Weekly Psychedelic Links - September 2022

9.2.22

Cannabis

• Oklahoma Supreme Court Gives Marijuana Activists Temporary Win As They Fight For Legalization Ballot Placement (Marijuana Moment)

• Pharmaceutical Industry Suffers Billions In Losses After States Legalize Marijuana, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Harvard Grad Student Dies in Bali From Police Brutality Over Cannabis Arrest (High Times)

• Poll: South Dakota Legalization Initiative in Danger of Failing (High Times)

• More Americans Now Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes, For The First Time Ever, Gallup Reports (Marijuana Moment)

• Largest ever independent study into cannabis use (BBC)

• Cannabis researchers say it’s high time to drop ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype (The Guardian)

• Pennsylvania: Governor Launches Effort to Issue Mass Pardons to Those with Low-Level Marijuana Convictions (NORML)

• Ghana's Legal Cannabis Hits a Constitutional Roadblock (TalkingDrugs)

• Joseph Schooling: Singapore Olympic star suspended for taking cannabis in Vietnam (BBC)

• Cannabis industry inches toward sustainability (Chemical and Engineering News)

• New Study Shows Evidence That Low-Dose THC Could Help Treat Veteran PTSD (High Times)

• U.S. Air Force And Space Force Reviewing ‘Common Sense’ Marijuana Drug Testing Policy Change For Recruits (Marijuana Moment)

• Qualitative Study Reveals Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Medical Pot (High Times)

LSD

• LSD decreases binge-like drinking in a rodent model of alcoholism, but only temporarily (PsyPost)

• Is the Color of LSD an Indicator of Purity? (Lucid News)

MDMA

• Boy, 16, dies in suspected ecstasy-related incident at Leeds Festival (The Independent)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• DEA Backs Off, Won’t Criminalize Two New Psychedelics (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Nitrous Oxide

• Why Some New York Stores Will Require You to Show ID to Buy Whipped Cream (Newsweek)

• Doctors warn of rise in nerve damage linked to nitrous oxide (The Guardian)

Ketamine

• This New, Legal Cannabis and Ketamine Therapy is Designed to Heal Trauma in the Body (DoubleBlind)

• They’re Pushing Cut-Rate Ketamine Therapy on TikTok (Rolling Stone)

• Yukon woman paid $7K for private ketamine treatment, only to learn that the Yukon gov't covers it (CBC)

Miscellaneous

• An Inside Look at the Lawsuit that could “Legalize Psychedelics in Canada” (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• MindMed Completes 1-for-15 Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Student Loan Forgiveness Limited By the War on Drugs (High Times)

• Aspen, Colorado Activists Pursue Psychedelics Decriminalization For 2023 Ballot As Voters Prepare To Decide On Statewide 2022 Legalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

• Psychedelic Advocate Facing Charges Calls for Help, Law Reform in New York (High Times)

• Is the Psychedelic Therapy Bubble About to Burst? (WIRED)

• In the Wake of Decrim, Police Continue to Target Psychedelics (Lucid News)

• How Psychedelics Might Fuel a Paradigm Shift (DoubleBlind)

9.9.22

Cannabis

• California: Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Doctors from Discriminating Against Medical Cannabis Patients (NORML)

• Nobody knows how widespread illegal cannabis grows are in California. So we mapped them (Los Angeles Times)

• UK Government Blocks Bermuda From Legalizing Marijuana On Same Day New Prime Minister Takes Office (Marijuana Moment)

• Afroman’s Ohio Residence Raided by Local Law Enforcement (High Times)

• Minnesota Arrests Black People For Marijuana At Much Higher Rates Than White People, State Data Shows (Marijuana Moment)

• New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Cannabis Banking Legislation (High Times)

• Companies Turn to THC Beverages as Next Growing Legal Cannabis Market (High Times)

LSD

• LSD-assisted therapy induces rapid and lasting reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms, according to new research (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Placebo-controlled study suggests that the benefits of psilocybin microdosing can be explained by expectancy effects (PsyPost)

• Psilocybin Study To Investigate the Serotonin System in Autism (Technology Networks)

• Optimi Health Completes Largest Legal Natural Psilocybin Harvest in Canadian History (Psychedelic Alpha)

• 'Flesh of the Gods': The Trippy History of Magic Mushrooms (VICE)

MDMA

• MDMA Enhances Fear Extinction Learning: From Models to Mechanisms (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Police issue MDMA warning after man dies from suspected drug overdose (Radio New Zealand)

Ayahuasca

• Why Are Scientists Dosing Fish with Ayahuasca? (DoubleBlind)

5-MeO-DMT

• As Use Of The World’s Most Potent Psychedelic Skyrockets, New Site F.I.V.E. Fills An Education Void (Forbes)

