Weekly Psychedelic Links - May 2022

5.6.22

Cannabis

• Would You Smoke ‘Nuclear Weed’? You Might Already: Why Irradiated Cannabis Is Common (And Safe) (Forbes)

• How marijuana laws have progressed across the South so far this year (Clarion Ledger)

• Stanford study links marijuana use to increased heart attack risk (New Atlas)

• A look at the legal and illegal sides of California’s cannabis industry (The Press-Enterprise)

• States that legalized marijuana now researching mental health risks of high-potency cannabis (NBC)

• ‘There’s a real risk there’: Cannabis use exacerbates depression (Healio)

• Missouri House Committee Approves Joint Resolution To Put Marijuana Legalization On The Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• New Jersey Lawmakers File Bills To Restrict Marijuana Use By Police And Other Workers (Marijuana Moment)

• New Hampshire House Votes To Give Senate ‘Another Chance’ At Passing Marijuana Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

• South Dakota Activists Turn In Signatures To Put Marijuana Legalization On The Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Biden officials say Brittney Griner ‘wrongfully detained’ by Russia on cannabis charges (Leafly)

• More Ohio Cities Set To Vote On Marijuana Decriminalization As Activists Pursue Statewide Reform Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• The Fight Over CBD Oil Continues in Germany (High Times)

• A New Report Explains How California Screwed Up Marijuana Legalization (Reason)

• Cannabis YouTuber Chrissy Harless’s Channel Deleted Without Explanation (High Times)

• Delaware House Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, Sending It To The Senate (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Finds Cannabis Flower Useful to Decrease Fatigue (High Times)

• South Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Dies On House Floor Following Procedural Challenge (Marijuana Moment)

• Malawi Joins Zimbabwe in Switching from Cultivating Tobacco to Cannabis (High Times)

• New York Lawmakers Discuss Competing Psychedelics Reform Bills Ahead Of Key Deadline (Marijuana Moment)

• FDA Sends Warning Letters to Businesses Improperly Selling Delta-8 (High Times)

• Missouri Marijuana Activists Say They’ve Exceeded Signature Requirements For Legalization Ballot Measures As Prospects For Separate Reform Bills Dwindle (Marijuana Moment)

• Argentina Makes Medical Cannabis Reform a National Priority (High Times)

• Nebraska Activists Unveil Plan To Put Medical Marijuana On The Ballot After Losing Key Funders (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• LSD and salvia divinorum use linked to an increased likelihood of depression and suicidal thinking (PsyPost)

• MindBio Therapeutics Completes World’s First Microdosing Trial (Microdose)

• A Return Trip to Timothy Leary’s Psychedelic, Day-Glo Mexico (The New York Times)

• In low doses, can LSD be beneficial for the brain? (Vents Magazine)

Magic Mushrooms

• Large survey suggests psilocybin is a “relatively safe” drug, with serious reactions being rare and short-lived (PsyPost)

• Compass Pathways Shares ‘Promising’ Data That Psilocybin May Treat Anorexia (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Canada to Fund Research on Psilocybin for Substance Use Disorder (Filter)

• Could Magic Mushrooms Treat Overeating? New Clinical Trial Intends To Find Out (The Fresh Toast)

• How to Shop For Magic Mushroom Grow Kits on Amazon (MEL Magazine)

• 4-year-old overdoses after accidently getting into a bag of Psychedelic mushrooms (WSB-TV)

Peyote

• Meet The Company Developing Innovative Peyote-Based Treatments For Addiction, Anxiety, And Depression (Benzinga)

Iboga

• Lamar Odom ‘could probably’ take hallucinogenic drug again for treatment (Page Six)

Ketamine

• Medical experts told grand jury ketamine caused Elijah McClain's death, records show (The Denver Gazette)

• Ketamine Infusions Improve Symptoms of Depression and Pain (Psychiatry Advisor)

Miscellaneous

• Elon Musk advocates for psychedelic drug use as alternative to antidepressants (MARCA)

• Why Field Trip Health Is Dividing in Two — and What This Means for Investors (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Connecticut Lawmakers Send Psychedelic Treatment Program Proposal To Governor As Part Of Budget Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Why Psychedelic Drugs May Become a Key Treatment for PTSD and Depression (Smithsonian Magazine)

• New holistic healing, psychedelic therapy center launches in Austin (Fox 7 Austin)

• DanceSafe have provided new guidance on how to test your drugs (Mixmag)

• Numinus’s Acquisition of Novamind May Signal More Consolidation to Come (Lucid News)

