This Week in Psychedelics - 9.7.18

Cannabis

• Psychosis: Cannabis extract normalizes brain function (Medical News Today)

• A silent movement for the legalisation of cannabis is spreading across India (Scroll.in)

• Using Cannabis to Treat the Effects of Trauma (Chacruna)

• Senate Bill Would Legalize Medical Marijuana For Military Veterans (Forbes)

• Elon Musk Smokes Marijuana in His First Appearance Since Tweet About Taking Tesla Public (TIME)

• How dark market cannabis plugs are being taken advantage of. Again. (Rooster Magazine)

• Senators Press Trump Cabinet Members To Expand Marijuana Research (Marijuana Moment)

• Utah Medical Marijuana Campaign Exposes Opponents’ Misleading Push Poll (Marijuana Moment)

• Stockton Offering Minor In Cannabis Studies (CBS Philly)

• Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh On Marijuana Enforcement And Presidential Pardon Power (Marijuana Moment)

• The Argument For Smoking Cannabis Flower (Forbes)

• Major Pro-Legalization California Union Sides With Cops Against Marijuana Deliveries (Marijuana Moment)

• Nerve Pain in the Legs? Medical Marijuana May Alter Brain Connections, Bring Relief (American Academy of Neurology)

• Top Lawmakers Talk Hemp Legalization At First Bicameral Congressional Conference Committee Meeting (Marijuana Moment)

• Individual and combined effects of acute delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on psychotomimetic symptoms and memory function (Nature)

• How Many Americans Can Hold A Joint Of Marijuana Without Fear Of Going To Jail? (Marijuana Moment)

• Support for Prop. 2 dips following LDS Church opposition, but most Utahns still support medical cannabis ballot initiative (Utah Policy)

• New Jersey Mayors Demand Social Equity In Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Death Sentence for Malaysia Man Who Gave Patients Free Cannabis Oil (Talking Drugs)

• Marijuana Consumption Booming Among Baby Boomers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Pro-Legalization Trump Backers Cry ‘Fake News’ Over Report On Anti-Marijuana Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• Tobacco Giant Altria Is ‘Exploring Options’ On Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• Anti-Legalization Rep. Pete Sessions ‘Very Receptive’ To Medical Cannabis Group (Marijuana Moment)

• Canadian Cannabis Corp Makes Historic Investment in Jamaica (Forbes)

• A Top House Republican Questions Jeff Sessions’s Anti-Marijuana Moves (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis on the Menu at Your Next Hotel Restaurant or Spa? (The New York Times)

• XRAY's “This Is Cannabis” Discusses the Science of Weed In Terms Everyone Can Understand (Willamette Week)

LSD

• First ever trials on the effects of microdosing LSD set to begin (The Guardian)

• Does Microdosing LSD Stimulate Creativity And Productivity? (Science Trends)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Parents hope mushrooms work magic on depression (The Times)

• FDA Approved A Psilocybin Drug Trial For Depression (NowThis News)

• Series to investigate lore of ‘magic mushrooms’ (Stillwater News Press)

• Gardai uncover first ever 'magic mushroom lab' in Ireland following raid (Irish Independent)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• The Differences Between British and American MDMA Users (VICE)

Ayahuasca/DMT/5-MeO-DMT

• Paul McCartney 'saw God' after taking drugs during Beatles heyday (The Guardian)

• This Incredible VR Film Takes You on an Ayahuasca Journey to the Amazon (VICE)

• What Ayahuasca Is, and What You Should Know About It (Teen Vogue)

• What Happens When You Die? Scientists Have Recreated a Near Death Experience to Find Out What It Feels Like (Newsweek)

• Ayahuasca rituals can be profoundly beneficial – if they’re done properly (The Guardian)

• Ayahuasca and the Global Marketplace (Psymposia)

• I spent two days taking the spiritual psychoactive ‘Ayahuasca’ on a reclusive island (The Tab)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• DEA puts "Fake MDMA" in Schedule I (Orlando Sentinel)

• Meet Dr. Zee, the Chemist Trying to Solve Life’s Problems With One Pill (MERRY JANE)

Dissociatives

• First-Ever IV Ketamine Infusion Consensus Guidelines For Chronic Pain Released (Pain Medicine News)

• Study: Ketamine acts like an opioid when used to help treat depression (Boston Herald)

• Man high on PCP gets shot trying to carjack man in Cleveland pizzeria parking lot (Cleveland.com)

• Officers, K9 exposed to drug while checking vehicle outside military site: police (PennLive.com)

• Woman arrested on murder complaint tells police man found dead in motel smoked PCP and killed himself (Tulsa World)