Peyote

• Conspiracy and Antisemitism in the Debate Over Peyote Decriminalization (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• New Psychedelic Entactogens: Designer Drugs Produce Designer Effects (Psychedelic Science Review)

Nitrous Oxide

• Laughing gas: 'A 20-second high is not worth losing your life over' (BBC)

Ketamine

• Scientists Discover That a Surprising Factor Improved The Effects of Ketamine in Mice (ScienceAlert)

• Low-dose ketamine is safe and effective to treat children with ADNP syndrome, study suggests (News-Medical.net)

Miscellaneous

• San Francisco decriminalizes psychedelics (Leafly)

• Drug Executions in Iran Are Back on the Rise (TalkingDrugs)

• This Psychedelic Company is Leading the Way on Reciprocity and Holistic Approaches to Healing (DoubleBlind)

• WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-women speakers (Leafly)

9.16.22

Cannabis

• Killings, robberies, extortion. California can’t stop its booming illegal cannabis stores (Los Angeles Times)

• New Zealand Approves Domestic Medical Cannabis Products (High Times)

• World Anti-Doping Agency Set To Keep Marijuana On Banned Substance List, Saying U.S. Didn’t Back Its Removal (Marijuana Moment)

• Biden To Meet With Family of Brittney Griner (High Times)

• Study: CBD Oil Safe, Effective for Autism Patients (High Times)

• Missouri judge blocks attempt to kick legalization off ballot (Leafly)

• GOP Missouri Lawmaker Files Revised Marijuana Legalization Bill, Urging Special Session Action To Compete With Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• Pregnant Women in Alabama Are Being Jailed For Smoking Pot (High Times)

• Oklahoma Prosecutors Are Targeting Pregnant Women For Using Medical Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• Thai Lawmakers Withdraw Bill to Regulate Cannabis (High Times)

• New Jersey Employers Can’t Punish Workers Based On A Marijuana Test Alone, State Officials Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Nevada Judge Orders State Board to Remove Cannabis from Schedule 1 (High Times)

• Analysis: Legal Cannabis Businesses Associated with Increased Home Values (NORML)

• Weed Legalization in Germany Hampered by EU Laws (High Times)

• What’s Next For Cannabis Mergers And Acquisitions? (Forbes)

• Oregon Officials to Deploy Decoys to Catch Underage Weed, Alcohol Sales (High Times)

• Small Marijuana Growers Could Sell Directly To Consumers Across State Lines Under New Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Republican Congressmen Push for Environmental Impact Study on Cannabis (High Times)

• US Court of Appeals: Federal Scheduling of Cannabis “Irrational,” But Not Unconstitutional (NORML)

• In Hawaii, People Prefer Black Market Cannabis to State-Managed Facilities (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

• Scientists have started to examine whether “magic” mushrooms can help in the fight against obesity (PsyPost)

• Oregon Overcomes Bureaucratic Delays to Therapist Training Program Approvals (Lucid News)

• The shroom edibles market proliferates underground (Leafly)

• Revive Therapeutics Provides Update on the Psilocybin Clinical Study for Methamphetamine Use Disorder and Oral Psilocybin Thin Film Strip Program (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

• Algernon Pharmaceuticals Receives Approval for Groundbreaking Phase 1 DMT Human Stroke Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• Comedian Ron White Shares How Tripping On Ayahuasca In Costa Rica Turned His Life Around (BroBible)

5-MeO-DMT

• ‘I’m not a shaman – I just want to help people’: shoe designer Patrick Cox on his psychedelic toad awakening (The Guardian)

Peyote

• Native American Church of North America Advocates at Capitol Hill for Protections of Peyote (Native News Online)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Mindset Pharma Receives Scientific Advice from UK Regulator Facilitating Advancement of Phase 1 First-In-Human Clinical Trial Plan for Its Lead Clinical Candidate, MSP-1014 (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ketamine

• New study highlights ketamine’s promise for treatment-resistant depression (Popular Science)

• Dealers Are Giving Discounts on Cocaine and Ketamine in Honour of the Queen (VICE)

• Study Explores Effects of Experimenter Sex on Ketamine Response (Psychiatric Times)

PCP

• PCP (aka Angel Dust) May Actually Have Therapeutic Potential (DoubleBlind)

Datura

• Datura and the psychedelic Tao (Isham Cook)

Miscellaneous

• Atlanta is considering the decriminalization of magic mushrooms and other psychedelics (Leafly)

• Sexual Abuse in Psychedelic Therapy: Important Steps Being Taken to Support Survivors (DoubleBlind)

• Oregon Voters Continue To Support Drug Decriminalization Law They Approved In 2020, New Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

• Psychedelics Were the Hot Topic at This Year’s World Economic Forum (Lucid News)

