners accountable in a world where legal recourse cannot be taken against underground shamans.

Another debate involves whether users should work with the venom, which is collected from the Sonoran Desert Toad, or if they should switch to using the synthesized form of 5-MeO-DMT, which is made in a laboratory. There are several factors to consider, including the entourage effect that comes with using the natural material and the endangerment of the toads, a species in rapid decline.

Nitrous Oxide

Laughing Gas For Childbirth & Problems in Europe

More women are choosing nitrous oxide to help them through labor and childbirth, but it can be at a high cost. An administration of laughing gas can be quite expensive, costing up to $5000. And while nitrous oxide can be helpful for labor pain, the epidural is still the top choice.

Recreational laughing gas use has been exploding in Britain and the Netherlands, with users sometimes even consuming the dissociative drug while driving. In response, the Dutch government has decided to officially classify nitrous oxide under its Opium Act in the “Schedule II” category, along with other so-called “soft drugs” like cannabis, hashish, sleep medications, and sedatives like Valium and Seresta.

Ketamine

Esketamine Earns “Breakthrough Therapy” Designation

After many years without approving a new antidepressant, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the “Breakthrough Therapy” designation to a nasal spray named Spravato for treatment-resistant depression. Also known as “esketamine,” this medicine is simply the left-handed subtype of ketamine, not a brand-new drug.

This was a huge step forward, but not everyone was happy about the news. That’s because there are restrictions on where, when, how, and why patients are able to receive treatment, and it will be prohibitively expensive for many. In a world where ketamine clinics already exist—although you do have to be careful about which one you choose—is a more exclusive drug really needed?

Opioids

Touching Fentanyl Won’t Kill You & The Sackler Family Saga

Opioids are a family of incredibly powerful painkillers. They can be used to anesthetize patients prior to surgeries or help people recover from injuries, but they are often stigmatized as drugs of abuse that can also be used to kill people when in the wrong hands.

The police and media kept spreading the myth that merely touching fentanyl will kill you, but that has been thoroughly debunked and the record needs to be set straight because spreading this lie any further is outright dangerous.

The family behind the pharmaceutical opioid known as OxyContin received a large portion of the blame for causing America’s modern “opioid epidemic.” A lawsuit exposed several offenses that the Sackler family committed, including pushing to keep patients on OxyContin longer, concealing the drug’s strength from doctors, and taking larger payments from Purdue Pharma after it was fined for misleading marketing of the prescription painkiller.

Although maintaining its innocence, the family reached a $270 million settlement in the lawsuit, which is merely a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money that they pocketed.

Methamphetamine

It Turns Out Meth is a Medicine

Methamphetamine use increased dramatically all across the U.S., but especially in the midwest. South Dakota even ran a controversial anti-meth campaign that got people talking about the problems that many people were aware of but few were openly talking about. Crystal meth even became popular in North Korea, when the drug became a trendy lunar New Year’s gift. But the story that interested me the most this year was about the many health benefits of methamphetamine. That’s right, it turns out the drug can actually be a medicine capable of healing the brain, but stigma surrounding problematic use of street meth is harming patients and holding back research.

Nicotine

Legal Age to Buy Tobacco Raised to 21

The movement to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco gained steam, with several states and cities opting to limit access to those younger than 21. With e-cigarette usage increasing among teens to the point where schools started installing vape detectors to sniff out students, it certainly seemed to many that reducing access would greatly reduce harms. (Although if underage nicotine users wanted a fix they could’ve probably just gone to Walmart or Kroger to buy their goods before the FDA threatened to fine the stores for selling tobacco to minors.)

This left many people calling for action at the federal level, which happened just earlier this month. Although the FDA technically had until this summer to update its regulations, the agency went ahead and announced that the new legal age is now in effect, so as of now it is a violation of federal law to sell tobacco products (including e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and cigars) to anyone under the age of 21.

While this is arguably a win from a public health perspective, it will put 18-20 year-olds in a situation where their country says it’s okay for them to literally go die in a war to protect our freedoms but they aren’t allowed to buy a pack of cigarettes. And to make matters worse, there’s no grandfather clause, so anyone who is deemed underage will be expected to magically quit one of the most addictive substances on the planet.

