Weekly Psychedelic Links - August 2022

8.5.22

Cannabis

• Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for drug possession and smuggling (Leafly)

• Another American Caught With Weed in Russia Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison (High Times)

• Cannabis no more of a risk than tobacco and alcohol – study (Cannabis Health News)

• Federal Marijuana Records Would Be Expunged Under New Bipartisan Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• New Study Says Legalization Hasn’t Caused More Teens To Try Cannabis (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Cafes Emerge in Post-Legalization Thailand (High Times)

• Study Shows Cannabis Users 55% Less Likely to Develop Common Liver Cancer (High Times)

• Arkansas Marijuana Campaign Files Lawsuit To Put Legalization Measure On Ballot After State Board’s Rejection (Marijuana Moment)

• US weed homegrowers produce 8x more than Colorado legal market, says new report (Leafly)

• Feds Seek Contractor To Help Test Marijuana Compounds In People’s Breath (Marijuana Moment)

• New 3D Structures of Cannabinoid Receptor Inform Safer Drug Design (Psychedelic Science Review)

• New Report Recommends Tips for Successful Cannabis-Impaired Driving Campaigns (High Times)

• Colleges In States That Legalize Marijuana See A Boost In Application Numbers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Brazilian Government’s Selective Blindness to Cannabis Evidence (TalkingDrugs)

• Largest Federal Workers Union Calls For Ending Marijuana Tests For Most Government Employees In Legal States (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• Medidosing LSD: The Middle Way (Lucid News)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin Microdosing Shows No Benefit to Creativity, Cognition, Perception in New Scientific Study (Willamette Week)

• Oregon Psilocybin Rules Set To Be Finalized in December (High Times)

• Lead Plaintiff in Canadian Right To Try Lawsuit Shares His Psilocybin Story (Lucid News)

• The Rise of Casual Shrooms (VICE)

MDMA

• It’s Festival Season! How Should We Group Dose MDMA? (Lucid News)

DMT

• The Real Reason Cybin Bought Entheon’s DMT Clinical Trial (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Ayahuasca

• Study to Analyze Ayahuasca for Refugee Trauma (DoubleBlind)

• Aaron Rodgers Opens Up About Use of Psychedelics, Mental Health (Sports Illustrated)

Mescaline

• Mescaline: A Neglected Tool for Psychotherapy (Sam Woolfe)

Peyote

• The Peyote Plot: The Indigenous Fight to Conserve the Sacred Plant and the Spiritual Medicine it Contains (DoubleBlind)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Drug testers warn of new synthetic cannabinoid being sold as MDMA (The New Zealand Herald)

Ketamine

• Double-action mechanism found that makes ketamine less addictive (New Atlas)

• How ketamine chic became the new heroin chic (Dazed)

Miscellaneous

• Poll States 28% of Americans Have Tried At Least One Psychedelic Substance (High Times)

• The Need for 100,000 Psychedelic Facilitators is Real (LA Weekly)

• Morgan Stanley Publishes Optimistic Report on Psychedelics (Psychedelic Alpha)

• California Bills To Legalize Psychedelics Possession, Allow Interstate Marijuana Commerce And More Teed Up For Key Hurdle Next Week (Marijuana Moment)

• MindMed Board of Directors Approves Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Majority Of Americans Support Psychedelics Research For Military Members, New Poll Finds As Bipartisan Reform Advances In Congress (Marijuana Moment)

8.12.22

Cannabis

• Report: Spike in Marijuana Positives Fueling Truck Driver Shortage, Supply Chain Disruptions (NORML)

• Ottawa on track to spend $200M per year on cannabis for veterans (CBC)

• Wisconsin Governor Pardons Several for Cannabis Offenses (High Times)

• Missouri will vote on marijuana legalization in November (Leafly)

• Arkansas Supreme Court Orders State To Put Marijuana Legalization Initiative On Ballot, But Votes May Not Be Counted (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado Marijuana Shops Are 98 Percent Compliant With ID Checks To Prevent Underage Sales, State Regulators Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis And Lower COVID Hospitalizations: Is There A Connection? Here’s What A New Study Found (The Fresh Toast)

• Biden DOJ Says Medical Marijuana Patients Are Too ‘Dangerous To Trust’ In Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit On Gun Rights (Marijuana Moment)

• Voters Across Wisconsin Will See Marijuana Questions On Their Ballots In November (Marijuana Moment)