Opiates/Opioids

• Purdue Pharma L.P. to Fund Harm Reduction Therapeutics, Inc.’s Work to Develop Inexpensive, Over-the-Counter, Life-Saving Naloxone in the United States (Business Wire)

• New Research Sheds Light on How Opium Poppies Evolved Their Powerful Painkillers (Gizmodo)

• Sick River: Can These California Tribes Beat Heroin and History? (The New York Times)

• I Would Have Started Heroin Recovery Earlier—and Healthier—If I Had Access to a Safe Injection Site (Tonic)

• Officers in Sterling treated for opioid exposure after responding to overdose (The Boston Globe)

• Supervised Injection Facilities Save Lives (Reason)

• Man Who Kicked Heroin Addiction Now On Mission To Give Back To Local Kids (CBS Philly)

• Naloxone: ‘It’s harm reduction’ (LaSalle News Tribune)

Kratom

• Lawsuit says kratom tea caused teen’s brain damage (Tampa Bay Times)

• Kratom Users Reveal Psychological Symptoms of Withdrawal From the Drug (Inverse)

• Kratom: Clinical Implications for Nurse Practitioners (AdvanceWeb)

Kava

• Vanuatu welcomes Polish move to re-legalise kava (Radio New Zealand)

• Man arrested for stabbing employees at Te Mana Kava Bar in West Palm Beach (WPTV)

• No Harm in Kava (Eugene Weekly)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Misreporting and Confirmation Bias in Psychedelic Research (Scientific American)

• Addiction Doesn’t Always Last a Lifetime (The New York Times)

• An Introduction to Eroto-Psychedelic Art (The Oak Tree Review)

• Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness (Frontiers in Psychology)

• This Man Took 140 Drugs and Wrote a Harm Reduction Bible (VICE)

• Abolishing the DEA Would be Good for Your Health (71Republic)

• Do psychotropic drugs enhance, or diminish, human agency? (Aeon)

• Sound-based liquid printing could lead to new designer drugs (Engadget)

• People Say Microdosing Can Increase Cognitive Ability And Regulate Emotions. Here's What We Know About It (BuzzFeed News)

• What is a Drug? (Medium)

• The Psychedelic Film And Music Festival Embarks On Inaugural Event This October In NYC (Broadway World)

• How to Prevent Overdose Deaths—and How Not To (Reason)

• Thousands of people use drug-testing facilities at UK music festivals (BBC)

• The Internet Is Acid, and America Is Having a Bad Trip (Medium)

• Unlocking the Shamanic Perspective for a Profoundly Magical Existence (High Existence)

• Psychedelics Improve Physical Performance (Andrew Joseph)

• 4 Plant-Based Alternative Medicines That Show Promise in Treating Addiction (ZME Science)

• How psychedelic drugs are tackling mental illness (news.com.au)

• The Prohibition of Psychedelics Burdens the Most Fundamental Right in the Grossest Way Possible (Andrew Joseph)

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

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Weekend Thoughts - 3.17.18

Image by Marisa04, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. The great physicist Stephen Hawking passed away this week at the age of 76. If you're not familiar with his work, it's definitely worth looking into. I first learned about Hawking by reading his book, A Brief History of Time back when I was in college. Most people know who Albert Einstein was, and I'd wager that Hawking was as influential to the study of science as Einstein was in his day. Both men changed the world for the better, and with Hawking's recent death we have truly lost one of the great minds of our civilization.

2. People have been losing their jobs to new technologies for a long time, but the frequency of this phenomenon has been increasing since the dawn of the Internet. Now that we have the opportunity to continue our education online, tech companies have poised themselves to essentially retrain the workers that they are replacing via automation. Online courses can prepare beginners for entry-level jobs in the tech industry in just eight to 12 months. This is one step in the right direction, which will hopefully do at least a little bit to deal with the issue that an estimated 75 million to 375 million workers worldwide will be replaced by automation by 2030. At least for now we can see that it may be possible to retrain entry-level workers to work in the tech industry.

That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

Weekend Thoughts - 1.13.18

Image by Engin_Akyurt, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection searched 60 percent more electronic devices in 2017 than it did during the previous year. That has led to concern from privacy advocates who worry that the rise in searches may indicate something nefarious about the administration's stance on immigration and surveillance. However, the good news to come out of this is that customs agents will now need to have "reasonable suspicion" before they can perform a thorough search on devices. The real question now though is, "What constitutes reasonable suspicion?" It's quite possible that even with this change, the number of searches will not decrease in the near future.

