Cannabis
New Law Finally Authorizes Cannabis Cafés in Colorado, the First State to Allow Recreational Sales (Reason)
Italy court rules home-growing cannabis is legal, reigniting dispute (Reuters)
Illinois Governor Pardons Over 11,000 People For Marijuana One Day Before Legal Sales Begin (Marijuana Moment)
Lab says its marijuana breath analyzer will hit the market in 2020 (San Francisco Chronicle)
Federal Weed Prosecutions Fell by 28% in 2019 (MERRY JANE)
Illinois Lieutenant Governor Buys Marijuana On State’s First Day Of Legal Sales (Marijuana Moment)
College Students Binge Drink Less in States with Legal Weed, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)
Florida Marijuana Lawsuit: ‘Stealth Deadline’ Means Legalization Might Miss 2020 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)
Scientists Just Discovered a More Potent, Natural Form of THC (MERRY JANE)
Virginia Prosecutor Announces His Office Will Not Pursue Marijuana Possession Cases (Marijuana Moment)
Study: Cannabis use rising among depressed Americans (The Mercury News)
65 Outstanding Black And Hispanic Men Leading In Cannabis (Benzinga)
Cannabis IQ drop is a myth, new twin study confirms (Leafly)
Oklahoma Activists File Revised 2020 Marijuana Legalization Measure To Protect Medical Program (Marijuana Moment)
Magic Mushrooms
World’s First Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Panel Starts Work in Denver (Filter)
Scientists Solve the Crystal Structure of the Psilocbyin Derviative 4-HO-DPT (Psychedelic Science Review)
MDMA
Stay away from this pill: Urgent warning about deadly blue LEGO-shaped ecstasy tablets with three times the average dose of MDMA (Daily Mail)
The new year is prime time for unnecessary drug-related deaths – legalising MDMA could stop them (The Independent)
Opioids
Opioid Deaths Rise When Auto Plants Close, Study Shows (The New York Times)
Pharmacies Don’t Know How to Dispose of Leftover Opioids and Antibiotics (TIME)
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl ravaged the US during the last decade. They may do even more damage to Asia in the next (KPLR11)
Decriminalization is not a radical solution to the opioid crisis. And it would work. (Macleans.ca)
Cocaine
How to Break Your Casual Cocaine Habit (VICE)
Methamphetamine
What makes meth so addictive? (Terre Haute Tribune-Star)
63% Of Hawaii State Hospital Patients Have Used Meth (Honolulu Civil Beat)
Nicotine
FDA to Ban All E-Cigarette Pod Flavors Except Tobacco and Menthol (The Wall Street Journal)
FDA Ban on Flavored E-Cigarettes Is Expected to Exempt Open-System E-Liquids (Reason)
Vape Bans Won’t Make You Safer (The Nation)
Michigan Supreme Court won't accelerate appeal on e-cigarettes (Detroit Free Press)
Gov. Cuomo proposes ban of all flavored nicotine, vaping products (News 12)
U-Haul to Implement Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy for Healthier Workforce (Yahoo! Finance)
Alcohol
Binge drinking and heavy alcohol consumption may damage the heart (Reuters)
Research Uncovers The Link Between U.S. Demographics And Beverage Alcohol Consumption (Forbes)
Why I Stopped Calling Myself an Alcoholic (TIME)
Medical professionals warn of dangers of mixing cold weather and alcohol (KRNV)
What causes hangovers, blackouts and 'hangxiety'? Everything you need to know about alcohol these holidays (Medical Xpress)
Kratom
Users cite benefits of kratom, but substance abuse organizations warn of dangers (Longview News-Journal)
Miscellaneous
Top Ten Psychedelic Moments of 2019 (Psychedelic Times)
Best psychedelic videos of 2019 (The Daily Psychedelic Video)
TripApp Is the Latest Mobile Innovation to Make Drug Use Safer (Filter)
Do Psychedelic Entrepreneurs Need Psychedelic Experience? (The Trip Report)
What the future holds for medical psychedelics in Canada (Global News)
Scientists Uncover ‘Strong Relationship’ Between Psychedelic Use And Connection With Nature (Marijuana Moment)
A mobile addiction treatment center battles stigma, shame, and rising overdoses in South Philly (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Pete Buttigieg Says We Should Decriminalize All the Drugs (Reason)
A Code of Ethics for Honest Drug Reporting (TalkingDrugs)
1,000 people sent me their addiction treatment stories. Here’s what I learned. (Vox)
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Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.
Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.