Weekly Psychedelic Links - July 2022

7.1.22

Cannabis

• Fentanyl-laced marijuana is a myth. It’s time to end the hype (Leafly)

• Medical Weed Cards No Longer Required in Virginia Starting July 1 (High Times)

• Hemp, CBD get permanent legal status in NC after 11th-hour rescue (MSN.com)

• Scientists find THC in over 60% of CBD products they tested — and that may be a huge problem (ZME Science)

• UN Report Dramatizes Uptick in Global Cannabis Use (High Times)

• Louisiana Governor Signs Bill Providing Medical Marijuana Workplace Protections For State Employees (Marijuana Moment)

• Maryland Court: Cops Can Stop, Question Someone Who Smells of Pot (High Times)

• Nevada Cannabis Consumption Lounges Could Go Live By End Of 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

• Edibles, beverages infused with cannabis ingredient THC become legal Friday in Minnesota (Star Tribune)

• Inside The Process To Legalize Recreational Cannabis In Germany (Forbes)

• California Bill to Require Cannabis Warnings About Mental Disorder Risks Advances (High Times)

• Pennsylvania Lawmakers Advance Medical Marijuana DUI Protections And Cannabis Banking Reform Bills (Marijuana Moment)

• Texas Supreme Court Bans Smokable Hemp Production, Sales (High Times)

• Montana Lawsuit Challenges Marijuana Ban In State’s Third-Largest City (Marijuana Moment)

• House Panel Approves Amendment to Protect State Legal Cannabis Programs (High Times)

• Feds Fund Development Of Hemp-Based, 3D-Printed Materials To Build Affordable Housing (Marijuana Moment)

• New Vermont Guidance Looks to Eliminate Plastic Waste From State’s Cannabis Industry (High Times)

• Cannabis users are at greater risk for emergency and inpatient care: study (Fox News)

Magic Mushrooms

• These Mormons Have Found a New Faith — in Magic Mushrooms (Rolling Stone)

• New Jersey Senate President Files Psilocybin Legalization Bill That Includes Home Grow Option, Unlike Current Marijuana Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Tryp Therapeutics Strengthens IP Portfolio with Provisional Patent Application for Binge Eating Disorder Treatment (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Digging Up Druggable Targets: Psilocybin Efficacy in a Model of OCD (Psychedelic Science Review)

MDMA

• First-of-its-kind MDMA group therapy trial set to commence (New Atlas)

• Over One Hundred Years of MDMA Research (Drug Science)

Ayahuasca

• How the Shipibo Came to Be the Most Common Group Serving Ayahuasca to Foreigners (DoubleBlind)

Peyote

• Decriminalize Nature Targets Peyote: Drug Reform or Settler Colonialism? (Chacruna)

• Big business could wipe out Mexico’s sacred psychedelic peyote cactus (openDemocracy)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• How Did A Minnesota Honor Roll Student Die As Her Parents Were Sleeping Upstairs? (Oxygen)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• A Loophole in Japan’s Weed Laws Is Getting Tens of Thousands High (VICE)

Miscellaneous

• Colorado Activists Turn In Signatures To Put Psychedelics Legalization And Therapeutic Psilocybin Program On Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• War on drugs prolonged Colombia’s decades-long civil war, landmark report finds (The Guardian)

• Is there a future for psychedelic treatment in Saudi Arabia? (Arab News)

• Do Bad Psychedelic Patents Matter? (Lucid News)

• 4 Recommendations for Disability Inclusion in Psychedelic Therapy Research (Psychiatric Times)

7.8.22

Cannabis

• WNBA Star Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty To Cannabis Charge As Russia Calls Out U.S. Hypocrisy In Maintaining Criminalization (Marijuana Moment)

• Make no mistake, marijuana edibles are legal now in Minnesota (Leafly)

• Washington, D.C. Mayor Signs Medical Cannabis Self-Certification Bill (High Times)

• Pennsylvania Bill Gives Medical Cannabis Patients DUI Protection (High Times)

• Oklahoma: Advocates Turn in Signatures to Place Adult-Use Legalization Measure on November Ballot (NORML)