2. President Trump has signed an executive order that could make it easier for Internet Service Providers to install high-speed broadband networks in rural areas. This move may help bring reliable and powerful Internet access to these areas, where 39 percent of people do not have access to broadband speeds. However, Trump's latest order will not offer any federal funding to promote broadband in those areas; instead it will expedite federal permitting requirements, which theoretically would make it easier for broadband companies to install and operate wireless towers. And of course he had to follow up this move by saying, "Those towers are going to go up, and you're going to have great, great broadband."

3. The concept of humans having sex with robots is still fairly new (and foreign) to most people, but the technology continues to get more sophisticated and advanced as time marches on. It's worth thinking about the pros and cons of sex robots and how it may affect individuals as well as the species as a whole. All in all, this is a fascinating area of technology that has several layers of complexity, and you may find it worth learning about while it is still relatively unknown to the general public.

4. Brick-and-mortar stores have been having a tough time competing against online retailers recently, and some have begun to turn to automation technology solutions to replace human workers. Think of the self checkout register, for example. Now a six-foot tall robot that is capable of moving about a store, performing inventory tasks for its employer, is beginning to make its way to stores. This machine is able to take photographs of store shelves and determine when items need to be restocked—a job that is still done by a human. For the time being, anyway. So when you see a towering robot in your local brick-and-mortar store, it's probably wise to leave it alone and let it do its job.

5. And for one last piece of news, also related to automation technology—GM plans to release a car without a steering wheel or pedals in 2019. In fact, the car will not have any manual controls or buttons for the passengers (remember, there is no human driver in this vehicle!) to push at all. This release will be dependent on whether or not the U.S. Department of Transportation approves some regulation, but it is exciting to think that there might be a fully autonomous consumer-grade vehicle on the road just next year.

That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

Weekend Thoughts - 8.26.17

Image by Denis De Mesmaeker, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. A manifesto arguing for technology fasting to combat Internet addictions was published this week on a website that can only be viewed offline. It's an intriguing use of a web browser feature that recognizes when the user has disconnected their Wi-Fi connection. After clicking the link, disconnect your Wi-Fi (or go into Airplane Mode, if you're on a mobile device) and give it a read. It's short—about two minutes—but it's a nice reminder that it can be beneficial to take a break from technology from time to time.

2. If you've ever avoiding composting or recycling an item because you weren't sure if it was recyclable or not, a new recycling system designed to recognize what you're throwing away may be just what you need. The company designing these smart bins envisions a future where you'll be rewarded via a phone app with points or a charitable donation when you use the bins. This really warms my heart, because it's a perfect example of how technology can be used to further environmentalist causes.

That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

This Week in Psychedelics - 7.14.17

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• DEA Reaffirms Stance That CBD Meets Schedule I Criteria – Reality Says Otherwise (NORML)
• Nevada's Half-Hearted Marijuana Legalization Guarantees a Healthy Black Market (Reason)
• Study: Alcohol Use, But Not Cannabis, Associated With Changes In Brain Structure (NORML)
• Senate Committee Overwhelmingly Passes Veterans Equal Access Amendment (NORML)
• Study: No Increase In Problematic Cannabis Use By Young People Following Changes In Marijuana's Legal Status (NORML)
• Rand Paul Presses Jeff Sessions on Industrial Hemp Policy (Reason)
• Billy Caldwell: Medical cannabis oil named after 11-year-old boy with severe epilepsy (The Independent)
• Could legal cannabis transform provincial New Zealand? (Stuff.co.nz)
• Michigan: Legalization Coalition Effort Reaches Signature Milestone (NORML)
• Carl Sagan Was a Lifelong Cannabis User and Advocate (Merry Jane)
• Three New Marijuana Myth-Busting Studies That the Mainstream Media Isn't Picking up On (AlterNet)
• High-CBD Cannabis Cigarettes Coming to Swiss Supermarkets (Leafly)
• Congressional Cannabis Caucus Ready to 'Bump Heads' With Trump's Anti-Pot Attorney General (AlterNet)
• Infographic: Know Your Rights When Driving With Cannabis (Leafly)
• Register for the 2017 NORML Conference (NORML)
• Hemp-growing: first step to medicinal cannabis in Utah? (The Salt Lake Tribune)
• Cannabis: Can low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol help restore memory? (ABC)
• This Women's Weed Network Is Empowering Cannabis Entrepreneurs (LA Weekly)
• Police Destroy Art Installation, Mistaking It for Cannabis Farm (Hyperallergic)
• Feds Authorized Montana Woman's Hemp Farm, but Now They're Killing It (Reason)
• How does cannabis actually affect the human body? (Stuff.co.nz)
• Help, and hope: Could cannabis possibly help fight cancer? (The Denver Post)
• A New Site Selling Luxury Cannabis Cigars Bills Itself as "420 for the 1 Percent"—So We Tried It (The Potlander)
• Video: Lord Jones Throws Cannabis-Infused Sound Bath Events and They're Incredible (Leafly)
• Police Leave Homeowner Hilarious Note After Discovering Marijuana Field (TIME)
• Leafly Staff Picks: Cannabis Strains and Products Perfect for Summer Days (Leafly)
• Fresno needs a cannabis plan, not a ban (Fresno Bee)
• Fancy Truffles Filled With Ganache ... And Cannabis? Yes, Please. (East Bay Express)