• Hallucinating Long After the Trip is Over: HPPD – Part 2 (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Psychedelic Therapists Must Be Trained to Set Sexual Boundaries (Lucid News)

• Real Reciprocity: The People Who Brought You Sacred Plant Medicine Need Your Support (Chacruna)

• Are There Risks to Using Psychedelics If You Have Certain Mental Illnesses? (Lucid News)

• Could a psychedelic retreat cure lifelong hang ups? (The Telegraph)

• Chaplains Are Learning to Become Psychedelic Guides (Lucid News)

• What Do Therapeutic Doses of Psychedelics Feel Like? (Psychology Today)

5.13.22

Cannabis

• Austin, Texas Voters Approve Local Marijuana Decriminalization Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• Mexico’s Supreme Court rules personal marijuana possession legal, again (Leafly)

• Cannabis confusion: Thousands of truckers taken off the job amid supply chain woes (Politico)

• Sadiq Khan launches commission to examine cannabis legality (The Guardian)

• Swiss City of Lausanne to Launch Recreational Cannabis Trial This Fall (High Times)

• Thai high: Thailand to give away 1 million free marijuana plants (New York Post)

• Delaware Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, Sending It To The Governor (Marijuana Moment)

• Miami Finally Gives OK to Medical Cannabis Dispensaries (High Times)

• Ohio Will Not Vote On Marijuana This November, But Lawsuit Settlement Puts Legalization Activists On Path For 2023 (Marijuana Moment)

• Is weed the Chosen People’s drug of choice? These artifacts suggest it may be (The Times of Israel)

• South Carolina Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Suffers Another Procedural Defeat (Marijuana Moment)

• New Hampshire Senate Rejects Marijuana Legalization Again As Part Of Amended Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis users expect cannabis-assisted therapy for depression to work as well as psilocybin-assisted therapy (PsyPost)

• Working In Canada’s Marijuana Industry Does Not Make People Inadmissible To U.S., Border Patrol Document Confirms (Marijuana Moment)

• Missouri Activists Submit Double The Signatures Needed For Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• Inside one of the first licensed medical cannabis labs in Britain (The Guardian)

LSD

• Promising early results from largest-ever trial testing LSD for anxiety (New Atlas)

• Behind the Scenes on the First Study To Compare the Effects of LSD and Psilocybin (Technology Networks)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psychedelics Activists Arrested at DEA Headquarters Amid Protest Over Psilocybin Access for Terminal Patients (DoubleBlind)

• Shroom Dispensaries Operate Out in the Open in Vancouver (DoubleBlind)

• Oregon Issues Draft of Magic Mushroom Cultivation Rules (Lucid News)

MDMA

• MAPS Completes Enrollment, as Planned, for the Confirmatory Phase 3 Trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD (PR Newswire)

• Drug policy group condemns psychedelic research association for response to B.C. sex assault claims (CBC)

• Reducing MDMA Comedown and Risks (TalkingDrugs)

Ketamine

• Inventor of Brain-Scan Helmet Takes Ketamine to Test His Technology (Bloomberg)

• Suicidal Ideation Not Related With Psychological Pain After Receiving Ketamine (Psychiatry Advisor)

• IV Ketamine: A Possible 'Trajectory of Improvement' in Severe Depression (Medpage Today)

Miscellaneous

• Connecticut Governor Signs Bill Creating Psychedelic Treatment Program (Marijuana Moment)

• Psychedelic Patents are Broken Because the Patent System Is Broken (VICE)

• The Trials of Rick Doblin (The Cut)

• Europe’s first psychedelic drug trial firm to open in London (The Guardian)

• Novel nasal spray delivers psychedelic drugs for PTSD (Israel21c)

• Colorado Activists Collect Tens Of Thousands Of Signatures To Put Psychedelics Reform On Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Update on the Fight for Religious Liberties in Oregon (Psychedelics Today)

• Psychedelic experiences and mindfulness linked to better psychological wellbeing (PsyPost)

• Inside Illinois’ First Psychedelics Bill: How Advocates Are Breaking the Taboo (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Biotechs want to unlock the psychedelics market, but it isn’t simple (The Sydney Morning Herald)

• First licence for service to test purity of illegal drugs. (The Times)

• Altering Perceptions on Psychedelics (Harvard Medicine)

5.20.22

Cannabis

• Rhode Island: Lawmakers Advance Adult-Use Legalization Bill (NORML)

• Lawmakers strike the word ‘marijuana’ from all state laws, calling the term racist (Dark Matters)

• Minnesota Republican Senators Block Marijuana Legalization Vote (Marijuana Moment)