• ‘Very good for tourists’: Thailand aims for high season with U-turn on cannabis (The Guardian)

• The (Possibly) Best and Worst Countries To Get Caught With Pot (Benzinga)

• New Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Filed For 2024 Ballot, With Backing Of State’s Largest Medical Cannabis Company (Marijuana Moment)

• Can memory loss be good? How cannabis can help with PTSD (Leafly)

• Arresting illicit weed sellers repeats our drug war mistakes (NJ.com)

LSD

• Neuroscience research suggests LSD might enhance learning and memory by promoting brain plasticity (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin therapy is prompting states to reconsider laws about magic mushrooms (USA Today)

• Many Oregonians will have to vote again on psilocybin (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Buried Treasure: How Does Psilocybin Reduce Compulsivity? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Can Psilocybin Treat Obesity? New Evidence, Future Directions (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Inside the lab that's creating enough psilocybin for everyone on Earth (Wisconsin Public Radio)

• Phase 2 clinical trial to examine efficacy of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa (Healio)

• Coos County cities move to ban psilocybin for medical use in their communities (KCBY)

• Optimi Health To Launch Therapeutic Psilocybin Product In Partnership With Patient Advocate Thomas Hartle (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

• Las Vegas Wastewater Study Finds Absolutely Bonkers Spike In MDMA Levels During EDC (BroBible)

• Where Ecstasy Meets Power: The Unique Risks of MDMA Therapy (Sam Woolfe)

Ayahuasca

• Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Won’t Be Disciplined for Using Psychedelic Drug (Sports Illustrated)

• Aaron Rodgers’ former Packers QB coach reacts to psychedelic drug revelation (New York Post)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Psilera’s New Compounds Show Potential for Significant Treatment Improvement in Depression and Neurodegenerative Disorders (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Majority of 'Bath Salt' Deaths Concentrated in Just Two States (Medpage Today)

• Woman likely drowned after taking hallucinogenic drugs, coroner finds (Stuff.co.nz)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• States That Legalize Marijuana See ‘Significant Reductions’ In Synthetic Cannabinoid Poisonings, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• A 'very unpleasant time' - new synthetic drug in NZ (Radio New Zealand)

Nitrous Oxide

• Urgent warning to parents over teens inhaling nitrous oxide after canisters found across Dublin (The Irish Sun)

Ketamine

• How The Brain Changes In People With Chronic PTSD Following Ketamine Treatment (Healing Maps)

Miscellaneous

• VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence (Technology Review)

• The DARE Program Is Back in Some School Districts — Here’s What to Know (Teen Vogue)

• Compass Pathways Sued for Stealing Trade Secrets (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• An initiative to decriminalize most plant-based psychedelics is likely to fall short on signatures (Colorado Public Radio)

• Colombia’s New President Wants to End the Drug War. Can He Succeed? (Filter)

• Bear high on hallucinogenic 'mad honey' rescued in Turkey (Irish Mirror)

• How Do We End the ‘War on Drugs’? Perhaps Scandinavia Has the Answer.. (Volteface)

• Psychedelics are having a moment and women could be the ones to benefit (MIT Technology Review)

• Over the counter culture: Are psychedelics coming to the corner shop? (The Independent)

• Psychedelics researchers and investors should focus on delivering therapy, not drugs (STAT)

• Muslims on Drugs: Psychedelics, Queerness, and Identity in the Post-9/11 Era (DoubleBlind)

• What Role does Philosophy Play in the Future of Psychedelics? (TalkingDrugs)

• First Reddit Community-Led Scientific Study to Launch on Quantified Citizen (Yahoo!)

• Red Wall Voters Want Drug Law Reform – New Polling Shows (Volteface)

• Psychedelic Clinical Trials and the Michael Pollan Effect (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Young Psychedelic Philanthropist Blazes Path for the Psychedelic Future (Lucid News)

• Rediscovering Our Ancestral Roots of Exploration (Chacruna)

• What Happens when Psychedelics Meets Video Games? (Lucid News)

8.19.22

Cannabis

• Brittney Griner Appeals Conviction in Russian Drug Case (High Times)

• North Dakota will vote on cannabis legalization in November (Leafly)

• Arkansas court orders recreational cannabis amendment put back on ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Pot-smoking tourists not welcome in Thailand, says health minister (Reuters)