• Local Michigan Lawmakers Vote To Make September Psychedelics Awareness Month After Decriminalization Enacted (Marijuana Moment)

• A Channel for Magic: Ralph Hood’s Mysticism Scale and the Occult Roots of the Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Program (Psymposia)

• Psychedelic Twitter is Swarmed by Plug Bots (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Finding Nuance in the Psychedelic Hype Bubble (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Psilera Receives First Patent Allowance for Transdermal Patch Formulations (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Adverse Events in Psychedelic Clinical Trials are Underreported (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Psychedelic South: The Quest to find Good Drugs in Alabama (Psychedelic Spotlight)

9.23.22

Cannabis

• Canada to review impact of cannabis legalization four years on (Reuters)

• Marijuana Is Staying On The Banned Substances List For International Athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency Announces (Marijuana Moment)

• California: Governor Signs Legislation Providing Employment Protections for Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

• NY finally approves medical homegrow (Leafly)

• Australian Cannabis Patients Turning to Prescriptions Over Illicit Market, Study Shows (High Times)

• New Yorkers with weed convictions will have priority in retail market, state says (Leafly)

• German Lawmakers Tour California Marijuana Businesses To Inform National Legalization Plans (Marijuana Moment)

• Las Vegas City Council Approves Cannabis Consumption Lounges (High Times)

• Leafly Report: ‘Opt-out’ towns are encouraging illegal marijuana sales (Leafly)

• University of Kentucky Opens New Cannabis Research Center (High Times)

• We spoke to the author of that new study on prenatal cannabis exposure (Leafly)

• Apple Lets Users Search For Marijuana And Pharmaceutical Interactions In Latest iPhone Health Update (Marijuana Moment)

• The Role of Cannabis in Treating Long COVID (High Times)

• Canada’s rich and complicated history of psychedelic research (Leafly)

• Oklahoma: Court Rules that Voters Can’t Decide on Legalization Ballot Measure This Year (NORML)

• Arkansas: High Court Approves Marijuana Legalization Measure for the November Ballot (NORML)

• Majority Of Maryland Voters Back Marijuana Legalization Referendum And Expungements, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Two Out Of Three Missouri Voters ‘Certain To Vote Yes’ On Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Poll: Majority in Minnesota Want Legal Weed (High Times)

• Two In Three Pennsylvania Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, New Poll Shows Amid Key Political Races (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• Miami clinic kicks off first national study of LSD, once a ‘public enemy,’ to treat anxiety (Miami Herald)

Magic Mushrooms

• The Viagra of the Himalayas—the World’s Most Expensive Fungus—Faces Serious Decline Due to Growing Demand (DoubleBlind)

• Liquid Culture vs. Spores (Reality Sandwich)

MDMA

• Disruption to Australian ecstasy market following COVID-19 restrictions, report finds (Medical Xpress)

• MindMed Collaborators Dose First Patient in Phase 1 Investigator-Initiated Trial of MDMA-Like Substances (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

• Researchers Studying Psychedelic Drug as Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease (High Times)

Ayahuasca

• Packers Bust Out Ayahuasca TD Celebration Weeks After Aaron Rodgers Revealed Psychedelic Use (BroBible)

• Aaron Rodgers Defends Ayahuasca, Says He May Be 'Called' to Take the Psychedelic Again (People)

Peyote

• Native American Church Leaders Ask Congress For Funds To Support Peyote Cultivation And Preservation (Marijuana Moment)

• The Complicated Ethics of Legalizing Indigenous Psychedelic Substances (Ethos)

Iboga

• You Can Now Get Ibogaine-Based Addiction Treatment In A Hospital Setting In Brazil (Forbes)

Nitrous Oxide

• What Nitrous Oxide Showed The Father of American Psychology (Lucid News)

Ketamine

• Looking at Images of People Smiling at You Extends Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine (Neuroscience News)

DXM

• Please don't cook chicken in NyQuil, the FDA asks TikTok users (NPR)

• The FDA may have unintentionally made 'NyQuil Chicken' go viral on TikTok (Engadget)

Miscellaneous

• Math Over Myth: Psychedelic Stock HAVN Life Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Psychedelics face corrupting influence of financial interests (UC News)

• Biden Administration Considers Psychedelic Therapies Task Force (Lucid News)

• Colorado Polls Show Conflicting Results On Psychedelics Ballot Measure That Voters Will Decide On In November (Marijuana Moment)

• Algernon Pharmaceuticals Announces Receipt of CDN $450K Cash Refund from Australian Research Program (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Baby Boomers (Re)Discover Psychedelics as Tools for Aging with Grace (DoubleBlind)

• Does Microdosing Impact Meditation? New Study From Beckley Foundation and Quantified Citizen Investigates (Newswire)

