datura

This Month in Psychedelics - December 2022

Policy

There will be a handful of drug policy reforms attempted in 2023. For starters, California will once more try to decriminalize psychedelics statewide next year. Meanwhile, New York will try its hands at legalizing psychedelics.

When it comes to cannabis reform efforts, Oklahoma will hold a special election in March to decide on cannabis legalization and the governors of both Pennsylvania and Hawaii have signaled support, which means they could end up legalizing in 2023 as well.

Industry

A California jury found the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) partially responsible for the death of a 20 year-old woman who died after being seen at Zendo Project (the nonprofit’s harm reduction organization) during the 2017 Lightning in a Bottle music festival. The MAPS employees were found to be negligent and that negligence was determined to be a significant factor in the death. The case verdict found MAPS to be 25% liable and ordered the association pay $1 million in damages to the victim’s mothers.

Following up on last month’s story about an above-ground shroom dispensary in Florida, the shop has stopped selling its amanita muscaria products after the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services put a stop to their operation.

Research

Working with cannabis to treat pain is a common use case, but a new research found that relief may simply come down to believing it will help. In fact, according to the study’s lead author “The placebo response amounted to 67% of the pain relief associated with genuine cannabinoids.” While this doesn’t completely rule out the efficacy of using cannabis to treat pain, it does throw some cold water on the fire.

Harm Reduction

In a surprising turn of events, the powerful deliriant datura stramonium was responsible for contaminating baby spinach, prompting a “hallucinogenic spinach recall”. The weed is also known as thornapple or jimsonweed, and it caused more than 160 people to experience delirium and hallucinations.

Miscellaneous

After spending the majority of 2022 behind bars in a Russian prison for allegedly “smuggling” a THC vape pen into the country, WNBA player Brittney Griner was released in a prisoner swap in exchange for a Russian arms dealer. While we can celebrate her release, it’s unfortunate that this drug war-induced traumatic experience will follow Griner along for the rest of her life.

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.

Weekly Psychedelic Links - December 2022

12.2.22

Cannabis

  • Biden Signs Marijuana Research Bill, A Historic First For Federal Cannabis Reform (Marijuana Moment)

  • Idaho Plans for Medical Cannabis Legalization on the Ballot in 2024 (High Times)

  • Ohio Senate Votes To Remove Marijuana Paraphernalia Convictions From Criminal Records And Allow Broader Expungement (Marijuana Moment)

  • Police in India Say Rats Ate More Than 1,100 Pounds of Confiscated Weed (High Times)

  • Young Americans Are Twice As Likely To Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes, New Gallup Data Shows (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Federal Job Applications Won’t Ask About Most Marijuana Use Unless It Was Within The Past 90 Days (Marijuana Moment)

  • Many People with Bipolar Disorder Use Cannabis. It May Sometimes Help (Scientific American)

  • University Researchers Exploring Cannabis As A Treatment For Covid-19 (Forbes)

  • New York’s illicit weed products are weak and full of toxins, study finds (Leafly)

  • Medical Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Opioid Use By Cancer Patients, American Medical Association Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pennsylvania Starts Program Providing Financial Assistance to Low-Income Cannabis Patients (High Times)

  • Wedding Guest Files Lawsuit Over Pot-Infused Reception Food (High Times)

  • These States Almost Legalized Marijuana In 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • Many Trips, Diminishing Returns: Cross-Tolerance Between LSD and DOI (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Former CEO Sues Company That Fired Him for Microdosing LSD in an Investor Meeting (Futurism)

Magic Mushrooms

  • DEA Proposes Even Higher 2023 Production Quotas For Psychedelics Like MDMA And Psilocyn (Marijuana Moment)

  • Non-profit Organization Marches on Canadian Capital To Fight for Therapeutic Mushrooms (High Times)

MDMA

  • The man who took 40,000 ecstasy pills (The Face)

  • Climate Lessons from Cambodia’s Illegal MDMA Market (TalkingDrugs)

Ayahuasca

  • Why Ayahuasca Is Miley Cyrus' 'Favorite' Drug (And How It Supported Her Veganism) (Benzinga)

  • After closing its doors in Canterbury, a church serving hallucinogenic tea vows to reopen elsewhere (NHPR)

  • Ceremonial Ayahuasca in Amazonian Retreats: Mental Health and Epigenetic Outcomes From a Six-Month Naturalistic Study (Chacruna)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Prison “K2”: The Hidden Center of a Chaotic New Drug War (Filter)

Ketamine

  • Laid-off workers can now get a free month of ketamine-assisted therapy services to help with their mental health (Fortune)

  • Low-dose ketamine may reduce shivering following spinal anesthesia (Physicians Weekly)

  • Ketamine for Depression Poses “Significant Risk to the Public” (Mad in America)

  • Study shows how ketamine administration starkly changes neuronal activity patterns in the brain (News-Medical.net)

Miscellaneous

  • Berkeley, California Officials Approve Psychedelics Decriminalization Resolution Amid Pushback From Reform Advocates (Marijuana Moment)

  • Colombian And Mexican Presidents Announce International Effort To Reshape Drug Policy, Condemning ‘Failure’ Of Prohibition (Marijuana Moment)

  • Colorado Governor To Appoint Psychedelics Advisory Panel After Voters Approve Legalization Ballot Measure (Marijuana Moment)

