It’s hard to believe that 2020 is coming to an end in just a couple months. We’re one week out from the 2020 election here in America and it seems to me like we are about to go through a huge transition as a nation, which will hopefully include a change in our drug policies. Since this is the last recap I am putting out before the election happens, I wanted to cover the various drug-related ballot measures that voters will have a chance to weigh in on next week.
In addition to the election coverage, this month’s recap includes the hottest psychedelic news stories from October 2020. The past couple days have been a bit crazy on my end due to power outages in my area caused by Hurricane Zeta, so I didn’t have as much time to work on this blog post as I would’ve liked. As a result, I ended up including a new section at the end which features some additional top stories without as many details. It’s just another iteration on this column, which will continue to evolve over time. Feel free to contact me with your feedback!
Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:
Without further ado, let’s jump into the news:
Psychedelic Policies on the Ballot This November
When it comes to psychedelic ballot measures that Americans will vote on next week, Oregonians will decide whether to move forward with an initiative to legalize psilocybin therapy and psychedelic-friendly voters in Washington, D.C. will vote on decriminalizing natural psychedelics.
Cannabis consumers also have a lot to look forward to in this year’s election. There are ballot measures to legalize marijuana in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. And just to keep things interesting, the Mount Rushmore state will also vote on legalizing medical marijuana, as will Mississippi.
Rounding out this election’s drug policy reform ballot measures is an initiative that would make Oregon the first state to decriminalize all drugs. Each measure that passes will bring the U.S. one step closer to becoming a country that finally has a sane approach to drug policy.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Challenge to Cannabis Rescheduling Case
Jumping back to this month’s news, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case that challenged marijuana’s Schedule I status. This didn’t come as much of a surprise, but that doesn’t take away from how disappointing it was. It’s enough to make us drug policy reformers wonder if we’ll ever see legal weed in the U.S.
Along the same lines, you might also remember that back in September the House of Representatives delayed voting on a cannabis legalization bill until after the election.
For now, we’ll just have to continue waiting for some positive momentum to pick up at the federal level.
Numinus Becomes First Canadian Company to Legally Harvest Psilocybin Mushrooms
A Vancouver-based psychedelic company known as Numinus became Canada’s first company to harvest a flush of legally-grown psilocybin mushrooms since the first wave of psychedelic research ended in the 1970s.
Numinus is attempting to develop formulations and solutions that will be used in the emerging psychedelic therapy space and actually received a license earlier this year from Health Canada that allows them to grow and extract magic mushrooms, among other psychedelics.
This first step is just another in a cascade of developments happening in the burgeoning psychedelic industry right now. It means that psilocybin mushrooms and other psychedelics are a bit closer to becoming available for the people who would benefit from working with them.
New Evidence Suggests Early Christians Drank Psychedelic Wine
Evidence from a new book suggests that early Christians might have drunk hallucinogenic wine to commune with God.
This theory was introduced to the world this month via a new book titled The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku, who is a religious scholar and archaeology sleuth. Muraresku spent more than ten years researching the use of drugs in Ancient Greece and the Mediterranean and how that practice is linked to the development of Christianity in first-century Israel.
If this theory is true, then it might mean that the communion wine that is served in religious rituals today has its roots in a more psychedelic version of the drink.
A New “Psychedelic Medicine Association” Is Bringing Psychedelics to the Medical Mainstream
A new organization focused on bringing psychedelics to the mainstream medical community launched this month. The Psychedelic Medicine Association was formed by Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, the host of the Plant Medicine Podcast. If her new association is successful then hopefully we will soon enter a future where doctors and therapists are more familiar and better educated about psychedelics than they are currently.
Initial Research Shows Psychedelics Can Help People With Eating Disorders
In recent years, scientific research has shown that psychedelics may be effective at treating a wide range of mental and physical health conditions. One new application that these medicines may help with is treating eating disorders, and a recent study found that psychedelics can improve depression and wellbeing scores in individuals who suffer from issues like anorexia and binge eating.
However, before we put the cart before the horse, we need to bear in mind that this is just a preliminary study and more research will need to be conducted in this area, but this is a good sign. And on a personal note, I have found that working with psychedelics has helped me heal from my own issues with binging on food, so I have faith that the research into this area will yield some positive results.
Additional Top Stories
Vermont legalized marijuana sales.
Scientists identified a powerful anti-inflammatory compound in psychedelics.
New Zealand voted on legalizing cannabis nationwide but the initial results look grim.
Two separate microdosing studies found:
People who microdose psychedelics report that the benefits greatly outweigh the drawbacks.
Microdosing psychedelics elevates mood and cognition.
France announces a plan to distribute free medical cannabis next year.
Spain has become a cannabis hub as criminals fill the tourism void.
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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