April was yet another busy month in the world of psychedelics. In this recap we’re going to cover a bunch of interesting stories, including the results from a study that pitted psilocybin therapy against traditional antidepressants, a few drug policy wins, new psychedelic companies listing on the Nasdaq, why Joe Biden’s son used psychedelics several years ago, and much more.
Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:
There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:
Followup
We’ve got a little bit of follow-up to get through before moving onto the latest psychedelic news from this month. At the end of March, after I finished making last month’s recap but before the end of the month, New York became the 15th state to legalize the recreational use of cannabis.
There’s a lot in New York’s bill, including the legalization of possessing, growing, using, and purchasing cannabis. The legislation placed an emphasis on social and racial equity, including things like the automatic expungement of prior convictions and the reinvestment of 40 percent of tax revenue raised from cannabis into minority communities that had higher numbers of marijuana-related arrests.
Drug Policy
Wins
Northampton, Massachusetts became the third city in the state to approve a psychedelic decriminalization measure this year after its City Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution that will deprioritize laws against the possession, use, and distribution of psychedelics. In addition, the resolution also states that no government or police funds should be used to enforce those laws.
In addition to the legalization of cannabis in New York from the end of March, two more states decided to free the weed as well this month. Virginia’s Governor Ralph Northam signed the state’s legalization bill into law, making the state the first in the South to legalize marijuana. Not only that, but the enactment date for the possession and home cultivation components of its legislation were also moved up to this July 1st. However, retail sales still aren’t slated to start until 2024.
New Mexico also legalized cannabis for adults 21 years and older after Governor Michelle Grisham signed two bills into law this month. The first bill legalizes and regulates cannabis production, sales, and possession while the the second bill will expunge prior low-level marijuana convictions. New Mexico’s legal cannabis industry will launch no later than next April and taxes are expected to raise tens of millions of dollars for the state.
A few bills made significant progress this month: Alabama’s medical marijuana legalization bill passed the Senate and is headed to the House, Montana’s cannabis legalization bill is on its way to the state’s Governor, and lawmakers in Texas approved some cannabis and psychedelic reform bills. Several bills also cleared the committee round: cannabis legalization efforts in Connecticut, Minnesota, and Louisiana, and an attempt to legalize possession of psychedelics in the progressive state of California.
Losses
However, not every drug policy reform effort was successful. North Dakota’s Senate ended an attempt to put cannabis on the 2022 ballot, Florida’s Supreme Court killed a cannabis legalization initiative, Washington state replaced a drug decriminalization bill with a revised measure to reinstate penalties (and later downgraded those penalties), and opposition in Norway torpedoed a plan to decriminalize drug use.
Upcoming Bills and Initiatives
Looking ahead, cannabis legalization at the federal level is seeming more and more likely, with a bill expected to be filed shortly and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrating 420 on the Senate floor. A GOP congressman has introduced a bill that would protect marijuana consumers’ second amendment rights and a new proposal in Maine would legalize psilocybin therapy for adults with no medical diagnosis needed.
Psychedelic Industry
The psychedelic industry continued its growth as MindMed became the second psychedelic company to list on the Nasdaq (last September COMPASS Pathways was the first). And the trend isn’t stopping anytime soon, as ATAI Life Sciences is expected to IPO on the Nasdaq shortly as well. It’s becoming more and more normal to see news about above-ground psychedelic companies operating out in the open, and when it comes down to it, listing on the Nasdaq is about as public as it gets.
Research
A randomized controlled trial that compared psilocybin with a conventional SSRI antidepressant found the psychedelic option to be as effective at treating depression while producing fewer side effects. It was just a preliminary study with a small number of participants, but it shows that there may be hope for psychedelics to compete in the existing medical landscape.
In another study, microdosing psychedelics was associated with increases in conscientiousness and reductions in neuroticism, both of which are promising outcomes for something that has come under a lot of fire recently (a study last month showed that the positive effects of microdosing may come down to placebo effect).
Experienced psychonauts are no doubt familiar with the idea of using psychedelics to get more creative, and that concept was replicated in a clinical study that confirmed psilocybin mushrooms do in fact have the potential to enhance creative thinking after all.
Although the gold standard for psychedelic therapy currently consists of two therapists working with one patient, a study found that working in a group setting may have potential as well. However, due to COVID-19 it’s probably best to avoid any psychedelic group work until things calm down a bit.
Miscellaneous
President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, published a memoir in which he detailed an account of how he worked with psychedelics to help him abstain from alcohol and crack cocaine. Back in 2014 Hunter went to a clinic in Tijuana where he was first given ibogaine, which presented him with a flickering “slideshow” of his life. Then he received 5-MeO-DMT therapy, which he credits with helping him stay sober for a year. So there you have it, psychedelics are so mainstream now that even the President’s son is coming out about his use.
Closing out this month’s recap is a story about researchers in Europe and the United States who are teaming up to produce a novel 5-MeO-DMT training program. Since this particular psychedelic is both relatively new and very powerful, clinicians don’t have a whole lot of experience administering it; hopefully this program will help them learn the knowledge necessary to make it a safe and effective experience for everyone involved.
That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.
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