  • Why the “Psychedelic Renaissance” is just Colonialism by Another Name (DoubleBlind)

  • Could the Latest Science on Psychedelics Revolutionise the Way We Understand Our Minds? (Men's Health)

12.9.22

Cannabis

  • Brittney Griner released from Russian detention in prisoner swap (Leafly)

  • Legalization Amendment To Be Added to Missouri Constitution (High Times)

  • New Jersey Marijuana Regulators Approve Rules For Public Cannabis Consumption Areas (Marijuana Moment)

  • Colombian Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, Bringing Country Closer To Ending Prohibition (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study: Cannabis Has ‘Uniquely Beneficial Effects’ on People With Bipolar Disorder (High Times)

  • Pain relief from marijuana comes from a belief it helps, study finds (CNN)

  • Delivery is in the works for New York’s new legal weed stores (Leafly)

  • Children are ditching alcohol for marijuana, as 20-year national US study shows a 245% increase (EurekAlert!)

  • Oregon recalls thousands of cannabis products over pesticide concerns (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Minnesota Files Lawsuit Against Several Companies for Illicit Edible Sales (High Times)

  • As Congress Stalls On Marijuana Banking, New Report Details Public Safety Risk Of Cash-Intensive Dispensaries (Marijuana Moment)

  • NORML Report Highlights Citywide Policies Depenalizing Marijuana Law Enforcement (NORML)

  • Study: ‘Significant’ negative association between medical cannabis sales, alcohol (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Dispensaries’ Cashless ATM Transactions Get The Ax (High Times)

  • Connecticut: Governor Announces Intent to Expunge 40,000+ Marijuana-Related Convictions (NORML)

  • Biden’s Health Secretary Shares Marijuana Scheduling News At 4:20—Again (Marijuana Moment)

  • Marijuana packaging rebrands can draw consumers, create cohesion, reflect values (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Trend Sees Brands Pairing Top-Shelf Weed, Fine Dining (High Times)

LSD

  • Study on LSD microdosing uncovers neuropsychological mechanisms that could underlie anti-depressant effects (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Portlanders Explain Why They’re Waiting in Line for Psychedelic Mushrooms (Willamette Week)

  • Study suggests psilocybin increases mindfulness, especially when accompanied by mystical experiences (PsyPost)

  • Amsterdam’s Last Shroom Lounge (DoubleBlind)

  • Diamond Therapeutics completes Phase I clinical study of low-dose psilocybin in healthy human subjects (PR Newswire)

  • Oregon store allegedly selling psychedelic mushrooms raided (The Seattle Times)

MDMA

  • MDMA may be available for medical treatment "as soon as 2024" in US hospitals (Mixmag)

  • Wastewater data shows 286% increase in ecstasy use during pandemic (Healio)

  • Abuse Potential: Considerations for Rescheduling MDMA and Psychedelics (Psychedelic Science Review)

DMT

Ayahuasca

  • A Canadian psychedelic drug company has created medical grade ayahuasca (Toronto Star)

  • Modulatory Effects of Ayahuasca on Personality Structure in a Traditional Framework (Chacruna)

  • Declaration of The 4th Brazilian Indigenous Ayahuasca Conference (Chacruna)

Ketamine

  • Now Companies Can Buy Insurance To Cover Ketamine Therapy for Employees (Lucid News)

  • Using Ketamine to Treat Anorexia (Psychology Today)

  • Meta-Analysis of Intravenous vs Intranasal Ketamine (Psychiatric Times)

  • Low-dose Ketamine Effective In Reducing The Incidence Of Shivering Following Spinal Anesthesia (Medical Dialogues)

Miscellaneous

  • MAPS Found Liable in Wrongful Death Lawsuit (Lucid News)

  • Most States Will Legalize Psychedelics By 2037, Analysis Published By American Medical Association Predicts (Marijuana Moment)

  • When virtual reality meets psychedelic therapy (Mashable)

  • How Will Our Value Systems Affect The Psychedelic Movement? (Maps of the Mind)

  • We’re rushing the use of psychedelics as medicine, researchers say (New Scientist)

  • Awakn Makes Its Case To Investors (Lucid News)

  • Punk Ethos & Psychedelic Practice (Maps of the Mind)

12.16.22

Cannabis

  • Recreational Weed Now Legal in Missouri (High Times)

  • Connecticut: Adult-Use Cannabis Sales to Begin Next Month (NORML)

  • New Hampshire GOP And Democratic House Leaders Team Up On Marijuana Legalization Bill For 2023 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Here’s how New York’s legal weed delivery will work (Leafly)

  • Teen Marijuana Use Remained Stable In 2022, Despite More States Legalizing And Lifting Of Pandemic Restrictions (Marijuana Moment)

  • Kansas City: Officials Dismiss Hundreds of Marijuana Cases Following Statewide Legalization Vote (NORML)

  • Kansas Lawmakers Plan To Introduce Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill (High Times)

  • Prosecution collapses against execs caught up in CannTrust cannabis scandal (CBC)

  • Texas Activists Turn In Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization Back In Voters’ Hands After City Council Repeal (Marijuana Moment)

  • Massachusetts To Add Lessons on Weed Impairment to Driver’s Ed (High Times)

