This Week in Psychoactives - 3.20.20

Cannabis

• Amid Coronavirus, San Francisco, New York, Deem Marijuana Businesses 'Essential' (NPR)

• Dutch queue for cannabis as coronavirus closes cafes (FRANCE 24)

• Cannabis cafes can offer takeaways to head off the return of street dealers (DutchNews.nl)

• 'The legal stuff is garbage': why Canada's cannabis black market keeps thriving (The Guardian)

• Colorado Just Issued The First Marijuana Delivery License In The State (Marijuana Moment)

• Medical Marijuana Doctors Can't Use Telemedicine During Virus Outbreak (Westword)

• Legalizing Marijuana Increases Housing Prices, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• CBD Alone Can Treat Depression and Break Drug Addictions, Case Study Shows (MERRY JANE)

• Connecticut Residents Strongly Support Legalizing Marijuana, Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• California Psilocybin Legalization Activists Request Online Signature Gathering Amid Coronavirus (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Indicates the Magic Mushroom Compound Baeocystin is Not Psychedelic (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Hawaii Lawmakers Introduce Plan To Study Psychedelic Mushrooms With Goal Of Legalizing Access (Marijuana Moment)

• Scientists Solve Another Crystal Structure of the Psilocybin Analog Miprocin, 4-HO-MiPT (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Study Shows Norpsilocin is More Potent Than Psilocin at 5-HT2A (Psychedelic Science Review)

• A Hockey Player Blamed Shrooms for His Brutal Attack on a Woman. It Worked (VICE)

Ayahuasca

• What Are the Coronavirus Risks with Ayahuasca Ceremonies? (EntheoNation)

Peyote

• Native American Churches Request that Peyote Not Be Included in Decriminalization Initiatives (Psymposia)

Opioids

• Coronavirus Is Leading to Shortages of Fentanyl And Meth (VICE)

Cocaine

• Fiona Apple quit cocaine after ‘excruciating’ night with Quentin Tarantino (Page Six)

Nicotine

• JUUL Tricks Its Customers Into Advocating for the Florida Flavor Ban (Vaping360)

• A Scientist Persuaded Italy to Exempt Vape Shops From COVID-19 Lockdown (Filter)

• Ireland bans menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco starting May 20 (Euronews)

• Young adults don't know what's in nicotine products they vape, study finds (Medical Xpress)

• Minimum price for tobacco could boost health of poorer people, study suggests (BT)

• British American Tobacco circumventing ad ban, experts say (The Guardian)

Alcohol

• States Boost Hospitality Industry With Booze Delivery and Takeout Sales (U.S. News and World Report)

• So Alcoholics Anonymous Is “Proven” to Work After All? Not So Fast (Filter)

Kratom

• Kentucky Poison Control Center Officials Call Kratom A Drug of Concern (Kratom Guides)

Kava

• Kava consumption banned in all police premises (The Fiji Times)

Khat

• Governor Bans Sale of Miraa Over Coronavirus Fears (Kenyans.co.ke)

Miscellaneous

• Harm Reduction in the Time of Coronavirus (Medium)

• Baltimore To End Most Drug Prosecutions Amid Coronavirus Outbreak (Marijuana Moment)

• ‘Business Is Booming’ for Drug Dealers Who Deliver (The Daily Beast)

• 'Dosed' Review: The Case for Plant-Based Recovery (The New York Times)

• Myths and Realities About the Decriminalization of Psychedelics in the US (Chacruna)

• Safe injection sites: Coronavirus underlines why they make sense (New York Daily News)

• Microdosing or Using Psychedelics? How to Support Academic Research (Medium)

• Prohibition Partners Releases PSYCH: The Psychedelics as Medicine Report (Prohibition Partners)

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 - 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 - 2.7.20

Cannabis

• Bernie Sanders Pledges Legal Marijuana In All 50 States On Day One As President (Forbes)