• Colombia’s President Tells UN That ‘Democracy Will Die’ If World Leaders Don’t End Drug War And Pursue Different Strategy (Marijuana Moment)

• The Undergrowth of Psychedelic Australia (Kahpi)

• Beyond Michael Pollan: Where to learn more about psychedelics. (Medium)

• Can Psychedelics Help Veterans with Chronic Pain? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

9.30.22

Cannabis

• Switzerland: Revision of Narcotics Act – Switzerland fully legalizes medicinal cannabis (Global Compliance News)

• Free medicinal cannabis to be donated to epileptic children in the UK (Sky News)

• Medical cannabis for doggies, kitties is fully legalized in California (Leafly)

• Medical Marijuana Helps Patients Reduce Use Of Addictive Opioid Painkillers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Maltese Non-profit Cannabis May be The Way Forward (TalkingDrugs)

• Check in, smoke up and tune out: Cannabis-friendly vacation rentals are catching on (CNBC)

• Despite The Munchies, Marijuana Legalization Is Tied To Lower Obesity Rates, Stereotype-Busting Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Investigators say more than 70% of cannabis growers use illegal water (Santa Barbara News-Press)

• Germany Versus The United States: Which Will Legalize Cannabis First (Forbes)

• As cannabis usage grows, so does the need for employers to revisit their workplace drug policies (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Could Cannabis and Psychedelic Drugs Make Breast Cancer Treatments More Effective? (PR Newswire)

• Federal Marijuana Prohibition Is Putting Patients At Risk Of Consuming Contaminated Products, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Supreme Court trial on homegrow ban reveals a bigger issue in federal cannabis legalization (Leafly)

• Medical Marijuana Patient Plans To Sue Feds For $3.5 Million Over ‘Discriminatory’ Cannabis Raid On Tribal Land (Marijuana Moment)

• Is Big Tobacco Pivoting to Big Cannabis? (High Times)

• Wisconsin Governor’s Push To Allow Ballot Initiatives Could Put Marijuana Legalization Before Voters (Marijuana Moment)

• Majority Of D.C. Voters Support Marijuana Legalization And Oppose Crackdown On Unregulated ‘Gifting’ Market, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Missouri Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative Leads In New Poll, But With Less Than 50 Percent (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• Effects of LSD and Psilocybin in Healthy Participants (Psychiatric Times)

Magic Mushrooms

• Connecticut to Offer Legal MDMA and Psilocybin Therapy as Early as Next Year (DoubleBlind)

• DEA Claims Doctors Requesting Psilocybin For Dying Patients Have Commercial Interests (Benzinga)

• Woman’s Breast Cancer Returned Immediately After Dropping Treatment With Cannabis, Shrooms (High Times)

• Psilocybin Shows Gender-Specific Effects on CNS Reactivity and Behavioral Responses (Gilmore Health News)

• Psyence Group Completes Export of Psilocybin Mushrooms to Portugal (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

• MDMA in the UK Is Finally Pure Again (VICE)

Ayahuasca

• Aaron Rodgers fumbles the science on psychedelics. Drugs like ayahuasca can alter the brain—but how? (Salon)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• 'A lot of MDMA that wasn't MDMA': The early results from inside Australia's first drug testing clinic (SBS)

• atai Life Sciences Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Trial for its MDMA Derivative, EMP-01 (Psychedelic Alpha)

• LSD-Like Molecules Counter Depression Without the Trip (UC San Francisco)

• BetterLife Files Comprehensive Patent for BETR-001 and Other LSD Derivatives (Psychedelic Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• A new urine test could help curtail the use of the latest synthetic cannabinoids to enter the drug scene (Medical Xpress)

Ketamine

• Elijah McClain’s autopsy report changed to death by ketamine (Colorado Public Radio)

• Looking at smiling faces extends the antidepressant effects of ketamine (University of Pittsburgh)

Miscellaneous

• How Interdisciplinary Research Could Reveal Psychedelics’ Blind Spots (Microdose)

• New Theory Believes Psychedelics Could Benefit Long-Term Space Travelers (High Times)

• After rocky start, hopes up in Oregon drug decriminalization (ABC)

• Psychedelic drugs: how to tell good research from bad (The Conversation)

• Do You Even Trip, Bro? A Look At Psychedelic Masculinity, From Joe Rogan To Mike Tyson (Benzinga)

• I went to the only psychedelic dispensary in North America—here’s how they do it (The Manual)

• The Racism and Classism Hidden Behind “Moms who Microdose” (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Whole-Body Effects of Psychedelics Part 3 – The Heart (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Majority Of Mainers Support Drug Decriminalization And Other Harm Reduction Policies, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Why Tripping at Raves Can Be Just As Healing as Ceremony (DoubleBlind)

