This Week in Psychedelics - 9.10.21

Cannabis

• The Mysterious Ingredients in Your Cannabis Vaporizer — and the Health Risks They May Pose (Discover Magazine)

• Ecuador Takes Giant Steps Towards Cannabis Legalisation (TalkingDrugs)

• The cannabis industry is booming, but for many Black Americans the price of entry is steep (The Guardian)

• California Will Use Marijuana Tax Dollars To Support Cultivator Environmental Clean-Up, State Announces (Marijuana Moment)

• South Dakota: Lawmakers Seek to Repeal Vote Permitting Home Cultivation of Medical Cannabis (NORML)

• Marijuana Legalization Doesn’t Lead To Increased Youth Use, American Medical Association Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Marijuana Possession Arrests Plunge in NYC Post-Legalization (Filter)

• Daily marijuana use among US college students reaches new 40-year high (University of Michigan)

• Drones to Deploy in California County to Detect Illicit Pot Operations (High Times)

• Texas: Expansions to Medical Cannabis Access Law Take Effect (NORML)

• Medical cannabis unlikely to benefit most chronic pain patients, international researchers say (STAT)

• Young adult cannabis consumers nearly twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack, research shows (CNN)

• Maryland Lawmakers Take First Step Toward Putting Marijuana Legalization On 2022 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Nebraska Activists Submit Two Medical Marijuana Initiatives For 2022 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Wyoming Activists Jumpstart Signature Gathering For 2022 Marijuana Ballot Initiatives (Marijuana Moment)

• Missouri voters might see two adult-use cannabis measures in 2022 (Marijuana Business Daily)

LSD

• Shia LaBeouf Filmed Himself On LSD For This Role (TheThings)

• Kacey Musgraves says she was on LSD listening to Bach when she came up with the idea for her new album 'Star-crossed' (INSIDER)

Magic Mushrooms

• Oregon Psilocybin Panel Teams Up With Harvard To Research Psychedelic History And Impacts Of Reform (Marijuana Moment)

• Amanita Muscaria, the Real Life Mushroom We Know From Disney Movies (Literary Hub)

• Coldplay’s Chris Martin recounted his hallucinogenic experience with mushrooms (Vegan News)

• Nova Mentis Expands Psilocybin Research Program Targets Obesity and Diabetes (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• Lorde reveals she was on MDMA while making 'Melodrama' and says each of her albums can be distinguished by drugs she was using at the time (Yahoo! News)

• MDMA-assisted couples therapy may help maximize recovery among patients with PTSD (PsyPost)

DMT

• Joe Rogan Test Positive for Covid, Says He Is Smoking Ivermectin-DMT Hybrid for Treatment (ValueWalk)

• DMT vs. Mushrooms: Are We All Tripping On The Same Thing? (DoubleBlind)

• Algernon Pharmaceuticals Confirms DMT Increased Growth of Neurons by 40% in Preclinical Study at Sub Hallucinogenic Dose (Psilocybin Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• Your Grandma’s Guide to Ayahuasca (Lucid News)

San Pedro

• Consuming San Pedro: Everything You Need To Know (The Third Wave)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Here's Why There's So Much Fake MDMA in the UK Right Now (VICE)

• Mydecine Innovations Group Announces MYCO-001 Seamless Phase 2/3 Smoking Cessation Clinical Trial (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Mindset Pharma Selects Treatment-Resistant Depression and End of Life Cancer Angst as Indications for MSP-1014, its Novel Psilocybin-Inspired Clinical Candidate (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Field Trip Health Ltd. to Pursue Treatment Resistant Depression and Postpartum Depression as Indications for FT-104 (Psilocybin Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

• Laughing Gas Could Become Illegal Because the UK Can’t Stand the Sight of Rubbish (VICE)

Ketamine

• Researchers develop statistical model to characterize how ketamine anesthesia affects the brain (News-Medical.net)

• Intranasal ketamine could effectively treat phantom pain (Pharmaceutical Technology)

• Comparing the impacts of propofol and ketamine on the brain (Medical Xpress)

