drug policy

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.

This Month in Psychedelics - November 2022

Policy

The 2022 midterm elections caused November to be a monumental month for drug policy developments in the United States. While not every attempted effort was passed, many were successful. Kicking things off, Colorado voters approved a statewide measure to decriminalize natural psychedelics and create a model to legally purchase them. These changes will roll out gradually over the course of the next four years.

With nearly 70% of Americans in favor of legalizing cannabis, it’s no surprise that there were several victories in reforming cannabis policies across the country. Maryland and Missouri both legalized marijuana, becoming the 20th and 21st states to do so. Meanwhile, voters in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Texas approved a variety of cannabis-related drug policy reforms.

In addition to the midterm elections, bipartisan lawmakers in Congress formed a new first-of-its-kind “psychedelic caucus” which will “focus on exploring psychedelic research to alleviate the U.S. mental health crisis.” The congressional Psychedelics Advancing Clinical Treatments (PACT) caucus will not be advocating for drug policy reforms but will instead focus congressional conversations around the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and work toward educating lawmakers and the public.

Across the pond, the Netherlands is planning to ban nitrous oxide due to concerns that the drug will cause severe health issues in addition to the thousands of vehicular crashes the country has been experiencing between 2018 and 2021. The Dutch government is expected to confirm the ban on distribution, sale, and possession of nitrous oxide in January.

Industry

A psychedelic entrepreneur in Florida opened an above-board shroom dispensary. Well, sort of… rather than selling psilocybin mushroom products, the hemp dispensary is selling Amanita muscaria, the red-and-white dotted mushroom species that engenders psychoactive effects when consumed. This is yet another example of newly-formed businesses operating in legal gray areas involving psychoactive drugs, and it will be interesting to see if the shop is able to stay open now that word has spread about its trippy offerings.

Research

The final participant in the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD completed their last session in the clinical treatment protocol, bringing the study to a close. The next step in the process will be an FDA evaluation of the treatment’s safety and efficacy, which will take place next year. It’s been a long ride for MAPS, which started the work of obtaining FDA approval to use MDMA therapeutically 36 years ago!

Compass Pathways published results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression, and they left a little to be desired. Although the treatment yielded rapid antidepressant effects for most patients, only about 20% of participants still showed significant improvement at 12 weeks. These results are roughly as effective as existing SSRIs or traditional therapeutic treatments for depression like cognitive behavioral therapy.

A couple studies looking into ayahuasca found that the South American brew causes adverse side effects, but the benefits still outweigh the risks. This seems to me to be common sense, because the use of practically all psychedelics involves some negative side effects but as they say, “the juice is still worth the squeeze” in my opinion.

Harm Reduction

A survey analyzed responses from about 250,000 festival attendees and found that drug checking services create a safer environment. The study focused on both positive and negative impacts of on-site drug checking and concluded that not only did the service not result in an increase of drugs at festivals, but about 61% of people who used them disposed of drugs they were intending to take if they were unsure what they contained. In addition, the seven festivals that provided drug checking services did not incur a single drug-related death.

Miscellaneous

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) issued a warning asking people to not lick toads that secrete 5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic alkaloid present in the Sonoran desert toad. This messaging appears to have been shared even though there hasn’t been a noted increase in toad-licking happening in national parks. Besides, every psychonaut worth their salt knows that you don’t lick the toad, you smoke the extracted secretion! Nonetheless, it’s entertaining to see the U.S. government attempt to communicate with the public about psychedelic drugs, even if they aren’t getting all of the details right.

Wrapping up this month’s recap is a study of ancient human remains that found that a Nazca child consumed San Pedro cactus prior to being sacrificed in a ritual ceremony more than a thousand years ago. This is not the first study to find a history of psychedelic use prior to ritual sacrifice, indicating that this may have been a more widespread practice than it was once thought to be.

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 - November 2022

11.4.22

Cannabis

  • Legal cannabis is America’s 6th biggest cash crop (Leafly)

  • Nevada Judge Orders Cannabis Removed From State’s List of Controlled Substances (High Times)

  • Delaware’s Democratic Governor Vetoes Bipartisan Bill To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients’ Gun Rights (Marijuana Moment)

  • Consumers embrace concentrates as falling flower prices lead to cheaper extracts (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Legal Marijuana Access Tied To Lower Risk Of Lung Injuries From Contaminated Vapes, Study Indicates (Marijuana Moment)

  • Creator Explains Patented Process To Extract Cannabinoids From Smoke (High Times)

  • New Senate Bill Would Create Federal Marijuana Commission To Prepare For Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • Colorado Regulators Issue Recall for Moldy Weed (High Times)