• Study: Young Adults’ Consumption of Alcohol, Cigarettes, Other Substances Fell Following Marijuana Legalization (NORML)

• FDA Sounds Alarm About Cereal and Candy Edibles that Appeal to Children (High Times)

• Delaware: House Members Pause Action on Marijuana Retail Bill Until After Legislative Break (NORML)

• New Study Confirms Safety of CBD (High Times)

• Congress might have inadvertently legalized a form of cannabis under Trump (San Francisco Chronicle)

Magic Mushrooms

• First patient in Quebec gets approval from Health Canada for magic mushroom therapy (Global News)

MDMA

• A Brief History of MDMA: From CIA to Raves to Psychedelic Therapy (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Ayahuasca

• Tea and Ashes: How Ayahuasca Can Help You Quit Smoking (Chacruna)

Mescaline

• Mescaline: A Neglected Tool for Psychotherapy (Chemical Collective)

• Journey Colab Looks to Mescaline for Treating Alcohol Use Disorder (Lucid News)

Peyote

• ‘Our way of healing’: Azee’ Bee Nahagha working to protect peyote from state decriminalization (Navajo Times)

• What, Exactly, Is Peyote… And What Does It Do? (Rare)

Iboga

• Can Ibogaine Treat Emotional Trauma? (Lucid News)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• MindMed Releases Phase 1 Trial Results For Opioid Addiction (Microdose)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Here’s What You Should Know About Synthetic Marijuana (The Fresh Toast)

Ketamine

• Ketamine, esketamine improve depression symptoms (Healio)

Datura

• Compound found in Datura shows promise as antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 (News-Medical.net)

Miscellaneous

• Inside the Dispute Over a High-Profile Psychedelic Study (VICE)

• 50% of Microdosers Started During Pandemic, Survey Suggests (DoubleBlind)

• Forget Burning Man — Psychedelic Shamans Now Heading to Davos (Bloomberg)

• How Will The Psychedelic Industry Affect SSRI Treatment In The U.S.? (Healing Maps)

• Psychedelics: how they act on the brain to relieve depression (The Conversation)

• Getting Buzzed: The History of Hallucinogenic Mad Honey (Ancient Origins)

5.27.22

Cannabis

• Rhode Island Becomes 19th State to Legalize Marijuana for Adults (NORML)

• Kansas Lawmakers Plan To Work On Medical Marijuana Over Summer As 2022 Session Ends (Marijuana Moment)

• New study finds cannabis effective for cancer pain (Leafly)

• California Marijuana Retailers ‘100 Percent’ Compliant In Checking IDs To Prevent Youth Access, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• U.K. Caregiver Spared Jail Sentence After Cancer Patients Defend Him (High Times)

• Marijuana ‘Strain’ Labels Often Mislead Consumers, Study Of Nearly 90,000 Samples Shows (Marijuana Moment)

• North Carolina quietly moves toward full legalization of hemp (WRAL)

• Louisiana Bill to Allow State Employees to Use Medical Cannabis Receives Unanimous Vote (High Times)

• Delaware: Governor Vetoes Marijuana Depenalization Measure (NORML)

• South Dakota Voters Will Decide On Marijuana Legalization Ballot Measure In November (Marijuana Moment)

• North Carolina Lawmaker Introduces Legalization Bill (High Times)

• Federal Marijuana Arrests Continue To Drop Amid Legalization Movement, New Justice Department Report Shows (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Reform Bill in South Africa Under Criticism from Unions and Rastas (High Times)

• Legalised cannabis in Canada and US hasn’t killed illegal market (New Scientist)

• Japanese Ministry of Health to Discuss Medical Cannabis Legalization (High Times)

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

• What’s Up With Cannabis Legalization in Belgium? (High Times)

• Georgia Voters Approve Marijuana Legalization Ballot Question (Marijuana Moment)

• Australian Legalize Cannabis Party Runs Successful Grassroots Election Campaign (High Times)

• New York Marijuana Regulators Ask TikTok To Stop Banning Cannabis Education Advertising (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin Causes ‘Significant Reduction’ in Symptoms of Depression, Largest of its Kind Study Shows (High Times)

• Senator’s Wife Secretly Gave Him Psilocybin to Alleviate Depression (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Conflicting States of Consciousness: Exploring Psilocin and Sleep (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Oregon, Measure 109, and Community Access: The Final Vote (Psychedelics Today)

MDMA

• Diddy: Biggie's "Hypnotize" Video Shoot Was First Time We Tried Ecstasy (The Source)