• Math Over Myth: MindMed’s Self Destructive Stock Mission (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Men More Likely To Have Substance Abuse Disorder, Women More Likely To Overdose (High Times)

• Psychedelic Retreats Offer Healing Only for the Wealthy (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Psychedelic therapy could reduce anxiety, distress among patients with cancer (Healio)

• The Narrowing of Psychedelic Discourse (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Is Now a Good Time to Invest In Psychedelics Stocks? (The Motley Fool)

• The Messy Job of a Psychedelic Integration Coach (Psychedelic Spotlight)

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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 - 8.27.21

Cannabis

• Legal Pot Delivery Sales Launch in Denver, Colorado (High Times)

• New Jersey: Many Cities Opting Out of Retail Marijuana Sales Ahead of Rollout (NORML)

• New Mexico Approves Cannabis Rules and Prepares for Legalization (High Times)

• Manitoba and Quebec still won’t let you grow weed at home (Leafly)

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

• Marijuana firms and advocates struggle as Instagram targets accounts (Marijuana Business Daily)

• The Ecology of Good Weed (Nautilus)

• What is delta-10? (Leafly)

• Feds And California Governor Exploring Rules For Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals (Marijuana Moment)

• Commercial Drivers Consume Cannabis More than Any Other Drug, Data Shows (High Times)

• Ohio Attorney General Certifies 2022 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Petition (Marijuana Moment)

• Aurora sends first shipment of ‘free’ marijuana to France (Marijuana Business Daily)

LSD

• Microdosing LSD Makes Me a Better Mom (Psychedelics Today)

Magic Mushrooms

• Will A Psilocybin Patch Be The Next Big Thing In Psychedelics? (Forbes)

• Psilocybin Therapy and the Rise of Existential Medicine (DoubleBlind)

• All-Inclusive Magic Mushroom Retreats Are the New Luxury ‘Trips’ (Bloomberg)

• Tryp Therapeutics Completes Psychotherapy Training for Phase 2a Study at the University of Florida (Psilocybin Alpha)

• The Rise of Shroom Slang and the New Language of Tripping (DoubleBlind)

MDMA

• Women Behind the Scenes in Psychedelic Science: Making MDMA a Legal Medicine with Amy Emerson (Chacruna)

DMT

• Psilera Collaborates with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to Research DMT and New Analogues to Combat Addiction (Psilocybin Alpha)

• How Long Does DMT Last? (Healing Maps)

• PharmaDrug Announces Clinical Research Collaboration with The Johns Hopkins University to Evaluate DMT in a Comparative Clinical Study (Psilocybin Alpha)

• DMT-Inspired Artwork by Harry Pack (Sam Woolfe)

• What Is DMT? From Its Purpose To Understanding Its Side Effects (Healing Maps)

Ayahuasca

• What Do Ayahuasca Visions Really Mean? (Reality Sandwich)

• Ancestral Psychedelic Therapy Using Ayahuasca (Benzinga)

• An Ayahuasca Research Break Down (Reality Sandwich)

5-MeO-DMT

• Spanish couple arrested over toad-venom and ayahuasca rituals (The Guardian)

Peyote

• What Is Peyote And How Does It Work? (Healing Maps)

Salvia Divinorum

• Twitter Thread Of The Craziest Experiences People Had Tripping On Salvia Proves We Were Lucky To Survive The 2000s (BroBible)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Scientists Isolate Two New Compounds from Toad Venom (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Mindset Pharma Broadens its IP Portfolio by Filing U.S. Provisional Patent Extending its DMT and 5-MeO-DMT Inspired Psychedelic Drug Candidates (Psilocybin Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

• Neuropathy After Recreational Use of Laughing Gas (MedPage Today)

Ketamine

• There’s Finally an Accurate Drug-Checking Kit for Ketamine (Filter)

• Same But Different: Antidepressant Mechanisms of Psilocybin and Ketamine (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Awakn Life Sciences Initiates the First Ketamine Treatment Study for Gambling Addiction Led by Professor Celia Morgan (Yahoo! Finance)

• Ketamine For Pain: Understanding The Pros And Cons (Healing Maps)

• HMNC Brain Health and Develco Pharma Partner to Initiate Ketamine Study Targeting Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) (Yahoo! Finance)

Miscellaneous

• California Bill To Legalize Psychedelics Possession Put On Pause Until 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

• Wisconsin University Launches Psychedelics Center With Goal Of Increasing Diversity In Research (Marijuana Moment)

• Startup Miraculix Creates First Rapid, Mobile Test Kits For Concentrations of MDMA, LSD, and Psilocybin (Lucid News)

• Psychedelics and Breastfeeding: What We Know—and Don’t Know—About a Taboo Subject (DoubleBlind)

• Study to Determine if Psychedelics Help to Quit Cigarette Smoking (High Times)