  • Missouri Voters Back Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative In New Poll, But Support Is Tightening A Week Before Election Day (Marijuana Moment)

  • Arkansas Marijuana Legalization Initiative In Jeopardy, New Poll Shows Days Before Election (Marijuana Moment)

  • Only a Quarter of Virginia Drivers Said Driving on Pot is ‘Extremely Dangerous,’ Survey Shows (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Compass Pathways Phase 2 Psilocybin Results far from Spectacular (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • North America’s First Take Home Psilocybin Trial Approved in Canada (High Times)

  • Colorado Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative Still Trails But Picks Up Support From Previously Undecided Voters, New Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Therapists who already incorporate psychedelics in their practice are mixed on Prop 122 (CPR News)

MDMA

Ayahuasca

  • Using Ayahuasca and Psychedelic Plants to Treat Racial Trauma (Psychology Today)

San Pedro

  • Nazca Human Sacrifice Victim Used Psychedelics Before Death (High Times)

Ketamine

  • New study provides insight into the cognitive mechanisms underlying ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects (PsyPost)

  • Telehealth startups prescribing ketamine at home are stirring concern (STAT News)

  • Is Ketamine the Drug of the Moment? (VICE)

Miscellaneous

  • MAPS Prepares For Trial in Wrongful Death Lawsuit (Lucid News)

  • The Harms of Psychedelics Need to Be Put Into Context (WIRED)

  • US veterans with PTSD turn to psychedelic drugs overseas as VA frustration grows (Yahoo!)

  • Why San Francisco Didn’t (Really) Decriminalize Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

  • Why Humans Have Always Been Fascinated by Snakes—From Ayahuasceros to Egyptians (DoubleBlind)

  • How Does Race and Ethnicity Influence Psychedelic Mental Health Outcomes? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

11.11.22

Cannabis

  • Maryland Becomes 20th State to Legalize Marijuana for Adult Use (NORML)

  • Missouri Becomes 21st State to Legalize Marijuana for Adult Use (NORML)

  • Ohio Voters Approve Marijuana Decriminalization Ballot Measures In Five Cities (Marijuana Moment)

  • Wisconsin Voters Approve Marijuana Ballot Questions In Cities And Counties Across The State (Marijuana Moment)

  • South Dakota Voters Reject Adult-Use Cannabis Second Time Around (High Times)

  • Arkansas Marijuana Legalization Initiative Defeated By Voters (Marijuana Moment)

  • North Dakota Rejects Bill To Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis (High Times)

  • Texas Voters In Five Cities Approve Marijuana Decriminalization Ballot Initiatives (Marijuana Moment)

  • Can cannabis help us win the war against antibiotic resistance? (Salon)

  • Czech Republic Plans To Legalize Cannabis In Coordination With Germany (Forbes)

  • Wisconsin Governor Pledges To Put Marijuana Legalization In Upcoming Budget After Voters Approve Reform On The Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

  • Minnesota Senators Signal Plans To Advance Marijuana Legalization In 2023 With New Democratic Majority (Marijuana Moment)

  • Arkansas Activists Plan Expanded 2024 Marijuana Ballot Initiative Following This Week’s Legalization Defeat (Marijuana Moment)

  • Judge Tosses Out Lawsuit on Rule Barring Medical Cannabis Users From Buying Guns (High Times)

  • FDA Finally Rejects Petition For Federal Exemption For Marijuana More Than A Decade After It Was Filed (Marijuana Moment)

  • ‘Cannabis Use Disorder’ Pill Clinical Trial To Begin (High Times)

  • Study Shows Smoking Weed Doesn’t Automatically Make You Cool (High Times)

  • New Survey Details The Growing Importance Of Cannabis For Thanksgiving Celebrations (Forbes)

  • Study Finds No Change in Cannabis Perception Among Youth in Adult-Use States (High Times)

LSD

  • LSD induces both an “afterglow” for memory performance and a cognitive “hangover,” study finds (PsyPost)

  • LSD Microdosing Yields Positive Outcomes In Phase 1 Study, More Trials On Depression & Existential Distress (Benzinga)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Several rural Oregon counties vote against therapeutic use of psilocybin (OPB)

  • There’s Now a Shroom Dispensary in the US (DoubleBlind)

  • The Heroic Dose: Navigating Powerful Mushroom Journeys (DoubleBlind)

MDMA

  • MDMA Therapy is Almost Legal—But Who Will Have Access? (DoubleBlind)

  • ‘Losing the Magic’: When MDMA Just Stops Working (VICE)

Ayahuasca

  • Ayahuasca to blame for Aaron Rodgers' struggles, ESPN's Robert Griffin III suggests (Fox News)