I expect a black market for underage tobacco and nicotine users to open up, further increasing the harms that they are exposed to. But on the bright side, this will make it difficult for those who haven’t already started using these products to get started with them, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Unwarranted Bans and the Backlash

The vaping-associated lung injury (VALI) epidemic mentioned earlier in this blog post also greatly affected nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, not because they were really at fault but because the mainstream media and U.S. government mistakenly placed the blame on them.

Even before vaping fell under intense scrutiny, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to pass a ban on e-cigarettes. And once the VALI story had made its rounds, Michigan attempted to ban flavored e-cigarettes, although a judge later put the ban on hold. Massachusetts banned tobacco and vaping products but that ban was also struck down. Washington also joined in. Walmart decided to stop selling e-cigarettes in its stores. These bans were essentially knee-jerk reactions to misreporting from media outlets and the CDC, which claimed that VALI was caused by e-cigarettes when the main culprit was clearly black market THC vape cartridges.

Vapers around the country didn’t buy the official story, and with good reason. When President Trump announced a plan to ban flavored vapes across the U.S., the threat of a crackdown mobilized vapers to protest the proposed ban, which eventually prompted him to back down.

Shortly after the fight, vapers were armed with new research when a long-term study found that although vaping does cause damage to the lungs, it is still safer than smoking.

A New Alternative to Smoking or Vaping with E-Cigarettes

Nicotine fans have other options when it comes to satisfying their cravings. A new device called IQOS, which heats tobacco without burning it, was granted approval in the U.S. and the manufacturer launched the product at quite an optimal time—right on the heels of the VALI epidemic.

Alcohol

The Alcohol Industry is Drowning

While alcohol use seems to be soaring worldwide, another narrative is simultaneously emerging. The powerful alcohol industry, once thought to be undefeatable, has met its match in the form of several new phenomena—the legal cannabis industry, a generation of young people that are sick of drinking, and a forthcoming synthesized alcohol alternative that promises to provide all the joys of drinking without any of the dangers or annoyances that come with traditional alcohol.

Kratom

Kratom is Still Under Attack

Ever since the DEA recommended that kratom be banned at the national level back in 2016, a feverish debate has raged on between federal authorities and kratom supporters. The FDA denied involvement when Indonesia announced its future plans to crack down on kratom in 2024. This year kratom was banned in two Mississippi cities (Columbus and Caledonia) and Castle Rock, CO banned underage sales but the attempt to ban kratom at the federal level has thankfully failed.

Miscellaneous

The Drug War Rages On

Even though the war on drugs has been deemed wildly ineffective and a flagrant violation of human rights by researchers and NGOs, and while the majority of Americans support decriminalizing all drugs, the drug war is showing no signs of packing its bags and heading home anytime soon. But that hasn’t stopped drug policy reform groups from proposing various models for how we could legalize every drug in the future.

El Chapo Goes Down

The notorious drug kingpin known as El Chapo was found guilty in his U.S. trial of all charges involving his role in trafficking billions of dollars worth of illegal drugs into the United States while he was a top boss in the Sinaloa cartel. He was given a life sentence, but even top-security prisons don’t exactly have the best record when it comes to keeping him behind bars, so this story may not be over quite yet.

Three Psychedelic Luminaries Passed Away

The psychedelic community lost three amazing contributors this year. Ralph Metzner, an LSD and consciousness researcher who contributed a lot to the body of psychedelic research died at the age of 82. Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert), who teamed up with Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley in the 1960s to work with psychedelics at Harvard University—and later went on to promote Hinduism and Eastern philosophy to the West—passed away earlier this month at the age of 88. And James Ketchum, an army psychiatrist who assisted with conducting LSD experiments on U.S. soldiers died at the age of 87. All three of these men left the world in a much better place than it would have been without them, and they will be greatly missed.

The Dark Web Can’t Be Defeated

The dark web hosts many black marketplaces for illicit products, including drugs. One of the biggest markets, known as Dream Market, shut down in April, and another named Wall Street Market followed suit shortly thereafter. The founder of Silk Road 2 was finally sentenced to more than five years in prison nearly five years after the site was shut down by the feds. But no matter what, when one black market site on the dark web goes down, another quickly springs up to fill the void again. How long will this game of cat and mouse continue?