• Study Shows Flower Still Reigns Supreme in U.S., Canada as Consumer Favorite (High Times)

• Arkansas Activists Set To Turn In Double The Signatures Needed To Put Marijuana Legalization On Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Nebraska Medical Marijuana Activists Turn In Ballot Signatures After Campaign Suffers Legal Setback (Marijuana Moment)

• Albania Prompted to Implement Medical Cannabis Reform After U.N. Criticism (High Times)

• U.S. Army Wants To Make Sniper Uniforms Out Of Hemp (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• A man whose daily headaches felt like an ice pick in his eyes says he tried 12 treatments but only found relief after taking LSD (Insider)

Magic Mushrooms

• New Study Shows Mood, Mental Health Improved by Microdosing Psilocybin (High Times)

• Indiana Nurse Faces Ten Years in Prison for Microdosing Psilocybin Mushrooms (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Two Cancer Patients Battle to Make Psilocybin Accessible for Palliative Care (Scientific American)

• Rural Oregon counties are lining up against psilocybin launch (OPB)

MDMA

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Pushes for Psychedelic Reform in Congress (DoubleBlind)

• GOP Congressman’s Amendment Would Direct Military To Study Psilocybin And MDMA Benefits For Service Members (Marijuana Moment)

DMT

• Algernon Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Its Phase 1 DMT Stroke Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Iboga

• ‘To Heal and to Care for’: Protecting Iboga and Indigenous Voices in the Face of Corporatisation (Volteface)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• DEA Announces Hearing On Proposed Ban Of Five Psychedelic Compounds Following Significant Pushback (Marijuana Moment)

• Mindset Pharma Receives Allowance for Patent Application Covering its Short-Duration Novel Psychedelic Medications for The Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ketamine

• PharmaTher Announces Positive Results from Study For Ketamine Microneedle Patch (Psychedelic Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• The Never-Ending Psychedelic Trip of Michael Pollan (Rolling Stone)

• Journey Colab scores $12M to move psychedelics-based addiction treatment into clinic (Fierce Biotech)

• User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study (Drug Science)

• Tripping the Reward Circuit: Psychedelics for Substance Use Disorders (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Psychedelics Give a Glimpse of Enlightenment (Psychology Today)

7.15.22

Cannabis

• Feds Must Defend Historical Rationale Of Banning Guns For Medical Marijuana Patients, Revised Lawsuit Argues After SCOTUS Ruling (Marijuana Moment)

• ‘Green way of life’: Thailand sees cannabis boom after law change (Al Jazeera)

• Washington DC just legalized weed for all adults—but it’s locals only (Leafly)

• Oklahoma, North Dakota, Arkansas, and Nebraska submit signatures to put cannabis on November ballot (Leafly)

• Study Shows Decrease in Heavy Truck Crash Rates Since Cannabis Legalization (High Times)

• NYPD Will Keep Testing Officers For Marijuana, Reversing Course Hours After Announcing Policy Change Mandated By City (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Laws in France Have Disproportionately Affected Muslims (High Times)

• New York Firefighters Won’t Be Tested For Marijuana, Department Says Following NYPD Leak (Marijuana Moment)

• Argentine Supreme Court Endorses Medical Cannabis Home Grow (High Times)

• Pennsylvania Governor Signs Marijuana Banking And Insurance Reform Bill Into Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Portland Weed Demand Hits Three-Year Low (High Times)

• Pennsylvania Police Arrested Over 13,000 People for Marijuana Possession in 2021 (NORML)

• The Fight for Medical Cannabis in Indonesia (High Times)

• Weed, Like Change, Nourishes The Soil To Regenerate The Cannabis Industry (Forbes)

LSD

• Why David Bowie wasn’t a fan of LSD (Far Out)

Magic Mushrooms

• DEA May Find Itself In Federal Court Again Over Refusal To Provide Psilocybin Access To Terminally Ill Patients (Marijuana Moment)

• Oregon therapeutic psilocybin program sparks some confusion (OPB)

MDMA

• World's first ecstasy 'shop' set to trial in the Netherlands (Mixmag)