• Businesses Are More Profitable And Innovative In States With Legal Marijuana, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Nepal’s Communist Party Wants to Legalize Weed and Ban Booze (MERRY JANE)

• Vermont Committee Unanimously Approves Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales (Marijuana Moment)

• Another Vermont House Committee OKs Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales (Marijuana Moment)

• Gallup: Twelve Percent of Adults Acknowledge Smoking Marijuana (NORML)

• Virginia Lawmakers Approve Another Marijuana Decriminalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• CBD May Treat Psychosis Rather Than Cause It, Study Shows (MERRY JANE)

• Liberal Americans Are Six Times More Likely To Smoke Marijuana Than Conservatives, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Whoopi Goldberg's cannabis company has shut down (CNN)

• Cannabis in South Africa: the duplicity of colonial authorities (TalkingDrugs)

Magic Mushrooms

• Inside the Campaign to Legalize Magic Mushrooms in California (Reason)

MDMA

• Speech Pattern Technology Can Now Detect If You’re High on MDMA (MERRY JANE)

5-MeO-DMT

• Supportive Context is Associated With Positive Effects From Inhaling 5-MeO-DMT (Psychedelic Science Review)

• 5-MeO-DMT: The 20-Minute Psychoactive Toad Experience That’s Transforming Lives (Forbes)

PCP

• What is PCP? The ‘angel dust’ drug used in Netflix’s The Stranger (The Tab)

Opioids

• The highs and lows of the opium trade in southern Africa (TalkingDrugs)

• "Gray death" drug is so dangerous, police say you shouldn't even touch it (CBS News)

Cocaine

• A fingerprint can show if someone has taken cocaine or just touched it (New Scientist)

• Enhanced cocaine vaccine blocks the high in mice (Futurity)

Caffeine

• Caffeine has been a boon for civilization, Michael Pollan says. But it has come at a cost. (The Washington Post)

Nicotine

• The vaping 'flavor ban' goes into effect today. Here's what it does (The Hill)

• Mismatched tobacco laws could put federal funding for NC at risk (The News & Observer)

• American Lung Association Gives Arizona Failing Grades in Tobacco Control Report (Phoenix New Times)

• American Lung Association gives Georgia low grades for tobacco use (11Alive.com)

• Michigan receives 'F' grade for tobacco prevention, new report shows (WWMT)

Alcohol

• Baby boomers are the booziest generation – and are driving a 60 per cent rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions (The Telegraph)

Kratom

• Natural herb kratom may have therapeutic effects and relatively low potential for abuse or harm (Medical Xpress)

• Maryland bills aim to restrict kratom (The Southern Maryland Chronicle)

Kava

• The great kava boom: how Fiji's beloved psychoactive brew is going global (The Guardian)

Miscellaneous

• Measure To Decriminalize Psychedelics Advances In Washington, D.C. (Marijuana Moment)

• Scientists find a new trippy link between psychedelics and climate change (Inverse)

• Psychedelics linked to persisting reductions in cannabis, opioid, and stimulant use (PsyPost)

• Could wearable microdosing technology be a thing one day? (Psymposia)

• DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment Shows Decrease in Drug Overdose Deaths (Pharmacy Times)

• A New Nonprofit Is Betting on Psychedelic Therapy (Outside Magazine)

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 - 1.17.20

Cannabis

• Hawaii’s Marijuana Decriminalization Law Is Officially In Effect (Marijuana Moment)

• Scientists discover the reason why anxious people smoke marijuana (Inverse)

• Pot seizures jumped at U.S. border in the year after Canada legalized cannabis (CBC)

• Black Swan: rare Jamaican cannabis strain could treat pancreatic cancer (Health Europa)

• Report: Federal Marijuana Prosecutions Declining (NORML)

• New Jersey: Court Affirms Employer Must Reimburse Worker for Medical Marijuana Expenses (NORML)

• Medical Marijuana Is an Ideal Replacement for Opioids, Another Study Confirms (MERRY JANE)