• Freaks of Color Tell Psychedelic Stories That Inspire (Lucid News)

• The Stamets Stack: Can Microdosing Really Change Your Brain? (DoubleBlind)

• Biden’s Extension of Title 42 Subjects Refugees to More Drug-War Violence (Filter)

• This West Philly Doctor Says Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Could Change Your Life (Philadelphia Magazine)

• 10 Best Trippy Festivals and Events Coming Up (Reality Sandwich)

• UK Venture Round Shines Spotlight on Europe’s Psychedelics Scene (Labiotech.eu)

• Psychedelic-Induced Theism: Common Misconceptions (Truffle Report)

• The Meaning of Psychedelics (Maps of the Mind)

• Why the Term ‘Drug’ is Difficult to Clearly Define (Sam Woolfe)

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 - January 2021

We’re only one month into the new year but it’s safe to say that January is already the craziest month of 2021. And judging from last year, it’s pretty likely that this trend will continue well on into the rest of the year, so we need to properly set our expectations, buckle our seat belts, and enjoy the ride as much as we possibly can.

In this month’s recap we’ll be taking a look at the biggest psychedelic news stories that took place, including a cautionary tale about magic mushrooms, the psychedelic guru who stormed the U.S. Capitol, a city in Massachusetts that decriminalized natural psychedelics, a new psilocybin church in Salt Lake City, 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:

Magic Mushrooms Grew in a Man’s Veins After He Injected Psilocybin Mushroom Tea

If you’ve ever thought about injecting magic mushrooms into your veins, you might want to give up on that idea after finding out what happened to a man who did just that.

A new case report published this month shared a frightening story about an opioid user who attempted to self-medicate his depression and drug dependence by injecting homemade mushroom tea into his body. The experiment caused a life-threatening infection that prompted psilocybin to grow inside of him and resulted in a month-long hospital stay.

Fortunately he survived, but this should serve as a cautionary tale for others to avoid this route of administration for magic mushrooms. After all, simply eating them or drinking mushroom tea has already stood the test of time for psychonauts all around the world.

A Self-Proclaimed Psychedelic Guru Known as the “QAnon Shaman” Stormed the Capitol

The United States underwent a traumatic event on January 6th when a diverse group of insurrectionists stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election, resulting in five deaths and the evacuation of Congress.

Among them was a self-appointed psychedelic guru who goes by the name “QAnon Shaman.”

Advocating for psychedelic shamanism to heal the world while also taking part in a violent act, Jake Angeli is a living example of the wide spectrum of psychedelic users that includes not only left-leaning hippies but also alt-right conspiracy theorists.

Angeli has a long strange history in the psychedelic community, offering courses and consultations on woo-woo topics like ascension and ESP, protesting against the Black Lives Matter movement, and supporting conspiracy theories like the idea that COVID-19 is a hoax and the far right QAnon hogwash.

If you’re interested in learning more about the mysterious symbols tattooed on Angeli’s chest, be sure to check out Psymposia’s guide explaining what each one means in context.

Somerville, Massachusetts Decriminalized Natural Psychedelics

Somerville, Massachusetts hopped on the psychedelic policy reform bandwagon by decriminalizing natural psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and iboga.

A coalition including Bay Staters for Natural Medicine and Decriminalize Nature Massachusetts presented the legislation to the Somerville City Council which unanimously voted 9-0 to approve the decriminalization bill.

The resolution will prompt the city’s legal department to work with community activists to finalize an ordinance and asks the local police and district attorney to deprioritize the enforcement of use and possession charges.

A Former Mormon Politician Started A Psilocybin Church Called “The Divine Assembly”

A former Latter-day Saint politician with some impressive cajones formed a psilocybin church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dubbed “The Divine Assembly”, the church serves magic mushrooms as a sacrament that enables its members to commune with the divine.

Since The Divine Assembly provides an illicit substance to its congregation, the church’s faith may eventually be tested in court to see if its members have a “sincerely-held religious belief” as required by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act if they want to continue using psychedelics as a religious group.

Until then, the church plans to continue serving its psilocybin sacrament without the federal government’s blessing.

Will Marijuana Be Legalized This Year?

Now that there is a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, stoners all over the country are asking whether we’ll see weed get legalized this year. Combined with Joe Biden’s recent presidential victory, the new Congress means that federal cannabis reform might finally be a possibility within the next two years.

When it comes to statewide reforms, several states have the potential to legalize cannabis this year: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wisconsin. And to sweeten the pot, Alabama, Kentucky, and South Carolina might legalize medical marijuana.

It’s too early to tell how many of these reform efforts will succeed, but one thing’s for sure—it’s shaping up to be a progressive year for cannabis policy.