• Luxury Champagne Recalled Again Over Ecstacy Contamination (Newsweek)

• MDMA: Rolling from Counterculture to the Clinic Counter (Psychedelic Science Review)

Ayahuasca

• Study suggests ayahuasca users tend to eat healthier, get more exercise, and experience physical and mental health benefits (PsyPost)

Ketamine

• PharmaTher Announces Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Covering Ketamine for the Potential Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and Motor Disorders (Psychedelic Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Ann Shulgin, Forerunner of Today's Psychedelic Re-Emergence, Dies at 91 (Transform Press)

• House Approves Marijuana And Psychedelics Amendments As Part Of Must-Pass Defense Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• What Ethnographers Have Learned from People Who Use Drugs (Undark)

• Inside the Chemistry Lab Where the MDMA Godfather Synthesized Novel Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

• The Tory Leadership Candidates on Drugs (Volteface)

• Filament Health Issued Third Patent By United States Patent and Trademark Office (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Doctors Urge Access to Psychedelic Therapies in New Mexico (TIME)

• Can Psychedelics Treat Inflammation and Eye Disease? Eleusis Thinks So. (Lucid News)

• Villain Or Victim? Understanding The Role of Women In The Latin American Drug Trade (TalkingDrugs)

• San Francisco’s New DA Vows to Ramp Up City’s Drug War (Filter)

• The Battle for Psychedelic Patents (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• How To Become a Psychedelic Therapist (DoubleBlind)

• 5 Countries Where Psychedelics are Legal (Psychedelic Spotlight)

7.22.22

Cannabis

• Senate Leadership Introduces Legislation to End Federal Marijuana Prohibition (NORML)

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

• Legal cannabis is producing more plastic waste than pot (Leafly)

• Colorado Company To Research Cannabis As A Treatment For Parkinson’s Disease (Forbes)

• Biden Says He’s ‘Working On’ Bill To Release Cannabis Inmates (High Times)

• Germany, Luxembourg, Malta And The Netherlands Discuss Marijuana Legalization At Historic Joint Meeting (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado Springs Recreational Cannabis Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot (High Times)

• Minnesota Is Home To America's First Cannabis Disc Golf Course (MIX 108)

• House Passes Bill Permitting Weed Ads on TV and Radio (High Times)

• Colorado's New Lead Marijuana Monitor Treks Through Heavy Issues (Westword)

• Cannabis Telemedicine Launches in Montana (High Times)

• Montana Marijuana Businesses Face Seemingly Endless Cycle Of Local Votes On Allowing Them To Operate (Marijuana Moment)

• People Busted for Weed in the U.K. Could Lose Passports Under Proposed Rules (High Times)

• Missouri Marijuana Legalization Measure In Danger Of Not Qualifying For Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Denver officials want to save struggling cannabis delivery businesses (The Denver Post)

• Study Finds Australians Support Cannabis Use Over Smoking Tobacco (High Times)

• House Will Not Vote On Marijuana Amendments For Veterans And Public Housing Residents After Committee Snag (Marijuana Moment)

• Marijuana use is higher among US states that have legalized recreational cannabis use (News-Medical)

LSD

• The Doors of Expression: LSD Alters Epigenetics and Protein Induction (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Science Feature: MindMed’s LSD Trial for ADHD (Microdose)

• Watch John Lennon explain that 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' was not about LSD (Far Out)

Magic Mushrooms

• The Sloppy Science of Psilocybin Microdosing Surveys (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• A single dose of psilocybin has long-lasting antidepressant-like effects in fruit flies (PsyPost)

• Restrictions on Psilocybin ‘Magic Mushrooms’ Are Easing as Research Ramps Up (Scientific American)

MDMA

• Patient safety issues halt trial for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy during Health Canada review (CBC)

• 'Corrective' measures ordered, but Health Canada says 2nd MDMA trial can continue (CBC)

DMT

• Teenager Used LSD And DMT To Help Overcome Trauma, Case Report Says (IFLScience)

Ayahuasca

• Churches sue to use hallucinogenic tea in religious practice (UPI)