  • Nearly 2 Million Marijuana Convictions Have Been Pardoned Or Expunged In The U.S. In The Past Five Years, New Report Shows (Marijuana Moment)

  • Australian Residents Could Save $850 Million Annually if Cannabis is Decriminalized (High Times)

  • Marijuana Legalization Reduces Arrests Even In States That Already Decriminalized, American Medical Association Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • Up to 9% of LSD and psilocybin users report reoccurring effects after drug has worn off (PsyPost)

  • Gut Feeling: Links Between LSD, Endocannabinoids, and the Microbiome (Psychedelic Science Review)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Florida halts amanita muscaria sales at nation’s only brick-and-mortar retailer (Leafly)

  • COMP360 psilocybin therapy shows potential in open-label study in type II bipolar disorder presented at ACNP (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Here’s why police are raiding psychedelic mushroom stores in major cities (Leafly)

  • Rat Study Examines Psilocybin as Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (High Times)

MDMA

  • The History and Benefits of MDMA, the New Tool in Mental Health Again (Daily Kos)

DMT

  • Experiencing a Changa Ceremony at an Oakland Plant Medicine Church (Lucid News)

Ayahuasca

  • Aaron Rodgers says doing psychedelic drug ayahuasca helped him overcome his ‘fear of death’ (The Independent)

5-MeO-DMT

  • UCL To Lead First-Ever Brain Imaging Study Among Psychedelic Retreat Participants (High Times)

  • PsyBio Therapeutics Takes Initial Step to Help Protect the Sonoran Desert Toad as it Files Three New Provisional Patent Applications, Including Intellectual Property Protection for the Biosynthetic Production of 5-MeO-DMT (Psychedelic Alpha)

Peyote

  • Inside the battle to save the sacred peyote ceremony: ‘We’re in dire straits’ (The Guardian)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Israeli Based Biotech Company Clearmind Completes IND-Enabling Studies for CMND-100 (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ketamine

  • Ketamine plus therapy could help treat alcoholism, say researchers (The Guardian)

Miscellaneous

  • Verdict in Lawsuit Assigns MAPS 25% Liability and $1M in Damages (Lucid News)

  • New center takes multidisciplinary approach to the study of psychedelics (University of Michigan)

  • It’s Not Just About Pot. Our Entire Drug Policy Needs an Overhaul. (The New York Times)

  • The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on a Psychedelic Experience (Sam Woolfe)

  • Would You Be Friends With Your Friends if You Didn’t Do Drugs Together? (VICE)

  • Why is Gender-Affirming Care Needed in the Psychedelic Space? (Chacruna)

  • How Many Likes Does it Take to be a Psychedelic Thought Leader? (Lucid News)

12.23.22

Cannabis

  • First words from Brittney Griner: Thanks Biden, vows to help free others (Leafly)

  • Federally Funded Study Finds Teen Use Rates Largely Unchanged by Legalization (NORML)

  • Canada Destroys a Record Amount of Cannabis (High Times)

  • District of Columbia: Council Members Advance Legislation to Expunge Tens of Thousands of Marijuana Convictions (NORML)

  • Afroman Announces 2024 Run for President (High Times)

  • Twitter Stops Suggesting People Who Search For ‘Marijuana’ May Need Drug Treatment (Marijuana Moment)

  • Canada’s Cannabis Legalization Is Working Effectively, Annual Survey Suggests (Forbes)

  • New Washington Bill Would Allow Interstate Marijuana Commerce (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Report Analyzes Medical Pot Patients’ Consumption Habits (High Times)

  • Majority Of Texas Voters Back Marijuana Legalization, And Three In Four Support Decriminalization, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • How LSD evolved from CIA mind-control drug to counterculture emblem (Leafly)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Quebec covers psilocybin therapy under medical insurance in historic first (Leafly)

  • Oregon Psilocybin Entrepreneurs Navigate Business Requirements (Lucid News)

Ayahuasca

  • Canadian Company Announces Ayahuasca Pills (Chacruna)

  • Music and ayahuasca’s role in treating substance use disorders in men (UC Riverside)

Datura

  • Weed responsible for hallucinogenic spinach recall identified as thornapple (The Guardian)

Miscellaneous

  • New Bill Tries to Decriminalize Psychedelics in California—Again (DoubleBlind)

  • The Myth of the Psychedelic Santa (Lucid News)

  • U.K. Police Chiefs Call for Decriminalization of First-Time Drug Offenses (High Times)

  • Israel-Based Clearmind Medicine Granted U.S. Patent for Psychedelic-Based Alcohol Substitute (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Placebo Problems: Boundary Works in the Psychedelic Science Renaissance (Chacruna)

12.30.22

Cannabis

  • Record Number of Scientific Papers Published About Cannabis in 2022 (NORML)

  • Washington, D.C. Passes Bill To Expand Medical Weed Sales (High Times)

  • Google Ends Ban On Advertising Certain Hemp And CBD Products In Parts Of U.S. (Marijuana Moment)

  • Clinical Trial Finds Cannabis Oil is Well-Tolerated, Effective Insomnia Treatment (High Times)

  • Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Records To Launch Its Own Cannabis Brand (Forbes)

  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom Pardons 10, Some Cannabis Convictions (High Times)

  • A dying US cancer patient used cannabis to ease pain. His hospital called the police (The Guardian)