The World’s First Psychedelic Research Centers

More and more psychedelic research has come every year since the early 2000s, increasing our understanding of these powerful and life-transforming plants and chemicals. This year the world’s first psychedelic research centers were opened. The first, the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research, based in London, is expected to focus on the use of psychedelics in mental health care and how they affect the brain.

Not to be outdone, the U.S. also opened the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins, which will also study the safety and efficacy of using psychedelics to treat a range of mental health issues. And the mainstream is taking notice—60 Minutes devoted a segment to the center’s opening.

And Jamaica opened up the world’s first magic mushroom research center, which will conduct its research with actual psilocybin mushrooms rather than the synthesized compound.

Trip-Free Psychedelics

The psychedelic experience is often credited for the healing that can take place when people consume psychedelic drugs. But scientists, therapists, and the always money-hungry pharmaceutical industry are all looking at the possibility of removing the trip from psychedelics to treat patients without requiring them to undergo a potentially overwhelming—or even traumatizing—psychedelic experience.

Companies have begun work on developing trip-free psychedelics that will still be helpful for issues like depression and addiction. Whether their quest will be successful is yet to be determined, but the news has left many psychonauts stunned and afraid that this is the first sign of a psychedelic-free world. However, as long as psychedelic plants and fungi continue to grow and underground chemists forge on, the psychedelic experience is most likely here to stay.

A Few More Highlights

And that barely scratches the surface of what happened in psychoactive drug news this year. Psychedelics were featured as a topic on the main TED Talk stage for the first time, drug education has come a long way since D.A.R.E., and more people are going “Cali Sober,” which means they are consciously choosing to abstain from drugs other than cannabis and psychedelics.

Conclusion

It’s been quite an exciting year for drug nerds. Tons of new psychoactive research studies came out, drug policy reform efforts inched forward one by one, and several companies showed an interest in capitalizing on markets that have yet to even fully materialize. I am sure 2020 will be yet another fun one to watch, and encourage you to keep your eyes open for the weekly roundups that are published on this blog as well as the monthly recaps that go up on my YouTube channel so you can stay up-to-date with everything that is happening in this space.

Previous Years In Psychoactives

• 2018

• 2017

• 2016

• 2015

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.

Banner image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 11.1.19

Cannabis

• Mexican Senate Committees Agree To Comprehensive Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Some States With Legal Weed Embrace Vaping Bans, Warn Of Black Market Risks (NPR)

• There's 'Scarce Evidence' to Suggest Cannabis Improves Mental Health Symptoms, a New Research Review Says (TIME)

• Quebec passes cannabis law that will raise legal age to 21 (CBC)

• An Israeli Company Is Combining Mushrooms with Marijuana to Treat Illnesses (MERRY JANE)

• USDA Issues Hemp Regulations (NORML)

• Medical Marijuana Laws Improve Health And Reduce Alcohol Use For Certain Groups, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Microscopic Images Reveal the Most Potent Cannabis Flowers in Incredible Detail (Newsweek)

• Senate Approves Bill Protecting Medical Marijuana States From Federal Intervention (Marijuana Moment)

• A Man Had a Bag of Weed Removed From His Nose After 18 Years (VICE)

• 20 Out of 25 Denver Pot Shops Were Selling Moldy Weed, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)

• Is Cannabis a Psychedelic Drug? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Number of illegal cultivation sites plummet in Nevada after marijuana legalization (The Hill)

• Head Of Nation’s Only Federally Legal Marijuana Farm Develops THC Eye Drops (Marijuana Moment)

• Mass. hemp farmers say they face ruin thanks to state ban on most CBD products (The Boston Globe)

• Edinburgh mother vows to go on 'hunger strike' over cannabis oil (BBC)

• University of Guelph to study cannabis as treatment for bladder cancer in dogs (Global News)

• Wisconsin Lawmakers File Marijuana Decriminalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Open Houses Are Putting the High in High-End Real Estate (The Wall Street Journal)

LSD

• LSD tests that heralded Denmark’s second age of enlightenment (The Copenhagen Post)

Magic Mushrooms

• People Are Deliberately 'Horror-Tripping' on Mushrooms (VICE)

• 6 Music Playlists For Psilocybin Journeys (Maps of the Mind)