• New CDC Report Highlights the Risks of Black-Market THC Vapes (Reason)

• Weed impairs driving skills long after the high is gone (FOX6Now.com)

• New Approach Montana aims to put two legalization measures on 2020 ballot (Leafly)

• New Mexico Marijuana Legalization Bill Filed After Governor Puts Issue On 2020 Agenda (Marijuana Moment)

• Weed Delivery Drones Are Coming to Seattle This Spring (MERRY JANE)

• Colorado lawmakers want to stop employers from firing people for using weed in their personal time (The Denver Post)

• Marijuana Record Expungement Movement Growing Rapidly, Report Shows (Marijuana Moment)

• Can Workers Still Get Fired For Using Marijuana In Legal States? (BroBible)

• New Hampshire Lawmakers Take New Approach To Marijuana Legalization For 2020 (Marijuana Moment)

• More pets accidentally eating marijuana (WNEM)

• Florida Marijuana Legalization Campaign Shifts Focus To 2022 Instead Of This Year (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• Study Finds ALD-52, 1P-LSD, and 1B-LSD Are Prodrugs of LSD (Psychedelic Science Review)

Magic Mushrooms

• A Single Dose of Psilocybin Mushrooms Can Reduce Anxiety for Nearly Five Years (MERRY JANE)

• COMPASS Pathways Granted Patent Covering Use of Its Psilocybin Formulation in Addressing Treatment-resistant Depression (PR Newswire)

• Psychedelic Events Are Going Mainstream, Where The Much-Maligned Mushroom Industry Focuses On Mental Health (Forbes)

Ayahuasca

• We Are Harvesting the Ayahuasca Vine at an Alarming Rate (Kahpi)

• 'I wake up and I'm a baby': an NFL star's journey into ayahuasca (The Guardian)

• How Can You Drink Ayahuasca Legally in the U.S.? (Chacruna)

• Ayahuasca, Nazis, and the Life of Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff (Kahpi)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• The World’s First LSD Microdosing Kit is Here (DoubleBlind)

Nitrous Oxide

• Laughing gas can ease symptoms of depression in just two hours by acting on a brain chemical with no side-effects, new research suggests (Daily Mail)

• Justice secretary hits back at criticism of nitrous oxide ban (The Guardian)

• UAMS first hospital in central Arkansas to offer laughing gas for women in labor (KTHV)

Opioids

• Up to a third of opioid overdose deaths might be suicides, researcher concludes (Medical Xpress)

• Heroin, Fentanyl Deaths Drop in Medicaid Expansion States (U.S. & News Report)

Cocaine

• A Cocaine Nasal Spray Just Received FDA Approval (MERRY JANE)

Methamphetamine

• Meth overtakes marijuana, now most reported drug in Tennessee crime labs (WJHL)

Caffeine

• Using caffeine as a tool to study information processing (Medical Xpress)

Nicotine

• Vaping crackdown: School system will send e-cigarette users to alternative school (AL.com)

Benzodiazepines

• Benzodiazepine prescriptions reach ‘disturbing’ levels in the US (New Scientist)

Alcohol

• The Latest Findings on Why It’s So Hard to Quit Drinking (Elemental)

Kratom

• Kratom to Be Removed as Type-5 Narcotic in Thailand (Chiang Rai Times)

• Kratom Business From Colorado Breaks New Ground in Oregon (Westword)

• The Kratom Debate: Helpful Herb Or Dangerous Drug? (NPR)

• Kratom Lab Testing and Why It Matters (Kratom Guides)

Kava

• Vanuatu stops issuing kava export licences, moves to tighten regulations (Radio New Zealand)

Miscellaneous

• Explosive growth of plant medicine movement aims to help heal the world (Chacruna)

• Activists Take Steps To Decriminalize Psychedelics In Washington, D.C. (Marijuana Moment)

• How researchers and advocates of color are forging their own paths in psychedelic-assisted therapy (WHYY)