• atai Life Sciences and Introspect Digital Therapeutics to test novel digital therapeutic approach in patients receiving ketamine for treatment resistant depression (Psilocybin Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Possessing And Cultivating Psychedelics Would Be Legalized In Michigan Under New Senate Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• The worldview-changing drugs poised to go mainstream (BBC)

• Why investors are turning toward psychedelic health care companies (Fortune)

• No, VR Will Not Give You A Psychedelic Trip (Psychedelics Today)

• Field Trip Health opens Europe's first psychedelic therapy healthcare facility (PR Newswire)

• Hamilton Morris joins COMPASS Pathways to research new psychedelic compounds (Psilocybin Alpha)

• SoundMind opens a psychedelic clinic in West Philly as momentum builds for treatment of depression, PTSD with mind-altering drugs (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• CaaMTech Raises $22 Million for Psychedelic Drug Discovery and Development (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Mount Sinai’s Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research Receives $5 Million Grant From The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation (Mount Sinai)

• Wesana Health Announces Closing of PsyTech Acquisition (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Researchers Debate the Role of Mysticism in Psychedelic Science (Lucid News)

• Glutamate’s Role in Rapidly-Acting Antidepressants (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.

This Week in Psychedelics - 7.30.21

Cannabis

• Barcelona cannabis clubs face closure in new legal setback (The Guardian)

• Black People in Colorado Are Still Arrested for Weed Twice as Much as Everyone Else (MERRY JANE)

• Epilepsy Patients Who Use ‘Artisanal CBD’ Have Higher Quality Of Life, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Is medical cannabis really a magic bullet? (The Guardian)

• New Study Finds California Cannabis Farms Irrigating with Groundwater May Affect Stream Flows (Sierra Sun Times)

• Ohio Lawmakers Officially File Marijuana Legalization Bill In Historic First For The State (Marijuana Moment)

• You Can Get a Free Eighth of Weed For Getting Vaccinated in SF (Broke Ass Stuart)

• California Senator Seeks Federal Clarification On Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals (Marijuana Moment)

• How Mexico Has Legalized But Still Not Regulated Cannabis (Filter)

• Why cannabis is still a banned Olympics substance (BBC)

• Pop Star Lorde Smokes Weed Out of DIY Fennel Bulb Bong in New Music Video (MERRY JANE)

• Study: Marijuana Legalization Laws Don’t Undermine Tobacco Smoking Prevention Efforts (NORML)

LSD

• New study sheds light on how LSD’s entropic effects on the brain impact language production (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Oregon State Board Says Psilocybin Is Effective At Treating Certain Mental Health Condition (Marijuana Moment)

• Psilocybin appears to alter how the brain integrates tactile sensory inputs (PsyPost)

• TheraPsil Launches New Campaign for Psilocybin Access (Truffle Report)

• Why Don’t Magic Mushroom Spores Contain Psilocybin? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Psilocybe Cyanescens: A Mycologist’s Guide to Wavy Caps (DoubleBlind)

• Health Canada dragging feet on approving magic mushrooms for therapeutic use, patients and advocates say (CBC)

• More Details on the Psilocybin Mushroom Bluing Reaction (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Florida researchers work to understand power of psychedelics to treat mental illness (ABC7 Southwest Florida)

MDMA

• MDMA-assisted cognitive-behavioral therapy may help couples overcome PTSD (PsyPost)

• MDMA might be able to improve your already loving relationship, suggests Yale ethicist (KCRW)

• 'You Can Forgive Yourself:' Molly Helps Vets with PTSD, New Study Says (Military.com)

• How to reduce your risk of harm when taking MDMA and ecstasy (Metro)

• 2 Music Playlists For Therapeutic MDMA Sessions (Maps of the Mind)

DMT

• MindMed Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Intravenous DMT (Psilocybin Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• Psychedelics, Religion, and the DEA’s Quest for Soul (Psychedelics Today)

• Drinking Psychedelic Brew Ayahuasca May Help Drug And Alcohol Addicts Quit (IFLScience)

• Joe Rogan And Comedian Ari Shaffir Discuss Tripping Balls On Ayahuasca (BroBible)

Iboga

• Gabon’s government is tripping for a psychedelic plant (Financial Times)

• Ibogaine: The Psychedelic Drug That Could Fight Addiction (Discover Magazine)

