In this month’s recap we’ll go over the latest psychedelic news from December 2020. There are updates on psychedelic policy reform, research, therapy, activism, and 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:
U.S. House of Representatives Voted to Federally Legalize Marijuana
American cannabis lovers were handed a huge reason to celebrate this month when the House of Representatives approved a federal marijuana legalization bill. However, while this bill passed in the House, it is not expected to pass in the Senate, so it’ll probably be a little while longer before we can use cannabis without facing any legal penalties at the federal level. A few days after the House approved the legalization bill, it also passed a marijuana research bill, which was then approved one week later by the Senate.
In other drug policy reform news, the United Nations reclassified cannabis as a less dangerous drug (which could clear the way for an expansion of marijuana research and medical use), Mexico’s Supreme Court once again extended the deadline to legalize cannabis, Ireland unexpectedly decriminalized cannabis, and a new bill to decriminalize MDMA and other drugs was introduced in Australia.
New Hampshire Supreme Court ApproveD Religious Use of Magic Mushrooms
Following up on a court case from 2018, the New Hampshire Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of establishing a religious freedom to use psilocybin mushrooms in the state.
While this decision only applies to one specific case where a man in the Oklevueha Native American Church was charged with possession, it does set a legal precedent that could be used in other cases involving the religious use of psychedelics.
Pilot Trial for MDMA-Assisted Couples Therapy
A first-of-its-kind psychedelic research study took a look at the safety and efficacy of a new form of MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of PTSD.
Unlike previous studies that only focused on treating individuals suffering from PTSD, this study explored the potential of using MDMA couples therapy where one of the partners has a pre-existing PTSD diagnosis. The results were far from conclusive, as this was just a preliminary study, but the findings were encouraging. The psychedelic-assisted treatment option was found to be as effective or better than traditional psychotherapy alone.
Psychedelic Activist Sheri Eckert Passed Away
Unfortunately the psychedelic community lost one of its most beloved members as activist Sheri Eckert unexpectedly passed away.
Sheri was one of the founders of the Oregon Psilocybin Society, which helped pass legislation in November that legalized psilocybin therapy under Oregon state law. In addition to fighting for legal psilocybin therapy, she was also a practicing therapist herself.
Her husband is requesting that those who would like to show their condolences can donate to the charity that they co-founded together.
United Kingdom Will Trial DMT for Depression
When you think about the mind-blowing psychedelic drug dimethyltriptamine, you probably don’t think of it as a form of therapy but rather as a complete visual and experiential mindfuck. However, regulators in the United Kingdom approved a clinical trial that will explore using DMT to treat depression. The company behind the study, Small Pharma, is hoping to get started in January and the treatment model will be similar the the ones used in previous psilocybin therapy studies.
The theory is that since ayahuasca, which contains DMT, has been found to be effective at treating depression, that perhaps straight-up DMT will be even better because it wouldn’t require as much time to conduct the active sessions.
I have doubts about DMT being more effective at treating mental health issues like depression than psychedelics with a longer duration, like psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca, but it will be interesting nonetheless to see what comes of this study.
U.S. Marines Started Random LSD Testing
LSD was added to the list of drugs that are randomly tested for at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune because of an increase in marines and sailors that have been using the drug.
Before now, marines were only screened for LSD use if there was probable cause, but after a series of drug-related incidents involving military personnel over the last few years, the second marine division at Camp Lejeune will now start including LSD in its random drug testing protocol.
Additional Top Stories
A new non-psychedelic compound related to ibogaine may be effective at treating addiction and depression.
Mexico reclaimed its sovereignty from the United States DEA.
President Trump is reportedly considering granting clemency to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace known as Silk Road.
America’s longest-serving cannabis prisoner was freed after being behind bars for 31 years.
The NBA announced that it will not test its players for marijuana use next season.
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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