New Psychedelic Reform Group Sets Its Sights on Federal Decriminalization

A new psychedelic reform group known as the Plant Medicine Coalition has set its sights on lobbying Congress to federally decriminalize natural psychedelic medicines. The group is a women-led, non-profit, grassroots advocacy organization, showing that women are leading the charge in this area of drug policy reform.

The Plant Medicine Coalition’s leader also founded the campaign that got psychedelic decriminalization passed in Washington, D.C. during last November’s election, so they are certainly experienced enough to make significant waves toward decriminalizing natural psychedelics across the United States.

Florida and Hawaii Could Legalize Psilocybin Therapy

A lawmaker in Florida is planning to introduce a psilocybin therapy legalization bill that could put the state on the map as the first in the Southeast—and the first red state—to approve a non-cannabis-related psychedelic reform bill. The legislation is modeled after the recently-approved voter initiative that passed in Oregon during last November’s election, so it would not allow recreational users to possess or consume magic mushrooms but would instead set up a legal framework for psilocybin therapy.

Hawaii's Senate is one step ahead of Florida because it already filed a new bill that would establish designated treatment centers and deschedule the psychedelic from the state's list of Schedule I controlled substances.

Meanwhile, recreational users in Colorado might have the option to trip on shrooms from the comfort of their own home in the near future. Kevin Matthews, who led Decriminalize Denver’s successful 2019 campaign to decriminalize psilocybin in the city, is beginning work on an effort to decriminalize magic mushrooms all across Colorado.

The Third (and Likely Final) Season of Hamilton's Pharmacopeia Is Out

Fans of the show Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia, where host Hamilton Morris explores the history, chemistry, and social impact of psychoactive substances, have a reason to rejoice because the third season of the popular docuseries is out now.

The new season’s reception has been favorable, with the first four episodes that have been released so far focusing on 5-MeO-DMT, methamphetamine, Xenon, and the extraordinary alkaloids of Africa. This is likely to be the show’s final season, so be sure to soak it all up while you can.

Mount Sinai Launched a New Center for Psychedelic Research

There still aren’t a whole lot of centers that are dedicated to researching psychedelics in the world, but a new one opened up this month. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai launched a new center that is going to explore using psychedelics for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other stress-related conditions.

And Mount Sinai isn’t wasting any time—they’ve already published a study that found that repeated IV injections of ketamine significantly reduced the severity of symptoms in people with chronic PTSD.

Hopefully we’ll eventually get to a point where there are such a plethora of psychedelic research centers that it’s not big news when a new one opens, but until that happens I’m going to keep highlighting new ones in these updates.

Additional Top Stories

• Iceland is considering decriminalizing all drugs.

• UFC and Johns Hopkins to study using psychedelics to help fighters’ brains heal.

• Lawmakers and medical organizations in South Dakota, Montana, and Mississippi are trying to overturn voter-approved cannabis policy reforms.

• A new method capable of analyzing drug residue found in tooth tartar could uncover the drug habits of ancient people.

• The mayor of Amsterdam is trying to ban tourists from the city’s famous coffeeshops.

• A new study found that classical music may not be as superior for psychedelic therapy as was once thought.

• Activists in Washington, D.C. and a Michigan dispensary are giving out free cannabis to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

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 - 1.15.21

Cannabis

• South Dakota: Republican Governor Officially Backing Litigation to Reject Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Initiative (NORML)

• Montana Lawmakers Reject Funding To Implement Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Program (Marijuana Moment)

• Mississippi: Medical Organizations Join Legal Fight to Overturn Election Result Legalizing Medical Cannabis Access (NORML)

• Amsterdam doubles down on plans to restrict tourist access to cannabis coffee shops (CNN)

• New Jersey Is ‘On The Verge’ Of Implementing Marijuana Legalization, Governor Says In State Of The State Speech (Marijuana Moment)

• Mexico releases long-awaited medical cannabis regulations (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Activists Give Out Free Marijuana To Encourage COVID Vaccination With ‘Joints For Jabs’ Campaign (Marijuana Moment)

• USDA Releases Final Rule For Hemp, Two Years After Crop Was Federally Legalized (Marijuana Moment)

• UK grants second only licence to grow medical marijuana (Financial Times)

• Virginia Governor Unveils Bill To Legalize Marijuana As Lawmakers Schedule First Hearing (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Governor Says Marijuana Legalization Is A 2021 Priority (Marijuana Moment)

• Kansas Lawmakers Push To Legalize Medical Marijuana In 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado authorities issue recall of contaminated cannabis (Marijuana Business Daily)

• USDA Approves Hemp Regulatory Plans From Rhode Island And Another Indian Tribe (Marijuana Moment)

• The Future of Fully Legal Cannabis (Playboy)