• I’m a Therapist Who Tried MDMA—Here’s How the Experience Shaped My Perspective on Psychedelic Therapy (Self)

• Does Grapefruit Juice Make MDMA Stronger? (TalkingDrugs)

Ayahuasca

• Will Smith Predicted Losing His Career During Ayahuasca Hallucination Before Oscars Slap (Entertainment Online)

• Exploring the travel craze of Ayahuasca tripping to South America (Far Out Magazine)

• How To Engage In Ethical Ayahuasca Tourism (Healing Maps)

Peyote

• Legalizing peyote will 'detrimentally' affect religious practices, Navajo Nation says (12News)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Research Chemicals Provide Dangerous, Experimental Highs to Desperate Users (High Times)

• Psychedelic Treatment For Alcoholism? Clearmind Medicine And SciSparc Collaboration Yields Positive Results (Benzinga)

• 5 Next-Generation Psychedelics Entering Clinical Trials This Year (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Fears over ‘worrying’ new drugs being sold at festivals (Independent.ie)

Ketamine

• Using Ketamine to Find an Undiscovered Pathway in Depression (Neuroscience News)

Miscellaneous

• Local Michigan Lawmakers Reject Psychedelics Decriminalization Over Concerns About Possible Legal Liabilities (Marijuana Moment)

• $2.7M Grant to UC Davis to Find New Addiction Treatments Related to Psychedelics (UC Davis)

• Vermont Governor Vetoes Bill On ‘Reducing The Criminalization’ Of Drugs By Setting Personal Use Amounts (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado’s Two Psychedelic Ballot Efforts Present Competing Visions (Filter)

• DEA Loses Parking Space for its Plane (Drug WarRant)

• Psychedelic Therapy Training Programs Expand To Meet Demand (Lucid News)

• Europe’s Leading Psychedelic Conference Returns to Amsterdam (GlobeNewswire)

• Why “Drug-Induced Homicide” Doesn’t Have to be Prosecuted (Filter)

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 Week in Psychedelics - 8.13.21

Cannabis

• Native American tribe in North Carolina legalizes medical cannabis (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Marijuana Sales Increased In Multiple States During COVID, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Study suggests cannabis can induce a psychedelic-like “oceanic” experience (PsyPost)

• Weedmaps adds in-app cannabis purchasing for iPhone users (TechCrunch)

• Seattle-based online cannabis marketplace Leafly to go public (The Seattle Times)

• Senate Votes To Let Researchers Study Marijuana From Dispensaries (Marijuana Moment)

• Here’s where New York’s next governor stands on marijuana legalization (Leafly)

• California High Court: Recreational Cannabis Law Doesn’t Apply To Inmates In Prison (CBS SF BayArea)

• These States Possess the Highest Number of Cannabis Consumers Per Capita (NORML)

• Illinois Announces Cannabis Dispensary License Lottery Winners (Forbes)

• Wisconsin Lawmakers Unveil New Marijuana Legalization Bill—At A Cannabis Shop In Illinois (Marijuana Moment)

• Scientists Think Cannabinoids in Sativex Can Actually Beat Brain Cancer (MERRY JANE)

• Wyoming Officials Clear 2022 Marijuana Ballot Initiatives For Signature Gathering (Marijuana Moment)

• Oklahoma Activists Prepare 2022 Ballot Measures to Legalize Marijuana And Overhaul State’s Medical Cannabis System (Marijuana Moment)

• Nebraska Medical Marijuana Advocates Reveal Updated 2022 Ballot Strategy Featuring Two Separate Initiatives (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• A 13th Century Fresco Might Feature a Psychedelic Mushroom (InsideHook)

• In Canada, End-of-Life Therapy May Be the Path to Legal Psilocybin (Filter)

• Canadian Groups Push For Legal Psilocybin: Survey Shows Support (Truffle Report)

• Myth Busting: Magic Mushroom Spores Have Little to do with Potency (Psychedelic Science Review)

• How magic mushroom ingredient psilocybin helps patients with depression or PTSD change how they feel, by rewiring the brain with more connections (South China Morning Post)

• Tryp Therapeutics Partners with Calvert Labs to Conduct Exploratory Studies for Proprietary Psilocybin Formulations (Psilocybin Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• An Exploration of Ayahuasca Art History (Reality Sandwich)

5-MeO-DMT

• Why Are Celebrities Smoking Toad Venom? (Yahoo!)