• The DEA seized her father’s life savings at an airport without alleging any crime occurred, lawsuit says (The Seattle Times)

• A Report From the Rocky Path to Legal Psychedelics (Playboy)

• Johns Hopkins Scientists Give Psychedelics the Serious Treatment (Scientific American)

• Ukraine paves the way for innovative harm reduction in the EECA region (TalkingDrugs)

• Roadside drug tests failed by 185 drivers during festive campaign (BBC)

• BBC Duped into Promoting Marketing Scheme for Microdosing Psychedelics (Psymposia)

• NYC To Host Economics Of Psychedelics Investing Summit (Benzinga)

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 - 12.20.19

CANNABIS

• Marijuana’s Ten Biggest Victories Of 2019 (Forbes)

• Illinois cannabis dispensaries open New Year’s Day for adult-use sales (Leafly)

• New Jersey: Governor Signs Marijuana Expungement Bill into Law (NORML)

• Italy legalizes 'cannabis light' (The Local)

• Opioid Prescriptions Down In States With Legal Marijuana, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Jersey Lawmakers Pass Marijuana Referendum to Send to Voters in 2020 (TIME)

• Kids Aren't Buying Weed From Legal Pot Shops, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)

• Majority Of Americans Support Marijuana Legalization, Two More New Polls Show (Marijuana Moment)

• State recalls cannabis vape cartridges tainted with deadly vitamin E acetate (Detroit Metro Times)

• Survey shows boom in marijuana vaping among school kids (WHDH)

• Regular Cannabis Use Linked to Changes in Heart Structure, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)

• EPA Approves Pesticides For Hemp In Time For 2020 Growing Season (Marijuana Moment)

• Zenabis recalls mislabeled CBD gelcaps that actually contained THC (Leafly)

• Millions of Americans are driving under the influence of marijuana, CDC says (CNN)

• Atlanta Will Seal Records for Minor Weed Offenses by February (MERRY JANE)

• Oklahoma Activists Take First Step To Put Marijuana Legalization On State’s 2020 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Indiana resists legalization, but it’ll be a hot issue in 2020 state elections (Leafly)

• Medical Marijuana Legalization Measure Officially Qualifies For South Dakota 2020 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Elizabeth Warren Files Marijuana Bills For Veterans And Immigrants (Marijuana Moment)

• Patients rally in Ecuador for legal use of medical cannabis (San Francisco Chronicle)

LSD

• Microdosing LSD for Alzheimer’s proves safe in early human trial (New Atlas)

• Paul McCartney Disturbing Teen Drug Claim Revealed (Alternative Nation)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

• Andrew Yang Says He’s ‘Very Open’ To Legalizing Magic Mushrooms (The Inquisitr)

• 'Magic mushroom' ingredient could be used to treat depression, study says (CNN)

• E. coli Could Produce a Popular Psychedelic for Therapeutic Use (Scientific American)

• Psilocybin: Four Important Takeaways from a Clinical Trial (Psychology Today)

• 5 Fast Facts About Magic Mushroom Compounds (Psychedelic Science Review)

MDMA

• MDMA Is Inches Away From Getting FDA Approval (MERRY JANE)

• Why MDMA must be reclassified as a Schedule 2 drug (Health Europa)

• MDMA-assisted couples therapy: How a psychedelic is enhancing intimacy and healing PTSD (The Conversation)

5-MEO-DMT

• Psychedelic drug 5-MeO-DMT induces rapid changes in inflammatory markers (PsyPost)

• Psychedelic Toad Makes People More Accepting and Less Depressed, Study Shows (MERRY JANE)

• Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze: The Impact of Climate Change, Development, and Psychonauts on the Sonoran Desert Toad (Psychedelics Today)

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

• More than a dozen children collapse after vaping fake cannabis oil laced with ‘spice’ (The Independent)

• DEA approves synthetic marijuana for big pharma company against legalization (Stock Daily Dish)