  • South Dakota Activists File Measure That Could Put Marijuana Legalization On Ballot For Third Election In A Row (Marijuana Moment)

  • Is legal weed doomed to be run by big business? (Vox)

  • Texas Marijuana Activists Submit Enough Signatures To Challenge Local Decriminalization Repeal, While Another City’s Reform Faces Lawsuit (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

  • A single dose of psilocybin improves depression in treatment-resistant patients, but with adverse effects (PsyPost)

  • Psilocybin Therapy For Autism-Like Disorder Receives Approval For Phase 2a Clinical Trial (The Dales Report)

  • Do Shrooms Go Bad? (DoubleBlind)

MDMA

  • MDMA Is Getting Super Popular Among Rich, Young Indians (VICE)

  • VA Report Says Psilocybin And MDMA Show Therapeutic ‘Promise’ For Veterans’ Mental Health Conditions (Marijuana Moment)

DMT

  • Phase 2a study initiated to examine synthetic DMT for treatment-resistant depression (Healio)

Ayahuasca

  • “Nobody Wants A Synthetic-Only Future”: Filament Health Is Formulating Natural Psilocybin And Standardizing Ayahuasca (Healing Maps)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Tripping Without The Trip: Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelics (Benzinga)

Ketamine

  • Much remains unknown about using ketamine to treat depression—and Colorado doesn't regulate it (The Denver Post)

Miscellaneous

  • New York Lawmakers File Psychedelics Legalization Bill For 2023 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelics Like Psilocybin Are Now Legal In Colorado With Governor’s Proclamation On Voter-Approved Ballot Measure (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Multidimensional Worlds of Mariela de la Paz (DoubleBlind)

  • Minnesota Medical Association Endorses Decriminalizing Drugs (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic therapies are on the horizon, but who will administer the drugs? (NBC News)

  • Psychedelic drugs may launch a new era in psychiatric treatment, brain scientists say (NPR)

  • Psychedelics Are Surging—at the Expense of Indigenous Communities (The Daily Beast)

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 - September 2022

9.2.22

Cannabis

  • Oklahoma Supreme Court Gives Marijuana Activists Temporary Win As They Fight For Legalization Ballot Placement (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pharmaceutical Industry Suffers Billions In Losses After States Legalize Marijuana, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Harvard Grad Student Dies in Bali From Police Brutality Over Cannabis Arrest (High Times)

  • Poll: South Dakota Legalization Initiative in Danger of Failing (High Times)

  • More Americans Now Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes, For The First Time Ever, Gallup Reports (Marijuana Moment)

  • Largest ever independent study into cannabis use (BBC)

  • Cannabis researchers say it’s high time to drop ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype (The Guardian)

  • Pennsylvania: Governor Launches Effort to Issue Mass Pardons to Those with Low-Level Marijuana Convictions (NORML)

  • Ghana's Legal Cannabis Hits a Constitutional Roadblock (TalkingDrugs)

  • Joseph Schooling: Singapore Olympic star suspended for taking cannabis in Vietnam (BBC)

  • Cannabis industry inches toward sustainability (Chemical and Engineering News)

  • New Study Shows Evidence That Low-Dose THC Could Help Treat Veteran PTSD (High Times)

  • U.S. Air Force And Space Force Reviewing ‘Common Sense’ Marijuana Drug Testing Policy Change For Recruits (Marijuana Moment)

  • Qualitative Study Reveals Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Medical Pot (High Times)

LSD

  • LSD decreases binge-like drinking in a rodent model of alcoholism, but only temporarily (PsyPost)

  • Is the Color of LSD an Indicator of Purity? (Lucid News)

MDMA

  • Boy, 16, dies in suspected ecstasy-related incident at Leeds Festival (The Independent)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Nitrous Oxide

  • Why Some New York Stores Will Require You to Show ID to Buy Whipped Cream (Newsweek)

  • Doctors warn of rise in nerve damage linked to nitrous oxide (The Guardian)

Ketamine

  • This New, Legal Cannabis and Ketamine Therapy is Designed to Heal Trauma in the Body (DoubleBlind)

  • They’re Pushing Cut-Rate Ketamine Therapy on TikTok (Rolling Stone)

  • Yukon woman paid $7K for private ketamine treatment, only to learn that the Yukon gov't covers it (CBC)

Miscellaneous

  • An Inside Look at the Lawsuit that could “Legalize Psychedelics in Canada” (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • MindMed Completes 1-for-15 Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Student Loan Forgiveness Limited By the War on Drugs (High Times)

  • Aspen, Colorado Activists Pursue Psychedelics Decriminalization For 2023 Ballot As Voters Prepare To Decide On Statewide 2022 Legalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic Advocate Facing Charges Calls for Help, Law Reform in New York (High Times)

  • Is the Psychedelic Therapy Bubble About to Burst? (WIRED)

  • In the Wake of Decrim, Police Continue to Target Psychedelics (Lucid News)

  • How Psychedelics Might Fuel a Paradigm Shift (DoubleBlind)

9.9.22

Cannabis

  • California: Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Doctors from Discriminating Against Medical Cannabis Patients (NORML)

  • Nobody knows how widespread illegal cannabis grows are in California. So we mapped them (Los Angeles Times)