Salvia Divinorum

• atai Launches Revixia Life Sciences to Develop Salvinorin A for a Variety of Mental Health Conditions (Psilocybin Alpha)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Psilera Initiates Landmark Preclinical Studies with New Psychedelic Derivatives aimed at Reducing Alcohol Consumption (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Bexson Biomedical Launches New Project, Applying Subcutaneous Delivery Technology To Multiple Psychedelic Compounds For Therapeutic Use (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Where Cannabis Synthetic Spice Came From and Is It Related To HHC? (CBD Testers)

Ketamine

• Could Ketamine Restore Child-like Brain Plasticity and Learning? (Lucid News)

• Will Ketamine Help Sleep? We Explain Any Benefits (Healing Maps)

• We Just Got Closer to Understanding Why Ketamine Is Such a Powerful Antidepressant (ScienceAlert)

• Study finds cognitive safety of ketamine and esketamine for patients with treatment-resistant depression (News-Medical.net)

• How Much Does A Ketamine Infusion Cost? (Healing Maps)

PCP

• Why Does The Psychedelic Scene Ignore PCP? [Part 1] (Psychedelics Today)

Miscellaneous

• These States Could Have Marijuana And Psychedelics Legalization On The Ballot In 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

• Fireside Project Expands Psychedelic Support Service with App Launch (Lucid News)

• Biden Exploring Clemency For People With Federal Drug Convictions, White House Says (Marijuana Moment)

• Wearable Psychedelics Could Soon Give Users Maximum Control Over Their Trip (VICE)

• Why Aren’t Psychedelic Drugs Prohibited in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Psychedelics May Inspire Healthier Habits, Survey Finds (Lucid News)

• Tripping Together (NEO.LIFE)

• Campaign will target middle-class drug users (The Times)

• Psychedelics As Medicine: Right To Try Case Versus DEA (JD Supra)

• Prisoners Sue After Drug Testing of Their Legal Mail Gave False Positives (Filter)

• Psychedelic Research Has a Racist Past (Mad in America)

• The Wonderful and Absurd Life of Rosemary Woodruff Leary: Fashion Icon, Fugitive, and Psychedelic Pioneer (Part Two: Freedom and Unfreedom) (Chacruna)

• Safely Exploring High Doses of Psychedelics (Maps of the Mind)

• The Cosmic Giggle: Laughter and Psychedelics (Reality Sandwich)

• Psychedelic Decriminalisation Only Scratches the Surface (VolteFace)

• In Awe: Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy and the Mystical Experience (Psychedelic Science Review)

• What Do I Need To Know About Tripping Alone In Nature? (Lucid News)

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 Week in Psychedelics - 7.16.21

Cannabis

• Schumer, Senate Democrats unveil new bill to decriminalize marijuana (The Hill)

• Can Marijuana Make You a Better Athlete? (The New York Times)

• Missouri Man Released From Prison After Serving 11 Years for Possessing One Pound of Weed (MERRY JANE)

• Cannabis vs. HIV: UNC researcher lands $4M grant to explore possibility (WRAL Tech Wire)

• DEA Approves Denver Marijuana Facility for Medical Research (Westword)

• Tennessee Republican Lawmaker’s New Bill Would Put Three Marijuana Questions Before Voters On 2022 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Michigan governor moves to regulate delta-8 THC products (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Missouri Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Tax Deduction Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Analysis: Marijuana Legalization Correlates with Higher Home Values (NORML)

• Study Shows Cannabis Terpenes Provide Pain Relief, Contribute to ‘Entourage Effect’ (The University of Arizona Health Sciences)

• Cannabis may have originated in northwest China, study suggests (Henry Herald)

LSD

• Auckland University researchers to trial LSD microdoses on advanced-stage cancer patients (Newshub)

• LSD vs. Acid: A Brief History of Acid Slang (DoubleBlind)

• Calls to reclassify LSD out of class A as mental health research picks up steam (Newshub)

• Genetic Determinants of the LSD Response (Psychedelic Science Review)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin Mushrooms in Mexico in Danger of Extinction (Chacruna)

• Living In Peace: Cancer Patients Extralegally Seeking Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy Amid DEA Suit (Maps of the Mind)

MDMA

• Vancouver psychedelics company gets Health Canada greenlight for MDMA therapy study (CBC)

• The Re-Emergence of Ecstasy - But Not at the Club (JD Supra)

Ayahuasca

• DMT, active component in ayahuasca, aids in the growth of new neurons (PsyPost)

• First Study on Psychedelics and Epigenetics Explores Ayahuasca’s Effects on Gene Expression (Lucid News)

• Megan Fox Said She Went To “Hell For Eternity” During A Hallucinogenic Tea Trip With Machine Gun Kelly And It “Bonded” Them Even More (BuzzFeed News)