LSD

• 'Stranger Things 2' Will Pull From The CIA's Infamous Mind Control Program (UPROXX)
• Carlos Santana Says 'More People Taking LSD' Would Make The World A Better Place (Civilized)
• The Promise of LSD Microdoses and Other Psychedelic "Medicines" (Scientific American)
• WATCH: The British Military Doses Some Marines With LSD (AlterNet)
• Flying higher than Mighty Mouse! Top schools in Hyderabad discover LSD being smuggled in as kids' stickers (Daily Mail)
• LSD & The Search For God At The Ritz (Silicon Valley's Metro)
• LSD: educate, Don't get agitated (The New Indian Express)
• Man Pleads No Contest To LSD-Fueled Assault Of Police Officer (CBS)
• Milwaukee authorities: Man jumped to death after taking LSD (WSAW

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Religious leaders get high on magic mushrooms ingredient – for science (The Guardian)
• Shrooms Could Be Legalized Sooner Than You Think (VICE)
• Research Shows Magic Mushrooms Can Offer Real Benefits in Depression Therapy (Science Alert)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• Bad Drugs: Ecstasy Often Doesn't Contain Any MDMA, Study Shows (Newsweek)
• Testing Ecstasy pills at concerts and raves could reduce risks for users (The Hub)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• What Went Wrong When a Psychiatrist Self-Medicated With DMT (Inverse)
• Burning Man and Ayahuasca: Interview with Random Rab (Psychedelic Times)
• CONVERSING WITH THE MOTHER VINE: Life, Death and the Living Universe (Dope Magazine)
• Powerful hallucinogen can help drug addicts, PTSD veterans conquer their demons (WTSP)
• 'Icaros: A Vision' is an assured, trippy brew of sound and vision (Los Angeles Times)

Dissociatives

• The Growing Integration of Ketamine into the Major Depressive Disorder Treatment Paradigm and the Implication for Future Fast-Acting Antidepressants: Reflections After the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting (Decision Resources Group)
• Driver of vehicle that struck woman in D.C. was high on PCP, police say (The Washington Post)

Opiates/Opioids

• Capitol Watch: NY Weighs Next Steps in Fight Against Heroin (U.S. News & World Report)
• Meet the Doctor Who Refuses to Stop Prescribing Opioids to Pain Patients (Reason)
• Homeland Security Head to Mexico: US Drug Use Fuels Violence (U.S. News & World Report)
• Let Them Die: A Radical Proposal To Deal With The Opioid Epidemic (Reason)
• A sheriff in an opioid county won't have cops carry a $37.50 dose of life-saving naloxone (Quartz)
• Naloxone: A miracle medication for the opioid epidemic (The Daily Texan)
• Facts about the opioid abuse crisis (WTSP)

Khat

• Miraa chewing culture and the stereotype as a cheap twig for truck drivers (Mediamax)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Jeff Sessions Wants to Revive D.A.R.E. (Reason)
• The Psychedelic Renaissance owes its life to an open internet (Psymposia)
• It's Time for the U.S. to Decriminalize Drug Use and Possession (Drug Policy Alliance)
• Oregon Decriminalizes Cocaine, Meth, Heroin And More (MintPress News)
• House Advances Bill That Would Expand the DEA's Power to Make Legal Highs Illegal (Reason)
• Senator Schumer Calls On FDA To Regulate 'Snortable Chocolate' (CBS New York)
• It's Not Just Chocolate Powder. You Shouldn't Be Snorting Anything, Doctors Say (TIME)
• Did Police Just Take Down the Biggest Dark Web Drug Market in History? (Reason)
• Trump explains why he wants to be able to 'see through' his border wall (CNBC)
• Hunting Hallucinogenic Honey In The Himalayas (Teton Gravity Research)
• Alameda author's new book examines psychedelic drugs' medical use (East Bay Times)
• WATCH: Microdosing Comes To Silicon Valley: Produces Workplace Productivity (Trill Magazine)
• Illegal drug market is booming, says UN watchdog (The Guardian)
• This 'True Blood' Actor's Death Reveals a Hidden Danger of Addiction We Don't Talk About (ATTN:)

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