• The Global Ayahuasca Boom: What About the Conservation of the Ayahuasca Vine? (Chacruna)

5-MeO-DMT

• The Story Behind a 1984 Hallucinogenic Pamphlet From Denton Is Just as Trippy as Its Subject (Dallas Observer)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Mydecine Files Full Patent Application Covering MYCO-006 Family of Novel Short-Acting MDMA Analogs (Psychedelic Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Weed vapes probably sending a toxic gas to your lungs, study finds (Salon)

• Cannabis getting stronger with synthetic versions added leading to psychosis, report warns (Independent.ie)

Ketamine

• Largest-ever clinical study of ketamine therapy shows that at-home model can be a safe, effective treatment for anxiety and depression; 62% fewer patients report suicidal ideation after four sessions (PR Newswire)

• Ketamine Beneficial For Treating Neonatal, And Pediatric Epilepsy: Study (Medical Dialogues)

Miscellaneous

• The Long, Strange Relationship Between Psychedelics and Telepathy (VICE)

• DEA Sued Over ‘Unlawful’ Delays On Psychedelic And Marijuana Public Records Requests Through FOIA (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado Psychedelics Legalization Measure Qualifies for November Ballot (DoubleBlind)

• Keeping the Hippie Dream Alive (The New York Times)

• Accessibility Is Key for the Psychedelic Revolution (Pharmacy Times)

• Podcast aims to raise awareness about future of psychedelic treatments (CBC)

• Skip the trip – does the world need non-hallucinogenic psychedelics? (leafie)

• New Regulations for Psychedelics? Here's What Investors Need to Know (The Motley Fool)

7.29.22

Cannabis

• Weedmaps again advertising illegal marijuana retailers and products, complaints allege (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Singapore Executes Man for Cannabis Trafficking (High Times)

• House Passes Bipartisan Marijuana Research Bill, With Senate Expected To Send It To President Soon (Marijuana Moment)

• Zimbabwe OKs First Medicinal Cannabis Sales (High Times)

• Secret Australian marijuana facility exposes location after turning sky pink (The Washington Post)

• Biden Administration Proposes Prisoner Swap To Free Brittney Griner (High Times)

• Over 850 Doctors in Thailand Protest Pot Legalization (High Times)

• Senator Files Bill To Allow Marijuana Advertising On TV And Radio In Legal States (Marijuana Moment)

• The 'World's Biggest Cannabis Scam' Is Totally Unravelling (VICE)

• Bronx Cannabis Hub Fosters Opportunity in Communities Hit Hard by Arrests (Filter)

• Cannabis Users Less Likely to Face Complications After Spinal Fusion Surgery (High Times)

• 15 State Attorneys General File Brief Opposing Lawsuit To Help Put Medical Marijuana On Nebraska Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Thai businesses cash in on cannabis, from milk tea to toothpaste (Reuters)

• Missouri Marijuana Legalization Initiative Short Of Signatures Needed For Ballot In County Reviews (Marijuana Moment)

• New Hampshire stands alone in New England as only state without legal marijuana (WMUR)

LSD

• New Zealand Government Grants $650K For LSD Microdosing Trials (Benzinga)

• Operation Julie: Rural Wales LSD bust becomes a musical (BBC)

Magic Mushrooms

• DEA Sued Again Over Refusal To Allow Psilocybin Access For Patients Despite Federal Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Why some of Colorado’s foremost shrooms advocates won’t be voting to legalize psilocybin (The Denver Post)

• Legal psilocybin prescriptions in Canada (Drug Science)

• Project Solace: The World’s Largest Medical Psilocybin Access and Data Project (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• COMPASS Pathways launches phase II clinical trial of psilocybin therapy in anorexia nervosa (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

• U.S. Patent Grant to Strengthen Small Pharma’s DMT Patent Strategy With Injectable Formulation (Psychedelic Alpha)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• DEA Cancels Proposed Ban Of Five Psychedelics, Giving Scientists More Time To Research Therapeutic Benefits (Marijuana Moment)