  • What Mainstream Churches Can Learn from an Ayahuasca Church (Lucid News)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Feds Tell National Park Visitors To Stop Licking Psychedelic Toads (Marijuana Moment)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Two hospitalised due to dangerous batch of synthetic cannabinoids (Stuff.co.nz)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Home Office responds to call for retail sales ban on nitrous oxide (gasworld)

Ketamine

  • Mom of 5 died after ketamine injection by a paramedic, family alleges in wrongful death suit (NBC)

Miscellaneous

  • What a Trip: Coloradans Approve Landmark Psychedelics Measure (Westword)

  • Wonderland Miami Exposes Growing Rift in Psychedelic Community (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic Training Provider Fluence Files Trademark for Common Phrase, Walks Back After Criticism (Psymposia)

  • Psychedelic drug research held back by UK rules and attitudes, say scientists (The Guardian)

  • Will the Psychedelic Revolution Be Medicalized? (Lucid News)

11.18.22

Cannabis

  • Kentucky Governor Signs Executive Orders Allowing Medical Marijuana Possession From Other States And Regulating Delta-8 THC (Marijuana Moment)

  • Congress Passes Landmark Cannabis Research Bill (High Times)

  • Half of Dentists Say Patients Arrive to Checkups Stoned, Survey Finds (High Times)

  • Nearly Seven In Ten Americans Back Marijuana Legalization, Including Majority Of Republicans, Latest Gallup Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cows Given Hemp Feed To Produce Milk With THC (High Times)

  • New York’s gray market cannabis crackdown begins in Brooklyn (Leafly)

  • Study Finds Link Between Cannabis Use, Greater Physical Activity in HIV+ Patients (High Times)

  • U.K. Researchers Launch Study Exploring Weed’s Effects on the Brain (High Times)

  • Study Examines If CBD Buffers THC’s Effects (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Nearly 70% of Oregon bans psilocybin, but clinics will still open next year (Leafly)

MDMA

  • Second MAPS-Sponsored Phase 3 Trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Completed (MAPS)

  • Post-pandemic trends in the UK MDMA market and implications for harm reduction services (Volteface)

DMT

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals begins screening of first subject in phase 1 DMT human stroke study (Pharmabiz)

Ayahuasca

  • Mind-altering South American brew causes adverse side effects, study says (UPI)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • VIC Health Warns of 'Chemical Similar to PCP' Sold as Ketamine (VICE)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Laughing Gas Is Being Banned In the Netherlands As Reports of Extreme Use Grow (VICE)

Ketamine

  • Online Ketamine Clinics Face Tougher Times After Covid-Era Boom (Bloomberg)

Miscellaneous

  • Bipartisan Lawmakers Form New Psychedelics Caucus In Congress (Marijuana Moment)

  • Drug testing makes festivals safer, new research finds (Mixmag)

  • Spiraling Down Wonderland’s Psychedelic Corporate Rabbit Hole (Lucid News)

  • ‘How to Change Your Mind’ and the Destigmatisation of Psychedelics (Sam Woolfe)

  • Elon Talks Psychedelics: Is he Helping or Hurting the Movement? (Microdose)

  • Psychedelic drugs may reopen critical learning periods in the brain (New Scientist)

  • Cory Booker And Rand Paul File Bill To Reschedule Psychedelic Breakthrough Therapies And Remove Research Barriers (Marijuana Moment)

  • Philadose conference highlights psychedelic therapies in Pennsylvania (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Inside Detroit’s Trippy A-F “Psychedelic Healing Shack” (DoubleBlind)

  • Would you let your teenager try psychedelics? (Drug Science)

11.25.22

Cannabis

  • Krispy Kreme is paying to keep weed illegal (Leafly)

  • Rhode Island To Begin Adult-Use Cannabis Sales on Dec. 1 (High Times)

  • Oregon: Governor Announces Mass Pardons for Those with Low-Level Cannabis Convictions (NORML)

  • Colombian Senators Approve Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • North Carolina tribe begins first legal medical cannabis harvest in the state (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Irish Lawmaker Files Bill To Legalize Marijuana Possession For Adults, Draws Early Criticism From Top Government Official (Marijuana Moment)

  • CBD did not help people who got too high, study finds (Leafly)

  • New York Cannabis Farms Have $750 Million of Weed — and Nowhere to Sell It (Bloomberg)

  • Just 10 Percent Of Americans Think Marijuana Should Be Totally Illegal, Pew Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cops May Soon Be Able To Scan Your Eyeballs To See if You’re Driving Stoned (High Times)