• South Dakota Reservation Bans Alcohol, Allows Cannabis (High Times)

• Analysis: Racial Disparities in Marijuana Possession Arrests Becoming More Pronounced in Prohibition States (NORML)

• ‘Clean weed’ is about to be everywhere in California. Here’s what you need to know (Los Angeles Times)

• Ohio Voters In Seven More Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization At The Ballot This November (Marijuana Moment)

• Idaho Activists Launch Medical Marijuana Ballot Push For 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

• Alberta cannabis sales slow to grow as online identity verification deters consumers, say retailers (CBC)

• Gallup: Those with First-Hand Experience with Cannabis Likely to Perceive It Positively (NORML)

• Majority Of Texas Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Most Wisconsin Voters—Including Republicans—Support Legalizing Marijuana, Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• Is Oregon Ready for the Coming Psilocybin-Fueled Mushroom Tourism Boom? (Portland Monthly)

• Optimi Health Unveils Canada’s First Natural Therapeutic Psilocybin Product For Approved Patients (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

• Warnings over dangerously high-strength MDMA pills found at Boardmasters (Mixmag)

DMT

• Small Pharma Receives Approval for DMT-Assisted Psychotherapy and SSRI Drug Interaction Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• The Misfortune of “Right Wing” Psychedelia” in Brazil (Chacruna)

• Anonymous Letter to Conservative Masters of the UDV (Chacruna)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• MindMed Shelves 18-MC for Opioid Use Disorder and Further Cuts Pipeline (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Nitrous Oxide

• Atlanta neighbors frustrated by nitrous oxide use outside Widespread Panic show (KMIZ)

Ketamine

• We Asked the Experts: What Exactly is in Ketamine? (TalkingDrugs)

Miscellaneous

• Video of a forester who found a drunken bear gorged on hallucinogenic honey became a hit on the Internet (The Saxon)

• California Psychedelics Legalization Bill Gutted by Key Committee (DoubleBlind)

• Psychedelics as a sacrament? Lawsuit says drugs are a religious right. (The Washington Post)

• Integration of psychedelic experiences linked to self-actualization via improvements in personal development and self-insight (PsyPost)

• Two In Five Americans Say They’ve Changed Their Mind On Drug Policy, With Most Becoming “More Liberal,” Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

8.26.22

Cannabis

• Federal Trade Commission issues refunds to CBD buyers, here’s why (Leafly)

• Nebraska Officials Will Take A Second Look At Signatures For Rejected Medical Marijuana Ballot Measures (Marijuana Moment)

• New medical marijuana campaign launches in Idaho for 2024 ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Study Shows 20% Increase in Frequency of Cannabis Consumption in Recreational States (High Times)

• FBI Says CBD Use Is An ‘Automatic Disqualifier’ For Employment Despite Federal Hemp Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

• Oklahoma’s legalization initiative at risk due to state delay (Leafly)

• The casualties of California legalizing pot: Growers who went legal (The Washington Post)

• U.S. Forest Service Reminds Workers Of Federal Marijuana Ban And Warns Against CBD Use (Marijuana Moment)

• Dennis Rodman Proposes To Negotiate Russia Brittney Griner Release (High Times)

• Why The Legal Cannabis Industry Needs The Black Market (Forbes)

• Legalization Opponents Sue To Block Initiative From Missouri Ballot (High Times)

• Cannabis for Chronic Pain Linked to Slightly Increased Risk of Arrhythmia (Healthline)

LSD

• First Patient Dosed in Trial of LSD for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Psychiatric Times)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin May Help Treat Alcohol Addiction, Study Shows (TIME)

• Three Out Of Four Oregon Counties Will Vote On Banning Or Postponing Psilocybin Services This November (Marijuana Moment)

• Inside Paul Stamets’ Massive Microdosing Study (DoubleBlind)

Ayahuasca

• Mormon Bishop And Former GOP Utah Rep. Champions Ayahuasca After Faith-Affirming Psychedelic Experience (Marijuana Moment)

5-MeO-DMT

• Trip Advisors: Group Promotes 5-MeO-DMT Harm Reduction By Exposing Shamanic Hustlers (Forbes)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• The DEA is Attempting to Ban Two New Psychedelic Drugs (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Clearmind Medicine Announces Additional Positive Pre-Clinical Results for its Cocaine Addiction Treatment (Psychedelic Alpha)