• Psilocybin Trial Patients Describe Their "Trips" To Anderson Cooper (The Fix)

• Are Magic Mushrooms Beneficial For Mental Health Therapy? (Worldhealth.net)

MDMA

• Family of teenager who died from lethal ecstasy dose support drug legalisation (The Guardian)

• Warning over super-strength Rolls Royce ecstasy pills circulating at Warehouse Project (Manchester Evening News)

Ayahuasca

• Ayahuasca tourism an overlooked driver of trade in jaguar body parts, researchers say (Mongabay)

• Hallucinogenic Amazonian brew shows promise as an anti-depressant - study (Stuff.co.nz)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Spice saliva drug test 'could save lives' among users (BBC)

• Spice is more than a deadly drug – it's a window on our society (The Guardian)

Ketamine

• The Complete Guide to Ketamine Therapy for Depression, From Someone Who’s Tried It (Allure)

PCP

• Man allegedly high on PCP injured three Stamford police officers (Stamford Advocate)

• Kansas City man accused of sexually assaulting 7-year-old girl while high on PCP (FOX4)

Opioids

• Opioid misuse highest among construction workers, new NYU study finds (New York Daily News)

• 'It’s an overdose crisis': Mac Miller's death investigation highlights a dangerous trend in the opioid epidemic (Good Morning America)

• Should law enforcement be securing patients before naloxone is administered? (EMS1.com)

Cocaine

• Like weed before it, is cocaine becoming normalized? (Rooster Magazine)

Methamphetamine

• Meth devilishly hard to kick for addicts: ‘No effective treatment’ (San Francisco Chronicle)

CAFFEINE

• What to know about caffeine pills (Medical News Today)

TOBACCO

• Trump Considers Retreat From Ban of Mint, Menthol Vaping Flavors (The Washington Post)

• Former Juul Finance Executive Alleges Company Shipped 1 Million Tainted Products (TIME)

• A Fight Over Vaping “Bots” Is Blazing While E-Cigarette Bans Loom (BuzzFeed News)

Alcohol

• Illegal Alcohol Vaping Device Confiscated From Minnesota Bar (CBS Pittsburgh)

• Alcohol intake and reduced brain volume: What explains the link? (Medical News Today)

Kratom

• Arkansas Kratom Laws: Reasons For The Ban & Updated Info (Kratom Guides)

• Could a kratom ban be coming to Clearwater? (WFTS)

Miscellaneous

• Four More Major Cities Take Steps To Decriminalize Psychedelics (Marijuana Moment)

• Tripping in Groups Is Better for Meditation and Self-Dissolution, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

• Australia's rural drug use tops city consumption: crime commission analysis (The Guardian)

• Women And Children Are The Emerging Face Of Drug Addiction In Afghanistan (NPR)

• Witnessed Urine Screens in Drug Treatment: Humiliating and Harmful (Filter)

• Pills in the post: inside the dark web drug market (The Sydney Morning Herald)

• The Ecuadorian Fishermen Snatched Away by US Drug Warriors (Filter)

• Molecule Catalyst and UTM to crowdfund psychedelics research with blockchain (Yahoo! Finance)

• Goodbye DARE — more schools are embracing realistic drug education (Salon)

• Intersecting Movements: Drug Policy Reform and Climate Action (Psymposia)

• Psychedelics for Healthy People (Elemental)

• Congress, Grappling With Tainted Chinese Drugs, Is Baffled by Lack of FDA Oversight in U.S. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain (Newsweek)

• She lost her son to addiction, then lost her house to save her daughter (Vox)

• Public Drug Testing Sites Are Helping Dealers Prevent Overdoses (VICE)

• 13 Steps for Promoting Access and Inclusion in Psychedelic Science (Chacruna)

• David Nutt slams UK drugs policy as Scottish deaths soar (The National)

• The Two Black Women Helping To Reclaim & Encourage Natural Psychedelics Use In Oakland (Okayplayer)

• Safe injection rooms save lives – yet the UK government continues to oppose them (Talking Drugs)

• Could Psychedelics Help to Heal the Crisis of Disconnection? (What is Emerging)

• So Mushroom for Growth: New Psychedelic Club at UCSB Aims To Shift Conversation and Culture (Daily Nexus)

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.