  • South Dakota Medical Marijuana Patients Won’t Be Denied Hunting Licenses, Official Says (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Nose Knows! Study Shows Aroma Drives Cannabis Consumer Appeal (High Times)

  • Federally Funded Study Shows Marijuana Legalization Is Not Associated With Increased Teen Use (Marijuana Moment)

  • Southern Illinois University Examining the Use of Cannabis for Ovarian Cancer (High Times)

  • No, marijuana is not more harmful than tobacco (Leafly)

  • Idaho Activists Launch Signature Drive To Put Medical Marijuana Legalization On 2024 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • Beckley Foundation Announces LSD, Microdosing Research (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Oregon's Newly Legal Magic Mushroom Industry Could Be Strangled by Restrictive Zoning Regulations (Reason)

Ayahuasca

  • Study Finds Benefits Outweigh Risks of Ayahuasca Use (High Times)

5-MeO-DMT

Iboga

  • I Tried Ibogaine, the Psychedelic Anti-Addiction Drug (VICE)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Utah moves to ban synthetic cannabinoids in medical marijuana products (Fox 13)

Ketamine

  • Long-term Ketamine Treatment for Depression May Reduce Risk of Relapse (Lucid News)

  • At-Home Ketamine Treatments Could Be a Game-Changer—or a Big Problem (Gizmodo)

  • Amygdala connectivity predicts ketamine treatment response among patients with anxious depression (PsyPost)

  • atai Life Sciences and Massachusetts General Hospital Announce Initiation of Clinical Study Investigating Neuroplasticity Biomarkers in Treatment-Resistant Depression Patients Undergoing Ketamine Treatment (Psychedelic Alpha)

Miscellaneous

  • There’s a Worldwide Spike in Arrests of Plant Medicine Practitioners (DoubleBlind)

  • All Entheogens Welcome at this Post-Modern Oakland Church (Lucid News)

  • How To Stop A Psychedelic Trip: The Promise of Ketanserin (Psychedelic Science Review)

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 Month in Psychedelics - October 2022

Policy

Alberta will become the first province in Canada to regulate psychedelics for official therapeutic use. This move is intended to protect the public by ensuring safe access to high-quality substances and providing trained professionals who will help facilitate the therapy sessions. The new policy will go into effect in January 2023.

Germany approved a plan to legalize cannabis nationwide, but now the European Union will need to decide whether to allow the country to move forward. Assuming things go according to plan, cannabis could become legal in Germany by 2024.

President Joe Biden announced mass pardons for people who have committed federal cannabis possession offenses in the United States. This is a major development from Biden, who has been quiet on the issue of drug policy reform after campaigning on marijuana decriminalization, rescheduling, and expungements for low-level cannabis convictions. As a part of this recent announcement he also called on governors across the country to pardon simple possession cases in each state.

Next week is the U.S. midterm election, and several states will vote on cannabis and psychedelic drug policy reforms. Here is a guide that goes into detail on each proposal.

Industry

Beckley Psytech has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire clinical-stage life sciences company Eleusis Therapeutics, which will bring several novel psychedelic compounds under the Beckley Psytech umbrella of psychedelic-based candidates.

Research

A study found that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may be effective at treating eating disorder symptoms in adults with severe PTSD. Although these are promising findings, they are still preliminary and more research will need to be conducted to verify the study’s results.

The DEA proposed significant increases in the production of cannabis and psychedelics for next year. This will allow more psychedelic research to be conducted, which will in turn provide an even better understanding of the safety and efficacy regarding psychedelic substances.

Harm Reduction

The Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is getting ready for a trial involving a wrongful death civil lawsuit that began earlier this week. The case involves the death of a woman who attended the 2017 Lightning In A Bottle music festival. 20 year-old Baylee Ybarra Gatlin died while under care at the Zendo Project (MAPS’ harm reduction organization) and the lawsuit will determine whether MAPS is liable for financial damages incurred at the festival.

Miscellaneous

Unfortunately there were two criminal cases involving cannabis and psychedelics that did not turn out well. First, a Russian court upheld American basketball star Brittney Griner’s nine-year prison sentence. Earlier this year Griner was arrested in Russia for possessing less than one gram of cannabis oil. The U.S. government is attempting to work out a negotiation that may allow her to come back home sooner, but the details and result of that attempt are still to be determined.

And just a few countries over, a Polish couple was sentenced to eight years in prison for facilitating ayahuasca ceremonies at their home in the Czech Republic. This outcome, along with Brittney Griner’s loss at appealing her sentence, show that although the attitude toward psychedelics is loosening in some parts of the world, there are still places where you can be punished harshly for merely possessing or using these substances.

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.