• BetterLife Lead Drug (BETR-001) Promotes Structural Neural Plasticity with Possible Nootropic Effects Similar to That of LSD Without Hallucinogenic Side Effects (Psychedelic Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

• Laughing Gas During Labor Is Becoming More Popular Among Women in the United States (People)

Ketamine

• Ketamine’s upgrade to an employee benefit in US may hasten the legitimacy of psychedelics in SA (BizNews)

DXM

• FDA Approves First, Only NMDA Receptor Antagonist for Major Depressive Disorder (Pharmacy Times)

Miscellaneous

• Psychedelic Stocks: MindMed and atai Slash their Pipelines, Mydecine Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Psychedelics Use Increasing Among Adults, But Decreasing For Teens, New Federally Funded Studies Find (Marijuana Moment)

• Psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences linked to increased pro-environmental behaviors (PsyPost)

• How near-death experiences and psychedelics alter attitudes about death (EurekAlert!)

• Does Microdosing Actually Work? The Science Is Still Conflicted (VICE)

• Issues of Patient Safety and Ethical Violations in Psychedelic Therapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

• As Plant-Medicine Churches Grow, Legal Questions Linger (Lucid News)

• This Psychedelic Theater Troupe Has Been Quietly Changing the World for Decades (DoubleBlind)

• Do Psychedelic Trips Actually Start In The Gut Instead Of The Brain? (Healing Maps)

• The Psychedelic Community Takes Itself Too Seriously (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Ethics in Psychedelic Therapy: The Promises and Pitfalls of Increased Suggestibility (Sam Woolfe)

• Do You Even Trip, Bro? On Psychedelic Masculinity (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• How Long Can the Psychedelic Renaissance Last? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• The Legal Risks of Psychedelic Therapy and Coaching (EntheoNation)

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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 - June 2022

6.3.22

Cannabis

• Virginia: Approved Budget Recriminalizes Public Marijuana Possession Over Four Ounces of Marijuana (NORML)

• Connecticut Gov. signs bill to crack down on weed gifting (Leafly)

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

• Study Finds THC Detected in Blood or Breath Does Not Indicate Impairment (High Times)

• Medicinal cannabis reduces pain and the need for opiate painkillers among cancer patients (PsyPost)

• North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Make Hemp Permanently Legal (High Times)

• With veto, path to marijuana legalization in Delaware still open but fraught with unpredictability (WHYY)

• FBI Marijuana Arrest Data May Be Critically Flawed, And DOJ Is Being Asked To Investigate (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana Senate Approves Bill Allowing Public Employees to Use Medical Pot (High Times)

• New York Senate Passes Gray Market Cannabis Bill (High Times)

• Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

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

• Gen Z Prefers Weed Over Booze (High Times)

• Marijuana Research Has Exploded In Recent Years Despite Barriers Caused By Prohibition, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Peru Issues Draft Law to Allow and Regulate Patient-Grown Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• New York Senate Approves Bill To Mandate Medical Marijuana Health Insurance Coverage (Marijuana Moment)

• Austria Imports Record Amount of Medical Weed While Constitutional Challenges Loom (High Times)

• Weed Joke on Jeopardy! Triggers Viewers (High Times)

LSD

• Neuroscientists gain a deeper understanding of how LSD affects molecular brain activity (PsyPost)

• Ceruvia Lifesciences to Supply LSD to Qualified Researchers at No Cost (PR Newswire)

Magic Mushrooms

• Oregon Officials’ Rejection Of Rules For Spiritual And Religious Psilocybin Use Called Into Question (Marijuana Moment)

• In Algeria, Ancient Cave Art May Show Psychedelic Mushroom Use (Atlas Obscura)

• New studies shed light on the mysterious process by which psilocybin can rapidly improve depression symptoms (PsyPost)

• B.C. company opens Canada's largest licensed psychedelic mushroom growing facility (CBC)

• Policy and Legal Considerations for Religious and Community Use of Psilocybin Mushrooms under Oregon Measure 109 (Chacruna)

MDMA

• A Balm for Psyches Scarred by War (The New York Times)

• 'Highly unusual': Methamphetamine found in MDMA tablets for the first time in New Zealand (Stuff.co.nz)

Peyote

• The Navajo Nation to Protect the Sanctity of Azeé – Peyote Medicine from Legalization and Commercial Use (Chacruna)