  • UK Government Blocks Bermuda From Legalizing Marijuana On Same Day New Prime Minister Takes Office (Marijuana Moment)

  • Afroman’s Ohio Residence Raided by Local Law Enforcement (High Times)

  • Minnesota Arrests Black People For Marijuana At Much Higher Rates Than White People, State Data Shows (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Cannabis Banking Legislation (High Times)

  • Companies Turn to THC Beverages as Next Growing Legal Cannabis Market (High Times)

LSD

  • LSD-assisted therapy induces rapid and lasting reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms, according to new research (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Placebo-controlled study suggests that the benefits of psilocybin microdosing can be explained by expectancy effects (PsyPost)

  • Psilocybin Study To Investigate the Serotonin System in Autism (Technology Networks)

  • Optimi Health Completes Largest Legal Natural Psilocybin Harvest in Canadian History (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • 'Flesh of the Gods': The Trippy History of Magic Mushrooms (VICE)

MDMA

Ayahuasca

  • Why Are Scientists Dosing Fish with Ayahuasca? (DoubleBlind)

5-MeO-DMT

  • As Use Of The World’s Most Potent Psychedelic Skyrockets, New Site F.I.V.E. Fills An Education Void (Forbes)

Peyote

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Nitrous Oxide

  • Laughing gas: 'A 20-second high is not worth losing your life over' (BBC)

Ketamine

  • Scientists Discover That a Surprising Factor Improved The Effects of Ketamine in Mice (ScienceAlert)

  • Low-dose ketamine is safe and effective to treat children with ADNP syndrome, study suggests (News-Medical.net)

Miscellaneous

  • San Francisco decriminalizes psychedelics (Leafly)

  • Drug Executions in Iran Are Back on the Rise (TalkingDrugs)

  • This Psychedelic Company is Leading the Way on Reciprocity and Holistic Approaches to Healing (DoubleBlind)

  • WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-women speakers (Leafly)

9.16.22

Cannabis

  • Killings, robberies, extortion. California can’t stop its booming illegal cannabis stores (Los Angeles Times)

  • New Zealand Approves Domestic Medical Cannabis Products (High Times)

  • World Anti-Doping Agency Set To Keep Marijuana On Banned Substance List, Saying U.S. Didn’t Back Its Removal (Marijuana Moment)

  • Biden To Meet With Family of Brittney Griner (High Times)

  • Study: CBD Oil Safe, Effective for Autism Patients (High Times)

  • Missouri judge blocks attempt to kick legalization off ballot (Leafly)

  • GOP Missouri Lawmaker Files Revised Marijuana Legalization Bill, Urging Special Session Action To Compete With Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pregnant Women in Alabama Are Being Jailed For Smoking Pot (High Times)

  • Oklahoma Prosecutors Are Targeting Pregnant Women For Using Medical Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • Thai Lawmakers Withdraw Bill to Regulate Cannabis (High Times)

  • New Jersey Employers Can’t Punish Workers Based On A Marijuana Test Alone, State Officials Say (Marijuana Moment)

  • Nevada Judge Orders State Board to Remove Cannabis from Schedule 1 (High Times)

  • Analysis: Legal Cannabis Businesses Associated with Increased Home Values (NORML)

  • Weed Legalization in Germany Hampered by EU Laws (High Times)

  • What’s Next For Cannabis Mergers And Acquisitions? (Forbes)

  • Oregon Officials to Deploy Decoys to Catch Underage Weed, Alcohol Sales (High Times)

  • Small Marijuana Growers Could Sell Directly To Consumers Across State Lines Under New Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • Republican Congressmen Push for Environmental Impact Study on Cannabis (High Times)

  • US Court of Appeals: Federal Scheduling of Cannabis “Irrational,” But Not Unconstitutional (NORML)

  • In Hawaii, People Prefer Black Market Cannabis to State-Managed Facilities (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Scientists have started to examine whether “magic” mushrooms can help in the fight against obesity (PsyPost)

  • Oregon Overcomes Bureaucratic Delays to Therapist Training Program Approvals (Lucid News)

  • The shroom edibles market proliferates underground (Leafly)

  • Revive Therapeutics Provides Update on the Psilocybin Clinical Study for Methamphetamine Use Disorder and Oral Psilocybin Thin Film Strip Program (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Receives Approval for Groundbreaking Phase 1 DMT Human Stroke Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

  • Comedian Ron White Shares How Tripping On Ayahuasca In Costa Rica Turned His Life Around (BroBible)

5-MeO-DMT

  • ‘I’m not a shaman – I just want to help people’: shoe designer Patrick Cox on his psychedelic toad awakening (The Guardian)

Peyote

  • Native American Church of North America Advocates at Capitol Hill for Protections of Peyote (Native News Online)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Mindset Pharma Receives Scientific Advice from UK Regulator Facilitating Advancement of Phase 1 First-In-Human Clinical Trial Plan for Its Lead Clinical Candidate, MSP-1014 (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ketamine

  • New study highlights ketamine’s promise for treatment-resistant depression (Popular Science)

  • Dealers Are Giving Discounts on Cocaine and Ketamine in Honour of the Queen (VICE)

  • Study Explores Effects of Experimenter Sex on Ketamine Response (Psychiatric Times)

PCP

  • PCP (aka Angel Dust) May Actually Have Therapeutic Potential (DoubleBlind)