• Working with Indigenous allies is the ethical way to develop psychedelic-based pharmaceuticals (STAT News)

• Festival drugs: Warning over 'imposter' substances threat (BBC)

• Ecstasy for the 21st Century: Designer Drugs to Improve MDMA Therapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Easy On The Eyes — This Company Reports Using a Unique Synthetic Cannabinoid Derivative To Treat Glaucoma (Benzinga)

Nitrous Oxide

• Doctors warn ‘dangerous’ laughing gas is becoming an ‘epidemic’ amid rise in hospitalisations (The Independent)

• A Law will Prohibit the Sale of Nitrous Oxide or “Laughing Gas” to Minors in Bulgaria (Novinite.com)

Ketamine

• At Home Sublingual Ketamine Exhibits Rapid And Significant Antidepressant And Anxiolytic Effects (Medical Dialogues)

• Ketamine found to be unlikely to lead to addiction (Medical Xpress)

• Silo Pharma Announces Positive Results from its Topically Administered Formulation of Ketamine (Psychedelic Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Biden Administration Plans For Legal Psychedelic Therapies Within Two Years (The Intercept)

• San Francisco Launches Bid to Decriminalize Psychedelics (Filter)

• Your Genes May Determine How You React To Psychedelic Drugs (IFLScience)

• The Psychoactive Substances Act on Trial (Volteface)

• The High-Stakes Race to Engineer New Psychedelic Drugs (WIRED)

• Trump Urges ‘Very Quick Trial’ and Death Penalty for Drug Dealers (High Times)

• The Psychedelics Industry’s Next Hurdle Is How to Go Mainstream (Bloomberg)

• One in four Americans say they’ve tried at least one psychedelic drug (YouGov)

• Microdosing: Scientists tackle psychedelic trend becoming ‘creative enhancer of choice’ (The Sydney Morning Herald)

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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.

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

• Psychedelic drug LSD may be effective as anxiety treatment (Medical News Today)

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

• Ketamine Eases Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia in Phase 2 Study (Parkinson's News Today)

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

• Ketamine and the Treatment of Mental Health Conditions (Psychology Today)

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

• How Safe is Ibogaine? (Lucid News)

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 - 1.28.22

Cannabis

• Thailand Becomes First Country in Asia to Decriminalize Marijuana (TIME)

• New York medical cannabis approved for ‘any’ condition a doctor recommends (Leafly)

• Mississippi: Lawmakers Advance Medical Cannabis Access Bill to Governor’s Desk (NORML)

• Amazon Endorses Federal Cannabis Legalization (High Times)

• Europeans choosing cannabis over ecstasy (The Portugal News)

• Delaware Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Legalization Bill In Committee Vote (Marijuana Moment)

• Arkansas voters could see 3 recreational marijuana initiatives on ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Cannabis Events Come Out of Hiding in New York City (The New York Times)

• North Dakota recreational marijuana measure fails to qualify for ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Wisconsin Republicans Announce Limited Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Legal Cannabis Opens a Pandora’s Box of Equity Issues (Capital and Main)

• Ohio Lawmakers Will Be Forced To Consider Marijuana Legalization As State Validates Activist Signatures (Marijuana Moment)

• Active Ingredient in Cannabis Protects Aging Brain Cells (Neuroscience News)

• Majority Of Americans Say They’d Vote For A Politician Who Smokes Marijuana, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• What Happens When You Quit Cannabis? (IFLScience)

• Missouri Marijuana Legalization Measures Take Differing Approaches to Expungement (Marijuana Moment)

• Minnesota Groups Bind Together to Oppose Legal Cannabis (High Times)

• Don’t Feed Marijuana Buds To Donkeys, New Study Warns (Marijuana Moment)

• South Dakota: House Lawmakers Move to Repeal Citizen-Initiated Home Cultivation Rights (NORML)

LSD

• FDA clears phase 2b study of LSD treatment for generalized anxiety (Healio)

Magic Mushrooms

• No difference between psilocybin microdosing and placebo, trial finds (New Atlas)

• Colorado Activists File Revised Ballot Initiatives To Legalize Psilocybin And Establish ‘Healing Centers’ (Marijuana Moment)