• The Ayahuasca Experience: A Pilgrimage to the Spirit (DoubleBlind)

• Lessons From Ayahuasca (Maps of the Mind)

5-MeO-DMT

• From Hunter Biden To HGTV Star Christina Haack, Psychedelic Toad Venom Hits The Mainstream (Forbes)

Peyote

• The Traditional & Medicinal Use of Peyote in North America with Oscar Matzuwa (EntheoNation)

Iboga

• MINDCURE Announces Filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications for Company’s First Fully Synthetic Routes to Create an Ibogaine Psychedelic Compound (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• The Rise in Synthetic Cannabinoids and Cathinones (Psychiatric Times)

Ketamine

• Microdoses of psilocybin and ketamine enhance motivation and attention in rodent models relevant to depression (PsyPost)

• Ketamine, esketamine do not differ in cognitive effects for treatment-resistant depression (Healio)

• Dissociation as Medicine? Exploring Dissociation & Dissociative Psychedelics like Ketamine (Psychedelics Today)

• Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Frontline Workers (Truffle Report)

• Awakn Life Sciences Initiates Research Program to Further Develop Ketamine-Assisted Therapies for Treating Addiction (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Ketamine Therapy and Addiction Risk Management: Part I (Truffle Report)

• Here’s How Ketamine Affects The Brain (Healing Maps)

Miscellaneous

• California Bill To Legalize Psychedelics Possession Advances Again, With New Amendments That Add Limits (Marijuana Moment)

• In the Light of Dying Stars (Here and Now Studios)

• Ethan Nadelmann Reexamines Adult Drug Use in New Podcast ‘Psychoactive’ (Rolling Stone)

• Biden Selects White House Drug Czar Who Helped Implement State Marijuana Program And Touted Medical Benefits (Marijuana Moment)

• World Reimagined: The Growth of the Psychedelic Industry (Nasdaq)

• Syncing Psychedelic Sessions with Moon Cycles (Maps of the Mind)

• Advocacy Group Asks to Delay California Psychedelics Bill Until 2022 (Truffle Report)

• Mass. Communities Move Toward Decriminalizing Psychedelics, With Some Pushback (WGBH)

• Shamanic Ceremony Leaders Join Forces to Shape Legal Strategy through the Sacred Plant Alliance (Lucid News)

• Can Coca Leaf Avoid the Wrongs of The Psychedelic Revolution? (Chacruna)

• Religious Access to Psychedelics is No Substitute for Decriminalization (DoubleBlind)

• Is public discourse on drug overdoses improving? (Drug WarRant)

• Active vs. Passive Coping Distinguishes Antidepressants and Psychedelics (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Food Suggestions for Before, During, and After Psychedelic Sessions (Maps of the Mind)

• Ultimate Guide on the Legalization and Decriminalization of Drugs (Reality Sandwich)

• Psychedelics and Death: Transitioning from this World with Consciousness (Chacruna)

• The interesting origins of psychedelic therapy (Freethink)

• New Frontiers in the Law of Psychedelics (JD Supra)

• Psychedelic Decriminalization Creating Market Opportunities (PR Newswire)

• Going Offline for Psychedelic Journeys (Maps of the Mind)

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 Week in Psychedelics - 5.7.21

Cannabis

• Mexican Lawmakers Fail To Legalize Marijuana Ahead Of Supreme Court Deadline (Marijuana Moment)

• Alabama Medical Marijuana Bill Heads To Governor’s Desk Following Legislature’s Approval (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana House Votes To Legalize Medical Marijuana Flower And Advances Bill To Prepare For Recreational Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

• Texas House Passes Marijuana Decriminalization Bill, Sending It To Senate (Marijuana Moment)

• Philadelphia: Mayor Signs Law Prohibiting Pre-Employment Drug Screening for Cannabis (NORML)

• Frequent Marijuana Consumers Are Actually More Physically Active Than Non-Users, Study Finds, Smashing Stereotypes (Marijuana Moment)

• Neat idea, Canna Bumps: Thanks for keeping marijuana illegal (Leafly)

• Switzerland Just Got One Step Closer to Federally Legalizing Weed (MERRY JANE)

• Cannabis Offers Immediate Nausea Relief, Study Shows (Forbes)

• French Lawmaker Displays Marijuana Joint In Parliament As New Report Calls For Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

• 58% of Americans Don't Know the Difference Between THC and CBD, Survey Says (MERRY JANE)

• Colorado Governor Signs Bill To Expand Medical Marijuana Access For Students In Schools (Marijuana Moment)

• Kansas: House Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Bill (NORML)