Datura

Miscellaneous

  • Atlanta is considering the decriminalization of magic mushrooms and other psychedelics (Leafly)

  • Sexual Abuse in Psychedelic Therapy: Important Steps Being Taken to Support Survivors (DoubleBlind)

  • Oregon Voters Continue To Support Drug Decriminalization Law They Approved In 2020, New Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelics Were the Hot Topic at This Year’s World Economic Forum (Lucid News)

  • Local Michigan Lawmakers Vote To Make September Psychedelics Awareness Month After Decriminalization Enacted (Marijuana Moment)

  • A Channel for Magic: Ralph Hood’s Mysticism Scale and the Occult Roots of the Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Program (Psymposia)

  • Psychedelic Twitter is Swarmed by Plug Bots (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Finding Nuance in the Psychedelic Hype Bubble (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psilera Receives First Patent Allowance for Transdermal Patch Formulations (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Adverse Events in Psychedelic Clinical Trials are Underreported (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic South: The Quest to find Good Drugs in Alabama (Psychedelic Spotlight)

9.23.22

Cannabis

  • Canada to review impact of cannabis legalization four years on (Reuters)

  • Marijuana Is Staying On The Banned Substances List For International Athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency Announces (Marijuana Moment)

  • California: Governor Signs Legislation Providing Employment Protections for Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

  • NY finally approves medical homegrow (Leafly)

  • Australian Cannabis Patients Turning to Prescriptions Over Illicit Market, Study Shows (High Times)

  • New Yorkers with weed convictions will have priority in retail market, state says (Leafly)

  • German Lawmakers Tour California Marijuana Businesses To Inform National Legalization Plans (Marijuana Moment)

  • Las Vegas City Council Approves Cannabis Consumption Lounges (High Times)

  • Leafly Report: ‘Opt-out’ towns are encouraging illegal marijuana sales (Leafly)

  • University of Kentucky Opens New Cannabis Research Center (High Times)

  • We spoke to the author of that new study on prenatal cannabis exposure (Leafly)

  • Apple Lets Users Search For Marijuana And Pharmaceutical Interactions In Latest iPhone Health Update (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Role of Cannabis in Treating Long COVID (High Times)

  • Canada’s rich and complicated history of psychedelic research (Leafly)

  • Oklahoma: Court Rules that Voters Can’t Decide on Legalization Ballot Measure This Year (NORML)

  • Arkansas: High Court Approves Marijuana Legalization Measure for the November Ballot (NORML)

  • Majority Of Maryland Voters Back Marijuana Legalization Referendum And Expungements, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Two Out Of Three Missouri Voters ‘Certain To Vote Yes’ On Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Poll: Majority in Minnesota Want Legal Weed (High Times)

  • Two In Three Pennsylvania Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, New Poll Shows Amid Key Political Races (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • Miami clinic kicks off first national study of LSD, once a ‘public enemy,’ to treat anxiety (Miami Herald)

Magic Mushrooms

  • The Viagra of the Himalayas—the World’s Most Expensive Fungus—Faces Serious Decline Due to Growing Demand (DoubleBlind)

  • Liquid Culture vs. Spores (Reality Sandwich)

MDMA

  • Disruption to Australian ecstasy market following COVID-19 restrictions, report finds (Medical Xpress)

  • MindMed Collaborators Dose First Patient in Phase 1 Investigator-Initiated Trial of MDMA-Like Substances (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

  • Researchers Studying Psychedelic Drug as Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease (High Times)

Ayahuasca

  • Packers Bust Out Ayahuasca TD Celebration Weeks After Aaron Rodgers Revealed Psychedelic Use (BroBible)

  • Aaron Rodgers Defends Ayahuasca, Says He May Be 'Called' to Take the Psychedelic Again (People)

Peyote

  • Native American Church Leaders Ask Congress For Funds To Support Peyote Cultivation And Preservation (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Complicated Ethics of Legalizing Indigenous Psychedelic Substances (Ethos)

Iboga

  • You Can Now Get Ibogaine-Based Addiction Treatment In A Hospital Setting In Brazil (Forbes)

Nitrous Oxide

  • What Nitrous Oxide Showed The Father of American Psychology (Lucid News)

Ketamine

  • Looking at Images of People Smiling at You Extends Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine (Neuroscience News)

DXM

  • Please don't cook chicken in NyQuil, the FDA asks TikTok users (NPR)

  • The FDA may have unintentionally made 'NyQuil Chicken' go viral on TikTok (Engadget)

Miscellaneous

  • Math Over Myth: Psychedelic Stock HAVN Life Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelics face corrupting influence of financial interests (UC News)

  • Biden Administration Considers Psychedelic Therapies Task Force (Lucid News)

  • Colorado Polls Show Conflicting Results On Psychedelics Ballot Measure That Voters Will Decide On In November (Marijuana Moment)

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Announces Receipt of CDN $450K Cash Refund from Australian Research Program (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Baby Boomers (Re)Discover Psychedelics as Tools for Aging with Grace (DoubleBlind)

  • Does Microdosing Impact Meditation? New Study From Beckley Foundation and Quantified Citizen Investigates (Newswire)

  • Colombia’s President Tells UN That ‘Democracy Will Die’ If World Leaders Don’t End Drug War And Pursue Different Strategy (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Undergrowth of Psychedelic Australia (Kahpi)