• Oregon Lawmakers File Psilocybin Equity Bill As State Implements Legal Use Program (Marijuana Moment)

• Oklahoma Republicans File Bills To Decriminalize Psilocybin And Encourage Research On Medical Benefits (Marijuana Moment)

• Numinus Identified as a Licensed Psilocybin Supplier by Health Canada (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Psilocybin: Following in the Footsteps of Cannabis Along the Path to Legality (JD Supra)

• Psyched Wellness Provides Update on Anti-Inflammatory Study with the National Research Council of Canada (Psilocybin Alpha)

• How is Oregon Preparing for the Facilitated Use of Psilocybin? (Lucid News)

• Red Light Holland’s Partner CCrest Laboratories Approved By Health Canada to Supply Psilocybin to the Special Access Program (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Diamond Therapeutics Looks At Low-Dose Psilocybin (The Dales Report)

• Mydecine Partners with Combat Stress to Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans (Psilocybin Alpha)

DMT

• Algernon Pharmaceuticals Discloses Novel Salt Patent Strategy as Part of its Psychedelic Drug DMT Intellectual Property (Psilocybin Alpha)

5-MeO-DMT

• A Psychedelic Craze Has Taken Hold Among The Rich, Toad Venom (Baller Alert)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• The Future of Psychedelic Medicine Will Be Drugs You’ve Never Heard Of (VICE)

• Awakn Life Sciences Files Patent Application for a New Class of Entactogen-Like Molecules to Treat a Broad Range of Addictions (Psilocybin Alpha)

Ketamine

• New study indicates ketamine is less effective than electroconvulsive therapy for severe depression (PsyPost)

• Ketamine Intravenous Therapy Shown to Improve Depression, Reduce Suicidal Ideation (Psych Central)

• Have We Eliminated Stigma Surrounding Ketamine-Assisted Treatment? (Volteface)

Miscellaneous

• Missouri Legislators Introduce Bill to Give Terminally Ill Patients Access to Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

• Virginia House Committee Pushes Back Psychedelics Decriminalization Bill Until 2023, But Senate Proposal Still Pending (Marijuana Moment)

• Lawmakers Propose Study of Natural Psychedelics for Mental Health Use (Westword)

• Introducing Vital: Immersive, Inclusive, and Personal Psychedelic Training for Professionals (Psychedelics Today)

• Psychedelic Perceptions in 2021: Popular Culture & Controversy (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Family Tripping: How Multigenerational Psychedelic Drug Experiences Can Provide Connection (Everything Zoomer)

• Psychedelic Capital: Public vs. Private Markets (Truffle Report)

• Sensible policy on psychedelic drugs is growing more common (The Economist)

• Inside the Growing Wellness Trend of Psilocybin Mushroom Microdosing (The Hollywood Reporter)

• Hallucinogen chemistry guides antidepressant drug discovery (Chemical and Engineering News)

• Decriminalize Nature and Students For Sensible Drug Policy Create a Community Healing Alliance (High Times)

• Have You Taken Psychedelics? Participate In The Canadian Psychedelics Survey Sponsored By MAPS PBC (The Dales Report)

• Laganja Estranja’s Psychedelic Life (DoubleBlind)

• Psychedelics and Parkinson’s Disease: Improving Patient Quality of Life (Truffle Report)

• Psychedelic and Plant Medicines: A Portal to Transformative Realms of Possibility (Nonprofit Quarterly)

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 Month in Psychedelics - May 2021

May was yet another busy one for psychedelic news, with plenty of drug policy reform progress, industry developments, groundbreaking research, and a couple controversial events taking place. In this month’s update we’ll dive into these topics and much more.

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

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Drug Policy

Wins

Two states made huge progress on cannabis reform. First, Montana’s governor signed a bill to implement the recreational marijuana program that voters approved last November. Retail sales for adults 21 and older will begin in January of next year. And continuing an emerging pattern of Southern states revamping cannabis laws, Alabama’s governor signed legislation to legalize medical marijuana in the state. The country is turning more and more green every month!