• MINDCURE Launches Second Stage of Manufacturing Synthetic Ibogaine for Use in Psychedelic Clinical Research (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Synthetic cannabis warning: Second death from 'dangerous' batch in Taranaki (New Zealand Herald)

Nitrous Oxide

• Mindful Use of Nitrous Oxide: How to be a Connoisseur of Getting High (Maps of the Mind)

Ketamine

• Tucson wrongful death lawsuit questions ketamine usage (ABC15 Arizona)

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

• Understanding Where Ketamine Comes From (Healing Maps)

Miscellaneous

• House Rejects AOC Amendment To Promote Research Into Psychedelics’ Medical Benefits (Marijuana Moment)

• $40m psychedelic medicine institute launches in Melbourne (The Sydney Morning Herald)

• Psychedelic trips could soon be part of therapy — here’s what those sessions will look like (CNBC)

• How TikTok's Viral Psychedelic Water Might Affect Your Mood (Mashed)

• Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte Is About to Be Investigated for All the Drug Dealers He's Killed (MERRY JANE)

• Controversies Around California’s Psychedelic Decriminalization Law Senate Bill 519 (Chacruna)

• Judaism’s Psychedelic Renaissance (Tablet Magazine)

• Grandparents of Psychedelics Ann and Sasha Shulgin Honored by Friends and Fellow Researchers (Lucid News)

• Corrections to Misinformation Being Spread about MAPS and IPCI (Dr. Bronner's)

• “Undoing Drugs”—Maia Szalavitz’s Profound History of Harm Reduction (Filter)

• The Graeme Carl Scale: 5 Levels of a Psychedelic Experience (Maps of the Mind)

• Mestizo Identity and Decolonial Psychedelic Futures (Chacruna)

• Fireside Project for Psychedelic Peer Support: An Update (Truffle Report)

• Veteran Psychedelics Advocate/Attorney Launches New Venture Capital Firm (Forbes)

• Highlight on Life Clips, AI, and Speech Based Technology in Psychedelic Science (Dark Matters)

• The Lilly Psychonautic Centre – A Vision from the Future (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 - 2.26.21

Cannabis

• Murphy signs N.J. legal weed bills, ending 3-year saga (NJ.com)

• North Dakota House votes to legalize recreational marijuana (KXNet.com)

• Alabama Senate passes medical marijuana legislation (WTVM)

• South Dakota: House Members Approve Legislation to Delay Implementation of Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Law (NORML)

• Virginia OKs smokable flower in move that could spur medical marijuana sales (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Marijuana legalization passes in Minnesota House Committee vote (KIMT)

• Cannabis legalization bill headed to House floor (Albuquerque Journal)

• FDA to include cannabis on essential drugs list (Bangkok Post)

• Virginia Conference Committee Faces Saturday Deadline To Finalize Marijuana Legalization Proposal (Marijuana Moment)

• Pa. lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana (WHTM)

• Marijuana legalization proposed in Maryland Legislature (The Washington Post)

• Kansas Governor’s Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced As Lawmakers Take Up Separate Legalization Proposal (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado families ask for statewide school cannabis access (The Colorado Sun)

• Study: Enactment of Marijuana Legalization Laws Associated with Reductions in Opioid Prescribing Patterns (NORML)

• Legal Marijuana States See Reduced Workers’ Compensation Claims, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Missouri pushes back deadline for medical cannabis businesses to open (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Study: Cannabis Mitigates Symptoms in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Fibromyalgia (NORML)

• South Carolina Voters Support Legalizing Medical Marijuana By A Five-To-One Ratio, New Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• Aion Therapeutic Opening the First International Treatment Center for Psychedelic Psychiatry in Jamaica; Hires Leading Psychiatrist as Medical Director (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Penis Envy Mushrooms: Murder & Conspiracy Behind the World’s Trippiest Shroom (DoubleBlind)

• Red Light Holland, the First Public Candian Psychedelics Company, Is Ready To Sell You Magic Truffles (Lucid News)

MDMA

• MDMA proves a promising alcoholism treatment in world-first trial (New Atlas)

• The Effects of Antidepressant Discontinuation on MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Root Beer and MDMA: Degrees of Separation (Truffle Report)