  • Beyond Michael Pollan: Where to learn more about psychedelics. (Medium)

  • Can Psychedelics Help Veterans with Chronic Pain? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

9.30.22

Cannabis

  • Switzerland: Revision of Narcotics Act – Switzerland fully legalizes medicinal cannabis (Global Compliance News)

  • Free medicinal cannabis to be donated to epileptic children in the UK (Sky News)

  • Medical cannabis for doggies, kitties is fully legalized in California (Leafly)

  • Medical Marijuana Helps Patients Reduce Use Of Addictive Opioid Painkillers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Maltese Non-profit Cannabis May be The Way Forward (TalkingDrugs)

  • Check in, smoke up and tune out: Cannabis-friendly vacation rentals are catching on (CNBC)

  • Despite The Munchies, Marijuana Legalization Is Tied To Lower Obesity Rates, Stereotype-Busting Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Investigators say more than 70% of cannabis growers use illegal water (Santa Barbara News-Press)

  • Germany Versus The United States: Which Will Legalize Cannabis First (Forbes)

  • As cannabis usage grows, so does the need for employers to revisit their workplace drug policies (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Could Cannabis and Psychedelic Drugs Make Breast Cancer Treatments More Effective? (PR Newswire)

  • Federal Marijuana Prohibition Is Putting Patients At Risk Of Consuming Contaminated Products, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Supreme Court trial on homegrow ban reveals a bigger issue in federal cannabis legalization (Leafly)

  • Medical Marijuana Patient Plans To Sue Feds For $3.5 Million Over ‘Discriminatory’ Cannabis Raid On Tribal Land (Marijuana Moment)

  • Is Big Tobacco Pivoting to Big Cannabis? (High Times)

  • Wisconsin Governor’s Push To Allow Ballot Initiatives Could Put Marijuana Legalization Before Voters (Marijuana Moment)

  • Majority Of D.C. Voters Support Marijuana Legalization And Oppose Crackdown On Unregulated ‘Gifting’ Market, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Missouri Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative Leads In New Poll, But With Less Than 50 Percent (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • Connecticut to Offer Legal MDMA and Psilocybin Therapy as Early as Next Year (DoubleBlind)

  • DEA Claims Doctors Requesting Psilocybin For Dying Patients Have Commercial Interests (Benzinga)

  • Woman’s Breast Cancer Returned Immediately After Dropping Treatment With Cannabis, Shrooms (High Times)

  • Psilocybin Shows Gender-Specific Effects on CNS Reactivity and Behavioral Responses (Gilmore Health News)

  • Psyence Group Completes Export of Psilocybin Mushrooms to Portugal (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

  • MDMA in the UK Is Finally Pure Again (VICE)

Ayahuasca

  • Aaron Rodgers fumbles the science on psychedelics. Drugs like ayahuasca can alter the brain—but how? (Salon)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • 'A lot of MDMA that wasn't MDMA': The early results from inside Australia's first drug testing clinic (SBS)

  • atai Life Sciences Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Trial for its MDMA Derivative, EMP-01 (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • LSD-Like Molecules Counter Depression Without the Trip (UC San Francisco)

  • BetterLife Files Comprehensive Patent for BETR-001 and Other LSD Derivatives (Psychedelic Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • A new urine test could help curtail the use of the latest synthetic cannabinoids to enter the drug scene (Medical Xpress)

Ketamine

Miscellaneous

  • How Interdisciplinary Research Could Reveal Psychedelics’ Blind Spots (Microdose)

  • New Theory Believes Psychedelics Could Benefit Long-Term Space Travelers (High Times)

  • After rocky start, hopes up in Oregon drug decriminalization (ABC)

  • Psychedelic drugs: how to tell good research from bad (The Conversation)

  • Do You Even Trip, Bro? A Look At Psychedelic Masculinity, From Joe Rogan To Mike Tyson (Benzinga)

  • I went to the only psychedelic dispensary in North America—here’s how they do it (The Manual)

  • The Racism and Classism Hidden Behind “Moms who Microdose” (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Whole-Body Effects of Psychedelics Part 3 – The Heart (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Majority Of Mainers Support Drug Decriminalization And Other Harm Reduction Policies, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Why Tripping at Raves Can Be Just As Healing as Ceremony (DoubleBlind)

  • Math Over Myth: MindMed’s Self Destructive Stock Mission (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Men More Likely To Have Substance Abuse Disorder, Women More Likely To Overdose (High Times)

  • Psychedelic Retreats Offer Healing Only for the Wealthy (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic therapy could reduce anxiety, distress among patients with cancer (Healio)

  • The Narrowing of Psychedelic Discourse (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Is Now a Good Time to Invest In Psychedelics Stocks? (The Motley Fool)

  • The Messy Job of a Psychedelic Integration Coach (Psychedelic Spotlight)

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

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

Novel Psychoactive Substances

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

Synthetic Cannabinoids

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

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.