Nitrous Oxide

• Warning over climate threat from laughing gas used during childbirth (Sydney Morning Herald)

• Linking nitrous oxide to climate risk is yet another example of the disdain shown to women’s pain (The Guardian)

Ketamine

• Ketamine can treat depression — but teletherapy could make it accessible (Inverse)

Miscellaneous

• Canada to decriminalize some drugs in British Columbia for three years (The Guardian)

• Maryland Bill To Fund Psychedelics Research And Access For Veterans Takes Effect Without Governor’s Signature (Marijuana Moment)

• DARE 2.0 is "Keepin' it Real" in US schools (Substance)

• Indigenous and drug policy groups seek to preserve traditional approaches as psychedelic markets open in Oregon (OPB)

• Michigan Activists Give Up 2022 Push For Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative, Shifting Focus To 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

• The Intertwined Prohibitionist Histories of Psychedelics and Kratom (Psychedelics Today)

• Why this startup is encouraging employees to microdose psychedelics at work (Fast Company)

• From Psychedelic Pharma To Crop Gene Editing - The UK’s Big Opportunity (Forbes)

• Don’t Count on RFRA to Protect Psychedelic Churches (Lucid News)

• Tripping over the potential of psychedelics for autism (Spectrum)

• Understanding the Current Legal Status of Psychedelics in the United States (JD Supra)

• Can you take the trip out of psychedelics and still treat depression? (New Scientist)

6.10.22

Cannabis

• Thailand legalises cannabis trade but still bans recreational use (BBC)

• Prescription cannabis products with more THC may ease chronic pain, at least a little, study finds (CNN)

• North Carolina Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill To House, But Questions Loom About Further Action This Year (Marijuana Moment)

• Delaware: Lawmakers Decline to Overturn Cannabis Legalization Veto (NORML)

• Voters In Five Texas Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization In November, Activists Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill to Protect State Workers from Termination for Medical Cannabis (Ganjapreneur)

• Portugal Group Demands Freedom to Vote for Personal Use of Cannabis (High Times)

• The Rapidly Expanding Cannabis Industry Needs To Get Its Marketing Act Together, A New Report Finds (Forbes)

• If you’re high your love life might not be as great as you think (New York Post)

• Ukraine to Legalize Medical Cannabis, Health Minister Says (High Times)

• Illinois Governor Signs Bill To Close Marijuana Expungement ‘Loophole’ (Marijuana Moment)

• Inflation’s so insane Snoop Dogg gave his blunt roller a raise (Leafly)

• Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

• West Virginia Activists Are Collecting Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization Measures On Local Ballots (Marijuana Moment)

• Medical Cannabis & Sleep Disorders: What Do We Really Know? (The Fresh Toast)

• Is the word ‘marijuana’ racist? (Leafly)

• Opening the Curtain on Cannabis in the Opera (High Times)

LSD

• LSD microdosing does not appear to improve mood or cognitive ability, according to new placebo-controlled study (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Clinical Trial in South Africa to Study Efficacy of Psilocybin on Women with HIV and Depression (High Times)

MDMA

• Colorado Governor Signs Bill To Legalize MDMA Prescriptions Pending Federal Approval (Marijuana Moment)

• Brexit helping cause harmful increase in fake ecstasy, study warns (The Guardian)

Ayahuasca

• I Tried Everything. Then I Tried Ayahuasca. (Esquire)

Miscellaneous

• Psychedelic Pharma’s Big Spin (Lucid News)

• The Nationwide Reach of Harmful Drug “Paraphernalia” Laws (Filter)

• Tracing The History of Hallucinogens in China (TalkingDrugs)

• How psychedelic drugs might treat depression (BBC)

• Bosses want to feed psychedelics to their staff (The Economist)

• The Great Cannabis Microdosing PR Conspiracy (High Times)

6.17.22

Cannabis

• Germany set to legalise sale of cannabis in licensed shops (Metro)

• Study Finds Weekly Cannabis Use Has Minimal Impairment on Physical Health (High Times)

• How cannabis-fed chickens may help cut Thai farmers’ antibiotic use (The Guardian)

• Analysis: Cannabis Retailers Drive Economic Growth, Are Not Magnets for Crime (NORML)