• Minnesota Marijuana Legalization Bill Clears 11th House Committee On Path To The Floor (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado: Legislature Approves Measure Eliminating Civil Penalties for Possessing Between One and Two Ounces of Cannabis (NORML)

• Kansas Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill In Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• Wilmington, Delaware City Council Votes to Support Cannabis Legalization (NORML)

• Cannabis 'gravest threat' to mental health of young people (The Irish Times)

Magic Mushrooms

• MycoMeditations' Psilocybin-Assisted Wellness Retreat Urgently Addresses COVID-19's Impact on Mental Health (PR Newswire)

• Psychedelics and Veganism: Personal Change Catalysed by Psilocybin (Sam Woolfe)

• Psyched Wellness Signs Supply Agreement for Amanita Muscaria (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Psilocybin and the Will to Live (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Optimi Health Partnership with Numinus Wellness Provides Update on First All-Natural Psilocybin Protocol (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• A Psychedelic Drug Passes a Big Test for PTSD Treatment (The New York Times)

Mescaline

• A Century of Mescaline (Chacruna)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• The Power of Synthetic Cannabinoids and Why Big Pharma Prefers Them (Cannabis Science and Technology)

Ketamine

• Champignon Brands Changes Name to Braxia Scientific to Reflect the Integration of Ketamine and Psychedelic Clinics and its Research and Development Priorities (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Ketamine, esketamine effective for depression but have limitations (Healio)

• What’s in the ketamine bill that just passed the House Judiciary Committee in Colorado? (KDVR)

Miscellaneous

• 100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics (Psychedelic Invest)

• Texas House Approves Psychedelics Research Bill As Marijuana Reform Measures Also Advance (Marijuana Moment)

• Can a genetic test predict your response to psychedelic drugs? (New Atlas)

• What Happens When Big Pharma Starts Selling Mass-Market Hallucinogens (The Federalist)

• Now that New York Legalized Cannabis, Could Psychedelics Be Next? (DoubleBlind)

• The push to legalize psychedelics has ignored Indigenous communities (Mic)

• Psychedelics at a Crossroads: We Need Constructive Not Extractive Capital (Dr. Bronner's)

• Red Light Holland Receives Patent Pending Status For ‘Find Your Dose’ Customization of Microdosing Kits Based on Biometric and Movement Data (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Psychedelics are transforming the way we understand depression and its treatment (The Irish Times)

• Portland Advocates Push for Psychedelic Decriminalization (Truffle Report)

• Can Psychedelics Provide Relief for Autistic Individuals? (Psychedelics Today)

• Nova Mentis Launches Autism Clinical Study (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Why drugs should be not only decriminalised, but fully legalised (New Statesman)

• Ketanserin’s Contributions to Psychedelic Research (Psychedelic Science Review)

• MindMed Announces Project Angie, Targeting the Treatment of Pain with Psychedelics (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Navigating the Legal Landscape of Psychedelics (Sam Woolfe)

• Culture, entrepreneurial spirit makes Okanagan viable for psychedelic research (iNFOnews)

• Psychedelics and Ecological Consciousness (Reality Sandwich)

• DoubleBlind Editor-in-Chief Shelby Hartman on Covering the World of Psychedelics (Muse by Clio)

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 - September 2020

There’s no getting around it—this was yet another monumental month for psychedelic news. With progress in a variety of areas—including a few big drug policy reform wins and losses, updates on the psychedelic industry, innovative approaches in psychedelic research, and a newly-identified molecule in cannabis—there is a lot to cover. I’ve sifted through the onslaught of psychedelic news and picked out the juiciest stories for your reading pleasure. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage or pack a bowl of your favorite herb and sit down to take it all in.

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

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

Ann Arbor Decriminalizes Psychedelics

Following a growing trend of psychedelic reform victories sweeping across the country, this month Ann Arbor became the third city in the United States to decriminalize natural psychedelics, making them the lowest priority for local law enforcement.

While these plant medicines have not been made legal per se, people in the city of Ann Arbor are now at lower risk for cultivating, purchasing, and using plants and fungi like psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline-containing cacti, iboga, and the plants used to brew ayahuasca. However, the approach that local police will take toward sales and the commercial manufacture of natural psychedelics will remain unchanged, and state and federal law enforcement will not follow the city’s new guidelines.

House Postpones Vote on Federal Cannabis Legalization Bill Until Election

While the U.S. House of Representatives was originally slated to vote on a federal cannabis legalization bill this month, the vote was postponed at the last minute and won’t occur until at least after the upcoming election in November.