• Top Texas Lawmakers Say Medical Marijuana Expansion Is On The Table For 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Survey: Most Americans Say Marijuana Possesses Less Abuse Potential Than Alcohol (NORML)

• North Dakota Activists Submit 2022 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• North Dakota Lawmakers File Bill To Significantly Expand Marijuana Decriminalization Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Legalizing marijuana boosts junk food sales (The Academic Times)

• Medical Marijuana Leads To Reduced Opioid Use, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis dispensaries struggle to find financial support amid pandemic (KRON4)

• FDA Unveils Plan To Fill CBD Research Gaps With ‘Real-World Data’ In 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Introducing Mode: The world's first smart cannabis dosing device (KVVU-TV)

• Arizona Prepares To Accept Marijuana Applications Next Week As New Draft Legalization Rules Are Issued (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• LSD Could Be the Key to Alleviating the Mental Health Crisis—if Government Allows It (Foundation for Economic Education)

• MindMed Expands Psychedelic Microdosing Division, Adds Groundbreaking Study Evaluating LSD Microdosing Through Next-Gen Digital Clinical Markers (Psilocybin Alpha)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psychedelic Mushrooms Grew in a Man's Veins After He Injected Them (Gizmodo)

• NeonMind Engages Dr. C. Laird Birmingham to Develop Protocols for Phase 2 Clinical Trial Using Psilocybin to Treat Obesity (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Psilocybin is Being Studied to Help Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (Baystreet)

• Psilocybin produces an immunology-related genetic response in the prefrontal cortex of pig brains (PsyPost)

• CBDV Begins Research on Psilocybin with Section 56 Exemption from Health Canada (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Core One Labs Announces Breakthrough in Solving Psilocybin Dosing Problems by Introducing Biosynthetic Psilocybin to its Patented Thinstrip Delivery Method (AccessWire)

• Silo Pharma Provides Details of Patent License Agreement for Psilocybin and Cancer Applications (GlobeNewswire)

• Revive Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration with North Carolina State University for Natural Biosynthesis Enzymatic Platform To Develop Psilocybin (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• Should You Say “I Love You” While on MDMA? (DoubleBlind)

• Awakn Life Sciences Appoints CRO to Conduct Phase II Study of MDMA as a Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (Psilocybin Alpha)

Peyote

• Inside a Massive, Illicit Peyote Ceremony During Mexico's COVID Lockdown (VICE)

Iboga

• Ibogaine vs. Iboga Alkaloids for Treating Addiction (Psychedelic Science Review)

Nitrous Oxide

• Police investigation launched after cargo of nitrous oxide canisters discovered in Ribble Valley (Burnley Express)

Ketamine

• A Deadly ‘Ketamine Cocktail’ Is Causing Overdoses on the Streets of Bangkok (VICE)

• Novamind Expands Psychedelic Medicine Access in Utah (Psilocybin Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Somerville, Massachusetts Decriminalizes Naturally Occurring Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

• COMPASS Pathways establishes Centre of Excellence with Sheppard Pratt to accelerate research and improve patient experience in mental health care (COMPASS Pathways)

• New York, Virginia And Other States Consider New Drug Decriminalization Bills (Marijuana Moment)

• The World's ‘Largest Illegal Darknet Marketplace’ has Been Shut Down (VICE)

• UFC looks into Johns Hopkins study on psychedelic drugs as potential therapy for fighters (ESPN)

• Michigan Prosecutor Won’t Pursue Most Marijuana Or Psychedelics Cases, ‘Regardless Of The Amount’ (Marijuana Moment)

• DEA Agents Report Agency’s Lack of Basic COVID-19 Safety Measures (Filter)

• When Getting High Is a Hobby, Not a Habit (New York Times)

• How This Black-Led Psychedelic Collective Is Combining Anti-Racism With ‘Sacred Plant Medicine’ (Vogue)

• Eleusis Accelerates Psychedelic Drug Discovery and Development Team with Appointment of David Nichols, Ph.D., as Director of Molecular Pharmacology (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Coping with Antidepressants and Psychedelics (Spirit Pharmacist)

• Psychedelic Illusions are Not Pathological, and May Even Help You See Better (Chacruna)

• Engineering Psychoplastogens: Toward a Safer Alternative for Treating Depression (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Silo Pharma Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement for Potential Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Approach with University of Maryland, Baltimore (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Revealing Trends in Russia’s Dark-Web Drug Markets (TalkingDrugs)

• Numinus Wellness Forges Forward into Psychedelic Discovery Research with the Orbitrap Exploris 120 Mass Spectometer (Cision)

• Having A Bad Trip On Psychedelics: Is There Some Value? (Healing Maps)

• The Emerging Revival of Psychedelics in Neuroscience (Psychology Today)

• Mental Health Demand For Development Of Psychedelic Drug Therapies Is Increasing (PR Newswire)

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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.