A few other bills made huge progress as well but have not crossed the finish line yet: an attempt to decriminalize psychedelics in California, legislation that would enable Texas to conduct psychedelic research, a cannabis legalization effort in Minnesota, and Switzerland is getting closer to legalizing marijuana as well.

Losses

Some bills hit a wall though. In Mexico lawmakers failed to legalize cannabis ahead of a Supreme Court deadline, Aspen’s city council chose not to decriminalize psychedelics, drug possession is now a misdemeanor in Washington State, Mississippi’s Supreme Court overturned a medical marijuana legalization ballot that voters approved last November, Colorado and New York banned delta-8 THC, China banned synthetic cannabinoids, and Amsterdam and a London borough banned nitrous oxide.

Future

Looking ahead, Republicans in the U.S. are pushing for the federal legalization of cannabis to ensure individual liberty, so legal weed in America is looking more and more like becoming a possibility sometime soon.

Industry

An NHL star’s brain trauma led him to found a psychedelic startup company, legal cannabis states have generated nearly $8 billion in tax revenue since recreational sales launched, Champignon Brands changed its name to Braxia Scientific, and MindMed announced Project Angie, the company’s attempt to treat pain with psychedelics.

Research

The results from MAPS’ Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD are in, and things are looking promising for this novel form of treatment. Out of 90 participants who enrolled in the study, the group which received MDMA during therapy experienced a more significant reduction in the severity of their PTSD symptoms compared to the placebo-controlled group. In fact, two months after treatment 67% of people in the MDMA group no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis whereas only 32% of the placebo group did. These results are promising and lend credence to the idea that MDMA will be legally available for medical use within the next couple years.

Other research studies found that psilocybin may be able to treat migraine headaches, how LSD opens the doors of perception, that frequent cannabis consumers are more physically active than non-users, and that actual drug education is far better than the government’s typical approach of “just say no.” In addition, the U.S. federal government announced a new standard THC dose to be used in cannabis research.

Miscellaneous

Causing a bit of a stir in the global psychedelic community, a publication known as Psychedelic Invest published a list of the 100 most influential people in psychedelics ranking candidates based on the following factors: social reach, scientific accomplishments, legislative initiatives, and value creation/contribution. The list was criticized for its lack of diversity, which prompted a public response acknowledging the fact the publication failed to prioritize the inclusion of a diverse group of people when creating it. In today’s political climate it’s no wonder that the publication of a list like this was heavily criticized, but the constructive reaction from Psychedelic Invest indicates that the publication is willing to learn from its mistake.

A new cannabis product generated an uproar on social media. Dubbed Canna Bumps, this unique cannabis concentrate looked kind of like cocaine and was intended to be snorted by consumers. Needless to say, it caught a lot of flack from industry insiders and judgmental marijuana smokers alike. Claiming that it would hurt the movement to legalize cannabis on a federal level, enough people complained that the product was quickly pulled from the market.

Now me personally, I can see how a product like this could be used by drug warriors to hurt the effort to reform drug laws, but I’m also in full support of people consuming their preferred drugs by whatever route of administration they see fit. Hopefully one of these days a snortable marijuana product will be available for consumers, but until then things are just going to keep moving a bit more slowly.

Wrapping up this month’s recap is an update on where Decriminalize Nature stands when it comes to peyote. You may recall that some Native American groups around the country have spoken out against the drug decriminalization movement including peyote in its recommendations for drugs to be decriminalized, and now Decrim Nature has officially announced a peyote conservation plan that is intended to work in tandem with the conservation strategy that is already underway.

Under this resolution, peyote found in its natural habit would be available only for indigenous communities and poaching would continue to be penalized, but the personal cultivation of peyote by non-indigenous people would be decriminalized, which would hopefully address the existing demand for the cacti and help assist with the ongoing conservation effort.