Although there was considerable support for the bill it seems that the moderate Democrats in the House were concerned that voting on a cannabis legalization bill while coronavirus relief legislation remains unresolved might have negatively impacted their chances of reelection. This is as good a time as any to remind you to verify that you are registered to vote and to get out and make your voice heard by voting in this year’s election.

Usona Institute Submits New Psilocybin Synthesis Method to Public Domain

Amidst a growing legion of for-profit psychedelic companies that operate with the goal of maximizing profits, the non-profit organization Usona Institute flipped the script when it put its new psilocybin synthesis method in the public domain, where it cannot be patented.

Usona’s new approach to manufacturing high-purity psilocybin is more efficient, less expensive, and will generate more consistent yields than previous synthesis methods were capable of producing. And rather than keep their innovation to themselves, now anyone who chooses to will be able to use this method to synthesize psilocybin. This is a win for open science and alternatives to cutthroat capitalism and Usona should be celebrated for its achievement and good-hearted contributions to the field.

COMPASS Pathways Becomes First Psychedelic Company to IPO on the Nasdaq

COMPASS Pathways made history by becoming the first psychedelic company to go public on the the U.S. stock market. While many psychedelic companies have joined the Canadian stock exchange, this is the first time that one has made its way to the NASDAQ.

And now that the floodgates are open, it won’t be long before other companies become tradeable in America too—in fact, MindMed has already applied to list on the NASDAQ so they might be next.

Nebraska’s Medical Marijuana Measure was Removed from November Ballot

This month yet another drug policy reform effort bit the dust as Nebraska’s medical marijuana measure was removed from the November ballot by the state’s supreme court.

Although activists turned in enough signatures back in July to qualify the measure, Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner filed a lawsuit to keep the proposal off the November ballot, arguing that it violated the state’s single-subject rule for ballot initiatives and would confuse voters.

While Nebraskans will no longer be looking forward to voting to legalize medical marijuana in the state later this year, they have already refocused their efforts on a 2022 ballot measure.

UC Berkeley Launches New Psychedelic Science and Education Center

UC Berkeley is not only opening a Center for the Science of Psychedelics that will conduct psychedelic research, but the center will also include a program for educating the public about the field, which is a unique aspect of this particular center.

The initial experimental studies will focus on psilocybin and the center hopes to eventually explore how psychedelics impact psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, religion, anthropology, art, and even computer science and artificial intelligence.

Australia Might Be the First Country to Legalize Psychedelic Medicine

The race for the first country to legalize psychedelic medicine is on. The non-profit organization Mind Medicine Australia surprised the world by submitting a proposal to reschedule psilocybin and MDMA from prohibited substances to controlled medicines.

People had until this Monday to send their support for the proposal to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA). If the proposal is accepted, Australia will become the first country in the world to allow the use of these substances for therapeutic purposes. The TGA will announce an interim decision on the matter in February, and the final decision will be confirmed in April, after a second round of submissions is considered.

UK National Health Service Rejects Esketamine

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has rejected the nasal esketamine spray known as Spravato from being incorporated into the country’s healthcare system as a treatment for hard-to-treat depression.

This isn’t the first time the spray has been rejected—the first rejection occurred in January. Both refusals were due to concerns about Spravato’s cost effectiveness and how well it works at treating depression in the long run.

Canada Approves of Another Ayahuasca Church

Although many newer ayahuasca churches in America are finding it difficult to gain approval from the U.S. government to practice their religion involving the psychedelic tea, religious groups in Canada are having a much easier time. A church in Winnipeg became the sixth group to receive a government exemption to legally import and use ayahuasca.

The Centre for Universal Illumination Luz Divina is the latest church to obtain a federal exemption from Health Canada which will allow its members to freely use the Amazonian brew without facing any legal consequences. Now if only governments around the world were to follow Canada’s lead…

Get High Without Paranoia or Anxiety With Delta-8 THC

Cannabis is an amazing plant containing a ton of different psychoactive compounds with varying degrees of effects. A newly-identified form of THC found within marijuana is being sold as a way to get high without experiencing the paranoia or anxiety that can come with consuming Delta-9 THC.

The difference between the two compounds, which can both be found in cannabis, is the location of a bond between two of the atoms that form each THC molecule. Although the science is still in its infancy at this point, it does appear that this alternative to Delta-9 THC may be capable of delivering a pleasant high without negative side effects. Stoners in locations with legal cannabis markets can keep an eye out for this compound by looking for shops carrying products like vape cartridges, gummies, and tinctures that contain Delta-8 THC.

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.