• Maine’s Legal Marijuana Stores Are Effectively Displacing Illicit Market, State Report Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Zealand Leaders Demand Cops Stop Spraying Chemicals on Cannabis (High Times)

• Study: Regular Cannabis Consumers Perform Better Than Occasional Users on Distracted Driving Tasks (NORML)

• Kentucky Governor Issues Medical Marijuana Executive Order Creating Advisory Committee To Study Patient Access Options (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Shows Medical Cannabis Enrollment Has Quadrupled (High Times)

• EPA Warns Workers They’re Banned From Using Marijuana Or Investing In The Industry In New Memo (Marijuana Moment)

• DEA Reports Significant Uptick in Marijuana-Related Seizures, Arrests (NORML)

• Athens, Georgia on Cusp of Major Decriminalization Ordinance (High Times)

• Teen Marijuana Use Dropped Dramatically In Colorado In 2021, State Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Lawsuit Seeks Insurance Coverage for Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• GOP Senate Candidate Pushes ‘Pot For Potholes’ Marijuana-Funded Infrastructure Plan In Hilarious Campaign Ad (Marijuana Moment)

• Superior Court in Brazil Affirms Right to Cannabis Home Grow (High Times)

• Federal Court Sides With Nebraska Medical Marijuana Activists In Lawsuit Over Ballot Requirements (Marijuana Moment)

• West Virginia Advocates Collecting Signatures for Decriminalization Ballot Measures (High Times)

LSD

• The Elephant in the Room is LSD (Lucid News)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin-induced mystical experiences linked to lasting positive psychological effects (PsyPost)

• Anticipating Legalization: Making Psilocybin Accessible (Cannabis Science and Technology)

• Could magic mushrooms in care homes help curb fear of death? Psychedelic drugs could 'revolutionise' end-of-life treatment, expert says (Daily Mail)

MDMA

• Paraguay May Be Shifting from Producing LSD and MDMA to Consuming Them (InSight Crime)

5-MeO-DMT

• What’s the Best Way To Take 5-MeO-DMT in a Clinical Trial? (Technology Networks)

Iboga

• Ibogaine Isn’t a “Cure” for Addiction—But It Can Be a Useful Detox Tool (Filter)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Oregon ban on synthetic cannabis products will be nation’s first (Oregon Live)

Ketamine

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 1 (Psychedelic Science Review)

• The 'normalised' drug that the UK takes more of than any other country (Liverpool Echo)

Miscellaneous

• Mind-Altering Drug Docuseries Lined Up At Netflix From Alex Gibney & Michael Pollan (Deadline)

• Malaysia Ends Mandatory Death Penalty for Nonviolent Drug Crimes (High Times)

• Is drug testing going to become a regular part of UK festivals? (iTV)

• Missoula City Council measure would decriminalize hallucinogenic plants (Missoula Current)

• Local Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure Stalls In Amherst, Massachusetts (Marijuana Moment)

• The abuse of power in psychedelic retreats (leafie)

• Psychedelics Can Help Boost Scientific Creativity, Review Finds (Analytical Cannabis)

• NFTs Are Getting Psychedelic. Is It Worth the Trip? (Lucid News)

• Michigan moves to outlaw fake urine as marijuana popularity soars (MLive)

6.24.22

Cannabis

• Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick (The New York Times)

• California may require labels on cannabis products to warn of mental health risks (OPB)

• Vets And Medical Cannabis: It’s The Least We Can Do (Forbes)

• Louisiana: Multiple Marijuana Reform Bills Signed Into Law; Measures Take Effect August 1 (NORML)

• Spain Approves Medical Cannabis Reform: Pharmacy Dispensation Planned for End of 2022 (High Times)

• Medical Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Drunk Driving And Safer Roads, Study On Auto Insurance Data Suggests (Marijuana Moment)

• Switzerland to Lift Ban on Medical Cannabis (High Times)

• DEA Marijuana Busts Increased In 2021, Seizing Over 5.5 Million Plants (Marijuana Moment)

• U.S. English Teacher Sentenced to 14 Years in Russia for Pot ‘Smuggling’ (High Times)

• North Carolina House Republicans Block Senate-Passed Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis ‘Very Promising’ as Opioid Replacement, Early Study Results Show (High Times)

• U.S. Supreme Court Denies Medical Marijuana Workers’ Compensation Cases (Marijuana Moment)

• Study Shows Cannabis Use Could Lead to Increased Kindness and Empathy (High Times)