DMT

• PharmaDrug Files For FDA Orphan Drug Designation For DMT In Kidney Transplantation and Expands on Its Psychedelics Strategy (Psilocybin Alpha)

• The Ultimate Guide to DMT Pricing (Reality Sandwich)

Iboga

• Ibogaine Addiction Therapy: Then and Now (Truffle Report)

Morning Glory Seeds

• Microdosing LSA: People are Microdosing Acid’s Less Known, Legal Cousin (DoubleBlind)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Synthetic cannabis: an unknown gamble with potentially fatal consequences (Stuff.co.nz)

Ketamine

• Elijah McClain's mother relieved he 'is no longer labeled a suspect' after investigation into officers' actions (CNN)

• Aurora, Colorado, to hire independent police monitor after investigation into Elijah McClain's death (KDRV)

• What To Look For When Searching For A Ketamine Clinic (Healing Maps)

PCP

• Rochester police officers involved in suffocation death of Daniel Prude will not face charges (KTLA)

Miscellaneous

• Norway seeks to decriminalise recreational drug use (RTÉ)

• Vermont Introduces Bill to Decriminalize Entheogenic Plants (Truffle Report)

• NYU Langone Health Establishes Center for Psychedelic Medicine (NYU Langone Health)

• Missouri Bill Would Add MDMA, Psilocybin Mushrooms And LSD To Right-To-Try Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Psychedelic Therapy Needs to Confront the Mystical (VICE)

• After a Year of Controversy, MAPS Canada Executive Director Mark Haden Announces Resignation (Psymposia)

• Washington Supreme Court Strikes Down Criminalization Of Drug Possession (Marijuana Moment)

• Casey William Hardison: A Clandestine Chemist’s View on Cognitive Liberty (Filter)

• Why the US Has Embraced Drug Law Reform, But the UK Won't (VICE)

• The Guardian view on illegal drugs: the laws don’t work (The Guardian)

• An Urgent Plea to Users of Psychedelics: Let’s Consider a More Ethical Menu of Plants and Compounds (Tim Ferriss Blog)

• What If We Pay People to Stop Using Drugs? (The New Republic)

• Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin: A Retrospective (Truffle Report)

• The Farmer and The Cowman Should Be Friends: Why the Pharmaceutical Industry and Grassroots Reformists Should Join Forces (Psychedelics Today)

• Microneedle patches for microdosing psychedelic pharmaceuticals (EurekAlert!)

• Meet the Psychedelic Rapper Running for New York City Mayor (DoubleBlind)

• The Case For Psychedelic Couples Counseling (GQ)

• Love and Psychedelic Psychotherapy: Bridging the Divide (Chacruna)

• How Psychedelics Impact Startle Response (Truffle Report)

• The Problem and Paradox of Bad Trips, Part 2 (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Joe Rogan: Dedemonizing Psychedelics (Reality Sandwich)

• Psychedelics, Capitalism, and the Commodification of the Sacred (The Third Wave)

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 Psychoactives - 2.28.20

Cannabis

• Marijuana use is rising sharply among seniors over 65, study says, and there are serious risks (CNN)

• Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales Officially Passes Vermont House Of Representatives (Marijuana Moment)

• Mexican Senate Committees Meeting This Week To Finalize Marijuana Legalization Plan (Marijuana Moment)

• Luxembourg’s government reportedly weighs plan to legalize recreational marijuana (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Presidential Candidates Clash Over Marijuana Legalization At Democratic Debate (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis for pain: Does medicating with marijuana increase abuse risk? (Leafly)

• Israel's Prime Minister To Explore Marijuana Legalization (Reason)

• Moldy, Yeasty Legal Weed Products Prompt Health Advisory in Nevada (MERRY JANE)

• Elizabeth Warren Has A New Plan For Legalizing Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• Labor unions flex their muscle in fight with California cannabis industry (Los Angeles Times)

• Cannabis excellence: LSSU launches new chemistry facility (The Mining Journal)

• More Than 80% of Denver Teens Don’t Smoke Weed, New Study Says (MERRY JANE)

• Henderson marijuana dispensary hosts cannabis-based blood drive (KTNV)