This Week in Psychedelics - 1.21.22

Cannabis

  • Thailand Plans to Make Marijuana Legal, Scrapping Jail Terms and Fines for Possession (Bloomberg)

  • U.S. Senate Candidate Smokes Marijuana Blunt In Campaign Ad About Harms Of Criminalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • After One Year As President, Biden’s Marijuana Promises Remain Unfulfilled (Marijuana Moment)

  • Mississippi House Approves Medical Marijuana Bill With Amendments (Marijuana Moment)

  • It’s high time that people caught with cannabis be spared jail, declare public (The Telegraph)

  • London’s Cannabis Diversion Plan Draws Political Fire (Filter)

  • Kansas Medical Marijuana Hearings Cancelled After Senate GOP Leader Reroutes House-Passed Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • What Is THC-O Acetate, And Why Is It Getting Attention? (Forbes)

  • Study Shows Cannabis was Food Staple for Ancient Chinese Dynasty (High Times)

  • Most Americans Predict Biden Won’t Uphold Marijuana Decriminalization Promise In 2022, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Austin, Texas Cannabis Decriminalization Initiative Set for Ballot in May (High Times)

  • Rhode Island Governor Includes Marijuana Legalization And Expungements In Budget Request (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis use impacts cognitive ability beyond intoxication: study (CTV News)

  • Minnesota Democratic Leaders Preview Marijuana Legalization Plan For 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Ohio Advocates Submit Additional Signatures for Cannabis Proposal (High Times)

  • Kentucky Addresses Cannabis Reform Through New Legislation (High Times)

  • Canada might be home to the world’s first airport dispensary (Leafly)

  • Nebraska Activists Say New GOP Medical Marijuana Bill Is A ‘Poison Pill’ Meant To Detract From Ballot Efforts (Marijuana Moment)

  • South Dakota Governor Demands Cannabis Advocates Cover Legal Costs (High Times)

  • Banking Activity Increases In States That Legalize Marijuana, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis Companies Target Teens on Social Media, Study Claims (High Times)

  • Cloudastructure’s Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Cannabis Surveillance (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Controversial Kansas Lawmaker Files Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Possession And Cultivation (Marijuana Moment)

  • Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Tell DEA To Allow Psilocybin Treatment For Terminal Patients (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Research Probes Psilocybin’s Effect on Suicidality (Lucid News)

  • Optimi Health Submits Natural Psilocybin Combined Drug Delivery and Extraction Formulations for Provisional Patent (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

  • Why MDMA Makes You Horny (VICE)

  • Use of ecstasy and cocaine drops during pandemic (Irish Examiner)

  • Numinus Announces Key Milestones in MAPS-Sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Clinical Trial (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • The MDMA Comedown: Why Coming Down From Molly Feels So Bad (DoubleBlind)

  • A psychedelic trip to recovery: How psychedelics can help treat PTSD (The Ubyssey)

DMT

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Files for Clinical Trial and Ethics Approval for Phase 1 DMT Human Stroke Study (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Why Do People See Elves And Other "Entities" When They Smoke DMT? (IFLScience)

Ayahuasca

Morning Glory Seeds

  • What Is LSA? Your Guide To The Complicated Psychedelic (Healing Maps)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • BetterLife Receives FDA Response On Its Pre-IND Application For Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Treatment With BETR-001 (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Study: Cannabinoids May Help Prevent and Treat Peanut Allergies (The Marijuana Herald)

  • Trial Will Test Synthetic Cannabinoid for Weight Loss in Obesity (Medscape)

  • Dyadic Introduces Novel Method to Produce Synthetic Cannabinoids and Precursors Utilizing C1 Cell Line Production Platform and Patent Pending Process (GlobeNewswire)

Ketamine

  • Plastic Surgeons Are Using Ketamine to Make Nose Jobs More Pleasant (Allure)

Datura

  • Are your food grains adulterated with poisonous dhatura (Times of India)

Miscellaneous

  • DEA Proposes Adding 5 More Psychedelics to Schedule 1 Controlled Substances (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic use is only “weakly” associated with psychosis-like symptoms, according to new research (PsyPost)

  • Utah Lawmaker Files Bill To Explore Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics (High Times)

  • Psychedelics ‘Train Has Left the Station’ Says Federal Drug Official as More States Seek Access (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Sydney Researchers Awarded Over $2.2 Million By Australian Government To Study MDMA, Psilocybin (Forbes)

  • Missouri Lawmaker Files Bill To Decriminalize Low-Level Drug Possession (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic legalization now (The New Amsterdam Psychedelic Law Blog)

  • Psygen Receives Dealer’s Licence To Become Canada’s First Dedicated Psychedelics Manufacturing Facility (The Dales Report)

  • Allowing psychedelic assisted therapy is an enlightened move, medical experts say (National Post)

  • Majority of Mental Health Patients Support Access to Psychedelics, Survey Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic Company Highlights in 2021 (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Talking Drugs Updates from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (TalkingDrugs)

  • Pandemic Tripping With Psychedelics (Green Market Report)

  • What are the potential risks of microdosing psychedelics? (Leafly)

  • Cybin Set to Measure Psychedelic Effects on the Brain Using Kernel Flow’s Revolutionary Technology (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Peek Inside Philadelphia’s Psychedelics Revolution (Philadelphia Magazine)

  • Psychedelic Science Leader Eleusis to Become Public Company in Merger with Silver Spike Acquisition Corp. II (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • How Port Townsend, Washington, Decriminalized Psychedelics (Filter)

  • Athletes and Psychedelics: Mental Health and Performance (Truffle Report)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’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.