• Senate Committee Votes To Let People Who’ve Used Marijuana Work For CIA, NSA And Other Intelligence Agencies (Marijuana Moment)

• Analyses: Drug Interdiction Efforts at US Borders Typically Yield Only Small Quantities of Marijuana (NORML)

• MLB Teams Can Now Be Sponsored By CBD Companies, Baseball League Official Says (Marijuana Moment)

• Mississippi Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Weed Possession (High Times)

• Scientists find little evidence to show cannabis oils help end pain, according to major study (Daily Mail)

• District of Columbia: Council Advances Legislation Prohibiting Most Employers from Discriminating Against Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

• New Gene Technology Allows Growers To Boost THC Levels In Cannabis (Forbes)

LSD

• ‘I’m happier now and nowhere near as intense’: GoDaddy.com’s founder pivots to LSD (The Daily Dot)

Magic Mushrooms

• Judges Deny Challenge to Psilocybin Patent (VICE)

• COMPASS Pathways presents largest ever study of psilocybin therapy, at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Pa. bill to study of psilocybin – the drug in magic mushrooms – as mental health treatment languishes in Harrisburg (PhillyVoice)

• Oregon County Considers Banning Legalized Psilocybin Therapy (Filter)

• How an NHL Enforcer Broke His Body — and Turned to Psychedelics to Heal His Brain (Rolling Stone)

MDMA

• MDMA trials under review in Canada over alleged abuse of study participants (The Guardian)

• Canadian Firm Seeks Approval to Manufacture MDMA and Other Psychedelics (High Times)

DMT

• DMT is Effective at Treating Depression, New Study Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• What do we see when dying? How a psychedelic trip can trigger at life’s end, and why we need to be better prepared for it (South China Morning Post)

Ayahuasca

• An Ayahuasca Retreat Claims to Sell 'Miracles.' Former Workers and Guests Say It's Unsafe and Abusive. (VICE)

• Another Phoenix Church Sues DEA Over Religious Use of Ayahuasca (Phoenix New Times)

• The Ayahuasca King's Last Tour (The Texas Observer)

Ketamine

• Tripping Through Motherhood: How Some Women Are Using Ketamine to Treat Postpartum Depression (Glamour)

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 2 (Psychedelic Science Review)

Miscellaneous

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• Two psychedelic-related initiatives may be on the 2022 Colorado ballot (The Denver Channel)

• Alliance launches to advance psychedelic healthcare in Europe (Psychedelic Health)

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• States are embracing psychedelics, paving the way for FDA approval (DoubleBlind)

• Rabbi Ben Gorelick Plans to Use Religious Freedom Against an 8-Year Minimum Psychedelic Charge (High Times)

• Numinus Applies for International Patent Filing of Psychedelics Production Process (Psychedelic Alpha)

• The New Psychedelic Plot (The Wall Street Journal)

• Efforts to Decriminalize Psychedelics Can Extend to Rural Places, Too (The Daily Yonder)

• Recreational psychedelics remain far behind on legalization path (Pique Newsmagazine)

• Psychedelic Therapy Will Not Save Us (Mad in America)

• Mummies who mushroom: The mums using psychedelics to take the edge off modern parenthood (Harpers Bazaar)

• Extending the Reach of Psychedelic Therapy With Psychoplastogens (Technology Networks)

• The Great Microdosing Debate (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Celebrating the Psychedelic Dawn (Lucid News)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

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

Weekly Psychedelic Links - May 2022

5.6.22

Cannabis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LSD

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

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

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

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

Magic Mushrooms

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peyote

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

Iboga

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

Ketamine

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

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

Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5.13.22

Cannabis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LSD

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

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

Magic Mushrooms

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

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

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

MDMA

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

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

• Reducing MDMA Comedown and Risks (TalkingDrugs)

Ketamine

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

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

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

Miscellaneous

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

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

• The Trials of Rick Doblin (The Cut)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Altering Perceptions on Psychedelics (Harvard Medicine)

5.20.22

Cannabis

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

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

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

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

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

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

• New Study Confirms Safety of CBD (High Times)

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

Magic Mushrooms

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

MDMA

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

Ayahuasca

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

Mescaline

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

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

Peyote

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

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

Iboga

• Can Ibogaine Treat Emotional Trauma? (Lucid News)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