• Ohio Marijuana Legalization Measure To Be Filed For November Ballot This Week (Marijuana Moment)

• Weed Is Better at Preventing Cavities Than Most Toothpaste Brands, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

• Mississippi Lawmakers Attempt To ‘Kill’ Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative With New Strategy (Marijuana Moment)

• Capitol Confidential: THC bill would kill Arizona’s medical marijuana system (Leafly)

LSD

• This Is What Happens When You Take 550 Doses of LSD At Once (VICE)

• Microdosed LSD: Finally A Breakthrough For Alzheimer’s Disease? (Forbes)

Magic Mushrooms

• Could CBD and Psilocybin Treat Brain Injuries? This University Plans to Find Out (MERRY JANE)

MDMA

• Israel Makes A Big Move Toward The Acceptance Of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy For PTSD (Forbes)

• Belgian woman dies after taking sip of MDMA-laced wine (The Guardian)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• The Unintended Consequences of Prohibitionist Policies - Mephedrone (Drug Science)

Ketamine

• Lawsuit: Ketamine clinic caused psychosis (Albuquerque Journal)

Opioids

• In 2019 speech, Bloomberg mocked Brooklyn father and son who died from heroin as ‘not a good family’ (NY Daily News)

• Inside the Middlesbrough clinic where heroin users get a 'last chance' (BBC)

• Teaching Children How to Reverse an Overdose (The New York Times)

• Mother of dead heroin addict to Chicago Police Department: ‘Enforce the law’ (Chicago Sun-Times)

• What happens when naloxone expires (KUSA)

• Enhancing Rates Of Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution In Emergency Departments (Health Affairs)

Cocaine

• The World's Biggest Legal Coca Industry Might Get Shut Down (VICE)

• Why the FDA Approval Process Is Under Scrutiny Following Approval of ‘Numbrino’, a Cocaine-Based Nasal Spray (Grit Daily)

• U.S. drug deaths dipped in 2018, but cocaine and meth overdoses rose (Science News)

Methamphetamine

• Meth Still a Missouri Problem, but Now It Comes From Mexico (The New York Times)

• DEA labels North Texas a 'meth hub' after spike in drug seizures (WFAA)

Nicotine

• Inside the Philip Morris campaign to 'normalize' a tobacco device (Reuters)

• New Juul patent application hints at AI-powered vape to help users quit nicotine (The Verge)

• House tobacco bill revives talk of nicotine limits (Politico)

• A New Bill Would Ban The Sale of All Flavored Nicotine Products (Colorado Public Radio)

• Governor Cuomo pushing ban of flavored nicotine vaping products, restricting ads aimed at youth (INFORMNNY)

Benzodiazepines

• Understanding the link between nicotine use and misuse of 'benzos' (EurekAlert!)

Alcohol

• 27,000 Mass. drunken-driving convictions may be tossed out due to faulty breathalyzer machines, lawyer says (The Boston Globe)

• Alcohol-Linked Deaths Soaring in U.S., Women Hit Hardest (U.S. News and World Report)

• Chicago Approves Earlier Start for Sunday Alcohol Sales (Eater)

GHB

• New report shows illicit drug GHB deaths could be prevented (Medical Xpress)

• Call for 'date rape' drug GHB to be reclassified (BBC)

Kratom

• Kratom at Risk in Colorado Without Legislation, Activists Say (Westword)

• Drug Tests Show Kratom Use Doubled in U.S. (Pain News Network)

Kava

• Utah's Attorney General hosts a kava ceremony in the Capitol (Fox 13 Now)

Miscellaneous

• Supervised-injection site in Philadelphia gets final green light from federal judge (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• South Philadelphia to become site of nation’s first supervised-injection facility next week, organizers say (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• DEA agent accused of conspiring with cartel (Associated Press)

• Europe’s psychedelic science renaissance has started (Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research)

• Beyond Mushrooms: The Mysterious, Magical World of African Plant Medicine (DoubleBlind)

• Should Breakthrough Psychedelic Research Make Us Question Our Assumptions About Mental Illness? (Psychedelics Today)

• End-to-end solution in psychedelic therapies establishes Numinus as leader in emerging space (Investing News)