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

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

This Week in Psychedelics - 5.14.21

Cannabis

• Republicans Push for Federal Legalization of Marijuana to Ensure 'Individual Liberty' (Newsweek)

• Minnesota House Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Kansas Senate Running Out Of Time To Pass Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill That Cleared House (Marijuana Moment)

• Nebraska Activists Relaunch Medical Marijuana Ballot Campaign After Legislative Filibuster Blocks Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana: House Lawmakers Advance Marijuana Decriminalization Legislation (NORML)

• Cherokee Nation Just Decriminalized Weed Possession in State Where Pot Is Still Illegal (MERRY JANE)

• Feds Announce New Standard THC Dose To Be Used In Marijuana Research, Effective Immediately (Marijuana Moment)

• Ignorance Still Plagues The Field Of Cannabis Medicine (Forbes)

• America’s most conservative states are embracing medical pot (Politico)

• Georgia: Governor Signs Legislation into Law Expanding Access to Low-THC Medical Cannabis (NORML)

• Medicinal cannabis improves quality of life, finds largest study of UK patients (Cannabis Health News)

• Cannabis may slightly reduce RA disease activity based on 'very uncertain' evidence (Healio)

• Don’t Bring CBD Pet Shampoo Onto Military Bases, U.S. Air Force Warns (Marijuana Moment)

• Understanding the History of Rastafari and the Sacramental Use of Ganja with Jahlani Niaah (Chacruna)

Magic Mushrooms

• How Psychedelic Mushrooms Went from Schedule I to Psychotherapy (The Pacific Index)

• Who’s in Charge of Psilocybin? (Chacruna)

• OHSU doctors study how psilocybin interacts with other meds (KATU)

• Havn Life Develops New Method for Rapid Psilocybin Testing (StreetInsider.com)

• Cybin Advances Psilocybin as Treatment for Depression and Addiction (Innovation and Tech Today)

• Numinus Wellness and Optimi Health Submit All-Natural Psilocybin Extract to Health Canada for Pre-Clinical Trial Application (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• MDMA Shows New Promise for Trauma, but the Drug Alone Is Not a Cure (Scientific American)

DMT

• Small Pharma on conducting world’s first clinical trials for psychedelic DMT and listing in Canada (Proactive Investors)

5-MeO-DMT

• Hunter Biden’s Admission Of Toad Venom Use Signals A Sea Change For Addiction Treatments (Lucid News)

Peyote

• Decriminalize Nature Releases Peyote Conservation Plan (Truffle Report)

• Open Letter to the Psychedelic Movement Regarding Peyote in Policy Efforts and How to be an Ally to Indigenous Peoples of North America (Chacruna)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Potentially Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelic Could Open Door for Treatment Developments (Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• China issues total ban on synthetic cannabinoids (Seattle Times)

Nitrous Oxide

• Municipality of Amsterdam to ban laughing gas (I Am Expat)

Ketamine

• Colorado lawmakers move to restrict law enforcement’s use of Ketamine (KKTV)

• Delic's Acquisition Target, Ketamine Infusion Centers, Announces Proposal to Acquire 2 Additional Clinic Locations (Yahoo! Finance)

Miscellaneous

• The Psychedelic Revolution Is Coming. Psychiatry May Never Be the Same. (The New York Times)

• Drug Possession Is Officially A Crime Again In Washington, But As A Misdemeanor Instead Of Felony (Marijuana Moment)

• Drug Advice Is Better Than Government Approach of 'Just Doing Nothing', Research Finds (VICE)

• How this NHL star’s brain trauma led him to found a psychedelics startup (Fast Company)

• Aspen City Council not quite sold on decriminalizing psychedelics (Aspen Daily Times)

• Some people with color blindness report improved color vision after psychedelic drug use (PsyPost)

• How a Psychedelic 12-Step Program Is Saving Lives (Rolling Stone)

• Psychedelic Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• An Introduction to Psychedelic Phenethylamines (Spirit Pharmacist)

• Anaïs Nin and the Vocabulary of the Psychedelic Experience (Chacruna)

• Psychedelics Move to The Forefront of Innovative Research as the FDA Approves Large-Scale Testing (PR Newswire)

• Psychedelic Intellectual Property (Reality Sandwich)

• Routes of Administration in Psychedelic Drug Research (Psychedelic Science Review)

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.