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

Synthetic Cannabinoids

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

Ketamine

• Ketamine, esketamine improve depression symptoms (Healio)

Datura

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

Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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

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

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

5.27.22

Cannabis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Delaware: Governor Vetoes Marijuana Depenalization Measure (NORML)

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

• North Carolina Lawmaker Introduces Legalization Bill (High Times)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Magic Mushrooms

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

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

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

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

MDMA

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

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

• Does Grapefruit Juice Make MDMA Stronger? (TalkingDrugs)

Ayahuasca

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

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

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

Peyote

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

Novel Psychoactive Substances

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

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

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

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

Ketamine

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

Miscellaneous

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

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

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 Month in Psychedelics - February 2022

A lot happened in the world of psychedelics in February. A southern U.S. state legalized medical marijuana, scientists created a new way to make 5-MeO-DMT, a follow-up study found psilocybin therapy was an effective treatment for major depression for one year, zebrafish microdosed LSD, and the NFL invested $1 million into cannabinoids.

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Policy

Wins

Southern states have been among the last to warm up to cannabis policy reforms, but Mississippi legalized medical marijuana for people with qualifying debilitating conditions like cancer or sickle cell disease. The law went into effect but it may still be several months before dispensaries will open.

Future

Following last month’s news about the DEA trying to criminalize five more psychedelics, a judge granted a hearing for opposition to the proposal. It will take place in May.

Industry

The recent explosion of interest surrounding 5-MeO-DMT has put a strain on the population of Sonoran Desert toads, which has been under threat of being wiped out because of their highly sought-after psychedelic venom. However, scientists may have found a solution to help conserve the species—a new way to farm 5-MeO-DMT that doesn’t involve milking toads. To make matters even better, the company behind this discovery plans to operate in the spirit of open science by supplying other companies with free samples of the substance as long as they make a commitment to open science.

Sustainable iboga is hard to find in the West, but Gabon has taken the first step toward setting up a legal distribution channel for the plant. In this model, participating villages will work alongside Gabon’s Ministry of Forests, a North American iboga therapy center operator, and the NGO Blessings of the Forest.

Money changed hands from the profit sector to a non-profit company this month as MAPS became the beneficiary of a handsome $500k donation from atai Life Sciences’ philanthropy arm, atai Impact.

Research

Published Studies

Ravers and festival-goers often refer to experiencing the dreaded “comedown” after taking MDMA, but a new study indicated that the drug itself doesn’t actually cause comedowns. Instead, factors such as the unknown purity of illicit substances, lack of rest, and becoming dehydrated can contribute to whether they occur or not.

The jury’s still out when it comes to whether microdosing is effective or just a placebo, but another trial found no evidence that microdosing LSD does anything. However, a different study found that giving microdoses of LSD to zebrafish may indicate its potential benefits for humans. As always, we need more research. But especially in the case of microdosing.

New research trials looking at using psychedelics to treat depression reported positive results. One follow-up study found that psilocybin therapy relieved major depressive disorder symptoms for up to one year in most patients. Two studies found that ketamine is capable of alleviating depression and quieting suicidal thoughts. And the first-ever clinical trial of DMT for major depressive disorder showed promise.

Cannabis is often blamed for causing people to become lazy and sit around on the couch wasting the day away. But over the last few years, many studies have found the exact opposite. Another one was added to the pile this month, as it found that consuming cannabis does not result in “amotivational syndrome.”

Future Studies

Concussions have been a big topic in the sports world for the last few years. A lot of effort is going into researching what can be done to recover from head injuries, and the NFL made big moves by investing $1 million into cannabinoid research. Two medical teams will investigate how cannabinoids affect pain management and neuroprotection.

Miscellaneous

You may recall that last year a U.S. sprinter named Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from competing in the 2021 Summer Olympics due to a positive cannabis test. That was bad enough on its own, but this month Richardson suggested there may be a racist double standard at play after the Olympics allowed a Russian skater to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics even after failing a drug test—for a performance enhancing drug, no less! There are some differences between the two cases, but it does seem a bit questionable, to say the least.

And last up for this recap is a reminder that although psychedelics have the potential of uncovering the truth sometimes, the insights that they give you aren’t always true. It’s tempting to fall into the mental trap of believing that everything you experience while tripping is correct, but if you or someone you know has been feeling that way lately then be sure to check out the linked article above.

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.