• Scotland's drug death crisis in six charts (BBC)

• Psychedelics May Aid in Deprogramming Addiction (Psychedelic Science Review)

• They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself (NPR)

• Podcast Host Joe Rogan Is Steadily Documenting A Psychedelic Record Of The 21st Century (Forbes)

• Vans Adds Psychedelic Tie-Dye To Their Iconic Checkerboard Print (Sneaker 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 Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 12.27.19

Cannabis

• “Impermissible Levels of Lead” Found in Massachusetts' Legal Weed Vapes (MERRY JANE)

• Travelers caught with weed in Chicago airports won’t be busted, police say (Chicago Sun-Times)

• Federal CBD Regulations Are Finally Coming (MERRY JANE)

• Peoria airport to allow recreational marijuana (CIProud)

• Legal Marijuana Shops Refuse Sales To Underage Customers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Marijuana On The 2020 Ballot: These States Could Vote (Forbes)

• South Dakota: Medical Cannabis Initiative Certified for 2020 Ballot (NORML)

• Trump Says He Can Ignore Medical Marijuana Protections Passed By Congress (Forbes)

• Alabama Legislature’s Study Commission Recommends Medical Marijuana Be Legalized (Marijuana Moment)

• Hemp cleans toxic soil and produces clean CBD flower, study finds (Leafly)

• Legalizing Cannabis Has Unexpected Impact on Food and Farming in Humboldt (KQED)

• Three-Fourths Of New Mexico Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, State-Funded Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• Study reveals what happens to the brain on LSD (Inverse)

Magic Mushrooms

• Denver's psilocybin mushroom policy review panel set to launch in January (9News.com)

• Activists Take Next Step In Campaign To Legalize Psychedelic Mushrooms In California (Marijuana Moment)

• Paul Stamets Tells Joe Rogan About the Future of Psilocybin Research (Psychedelic Science Review)

MDMA

• More Patients Could Have Access to MDMA Therapy—Before the FDA Approves It (DoubleBlind)

• How — and why — to legalize ecstasy (AlterNet)

Ayahuasca

• Initial Trial of Ayahuasca for Depression Shows Promising Results (Mad in America)

• More Evidence About Ayahuasca ‘Death Cult’ Emerges With Arrest of Lawyer Paul Sulla in Hawaii (Frank Report)

Iboga

• For opioid addicts, African psychedelic ibogaine is last-resort detox drug. Research shows it works, but a legal grey area surrounds its use by clinics (South China Morning Post)

Opioids

• Risk Factors for Opioid Overdose Similar for Teens and Adults (PsychCentral)

• The opioid crisis shows why racism in health care is always harmful, never ‘protective’ (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Methamphetamine

• Meth boom adds to Afghanistan's opium and heroin woes (Breitbart)

Nicotine

• Federal Legal Age to Buy Tobacco Products Officially Raised to 21 (TIME)

Benzodiazepines

• Benzodiazepines May Influence Suicide Risk in Anxiety Disorders Depending on Duration of Use (Psychiatry Advisor)

• Benzodiazepines linked to overdose deaths among those treated for opioid dependency (The Pharmaceutical Journal)

• More U.S. Teens Are Overdosing on Valium, Xanax (U.S. News and World Report)

Alcohol

• THC vs Alcohol Impaired Driving (DrugScience)

• Ad stating alcohol is a drug blocked as ‘too political’ (Irish Examiner)

• UNC researchers may have discovered why some casual drinkers develop an alcohol use disorder (WRAL Tech Wire)

Nootropics

• The 5 Most Science-Backed Nootropics for Energy (Psychology Today)

Miscellaneous

• Baba Ram Dass, Proponent of LSD Turned New Age Guru, Dies at 88 (The New York Times)

• Say Hello to World’s First Psychedelic Microdosing Study Mobile App (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Ireland's first supervised drug injection centre gets approved (The Irish Post)

• The future of psychedelic science: What the next decade holds (New Atlas)

• A New Way To Quit? Psychedelic Therapy Offers Promise For Smoking Cessation (NPR)

• Portland Activists Begin Gathering Signatures For Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

• What Makes A Good Psychedelic Guide? (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 Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.