NITROUS OXIDE

• Doctors issue warning after 'whippits' misuse lands B.C. woman in hospital (CTV News)

KETAMINE

• Ketamine-like drug for depression gets UK licence (The Guardian)

• In 2019, a ketamine-based antidepressant raised hopes and concerns (ScienceNews)

OPIOIDS

• We have a solution for the opioid epidemic. It’s dramatically underused. (Vox)

• Purdue's Payments to the Sackler Family Grew Amid Scrutiny Over the Opioid Epidemic, Court Filing Shows (TIME)

• Naloxone Dispensing Sees Major Increase In Last Two Years (Indiana Public Media)

METHAMPHETAMINE

• A New Drug Scourge: Deaths Involving Meth Are Rising Fast (The New York Times)

CAFFEINE

• New insights into anti-obesity mechanisms of caffeine (New Atlas)

NICOTINE

• Congress Approves Raising Age to 21 for E-Cigarette and Tobacco Sales (The New York Times)

• Vaping Damages Your Lungs, But Is Still Safer Than Smoking, a Long-Term Study Suggests (TIME)

• WHO launches new report on global tobacco use trends (World Health Organization)

• Instagram bans influencers from getting paid to promote vaping and guns (CNBC)

• Plan to ban tobacco sales to anyone under 21 will hit the military too (Military Times)

• Addictive nicotine in Juul nearly identical to a Marlboro: study (Reuters)

• US permits sale of cigarettes with 95% less nicotine (The Seattle Times)

• Why is Texas throwing high schoolers in jail just for vaping? (Washington Examiner)

BENZODIAZEPINES

• Benzodiazepine Overdose Rates Increasing in Teens (MD Magazine)

• Problem Drinking Linked to Higher Benzo Use (Sleep Review)

• Are benzodiazepines the new opioids? (Medical Xpress)

ALCOHOL

• Two standard alcoholic drinks a day no longer safe, health officials say (The Guardian)

• The sale of alcohol at the University of South Carolina athletic events has been approved (ABC News 4)

• My Friends Serve Underage Kids Alcohol. Should I Speak Up? (The New York Times)

NOOTROPICS

• People Tell Us About Using ‘Smart Drugs’ to Max out Their Productivity (VICE)

KRATOM

• Justice minister says he’ll speed up kratom decriminalisation (The Thaiger)

• Five uses of mitragyna speciosa (The Leaf Online)

• Kratom for Chronic Pain? (WholeFoods Magazine)

KANNA

• Kanna: The Soothing Succulent of the San People (World of Lucid Dreaming)

KAVA

• Kava and anxiety: What science says about the popular plant supplement (Inverse)

• Increased Import Of Kava For Personal Consumption Allowed Into Australia (Fiji Sun)

• Welcome to Kava Culture: A Spreading Alternative to Reduce Anxiety (Filter)

DATURA

• Vet on call: Watch out for datura plant, an animal killer (Daily Nation)

MISCELLANEOUS

• Drug Prohibition Makes Illegal Drugs Cheaper and More Lethal, New Report Finds (MERRY JANE)

• On Drug Decriminalization in the United States (Playboy)

• The Vaping-Related Lung Disease Outbreak May Be Coming to an End (TIME)

• More Americans Facing Murder Charges in Drug Deaths (Truthdig)

• Call for pill tests as more than 50% of music festivalgoers say they take drugs (The Guardian)

• How to Rethink Drug Dealing and Punishment (The Appeal)

• Why Chronic Microdosing Might Break Your Heart (Chacruna)

• “The state only detains, beats and kills us”: Testimonies from women who use drugs in Mexico (Talking Drugs)

• How to Trip Sit (DoubleBlind)

• Why Doctors Are Turning to Psychedelics to Treat Depression and Addiction (Men's Journal)

• Could Micro-Dosing Psychedelics Lift Depression? (Psychology Today)

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.