Weekly Psychedelic Links - August 2022

8.5.22

Cannabis

• Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for drug possession and smuggling (Leafly)

• Another American Caught With Weed in Russia Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison (High Times)

• Cannabis no more of a risk than tobacco and alcohol – study (Cannabis Health News)

• Federal Marijuana Records Would Be Expunged Under New Bipartisan Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• New Study Says Legalization Hasn’t Caused More Teens To Try Cannabis (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Cafes Emerge in Post-Legalization Thailand (High Times)

• Study Shows Cannabis Users 55% Less Likely to Develop Common Liver Cancer (High Times)

• Arkansas Marijuana Campaign Files Lawsuit To Put Legalization Measure On Ballot After State Board’s Rejection (Marijuana Moment)

• US weed homegrowers produce 8x more than Colorado legal market, says new report (Leafly)

• Feds Seek Contractor To Help Test Marijuana Compounds In People’s Breath (Marijuana Moment)

• New 3D Structures of Cannabinoid Receptor Inform Safer Drug Design (Psychedelic Science Review)

• New Report Recommends Tips for Successful Cannabis-Impaired Driving Campaigns (High Times)

• Colleges In States That Legalize Marijuana See A Boost In Application Numbers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Brazilian Government’s Selective Blindness to Cannabis Evidence (TalkingDrugs)

• Largest Federal Workers Union Calls For Ending Marijuana Tests For Most Government Employees In Legal States (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• Medidosing LSD: The Middle Way (Lucid News)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin Microdosing Shows No Benefit to Creativity, Cognition, Perception in New Scientific Study (Willamette Week)

• Oregon Psilocybin Rules Set To Be Finalized in December (High Times)

• Lead Plaintiff in Canadian Right To Try Lawsuit Shares His Psilocybin Story (Lucid News)

• The Rise of Casual Shrooms (VICE)

MDMA

• It’s Festival Season! How Should We Group Dose MDMA? (Lucid News)

DMT

• The Real Reason Cybin Bought Entheon’s DMT Clinical Trial (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Ayahuasca

• Study to Analyze Ayahuasca for Refugee Trauma (DoubleBlind)

• Aaron Rodgers Opens Up About Use of Psychedelics, Mental Health (Sports Illustrated)

Mescaline

• Mescaline: A Neglected Tool for Psychotherapy (Sam Woolfe)

Peyote

• The Peyote Plot: The Indigenous Fight to Conserve the Sacred Plant and the Spiritual Medicine it Contains (DoubleBlind)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Drug testers warn of new synthetic cannabinoid being sold as MDMA (The New Zealand Herald)

Ketamine

• Double-action mechanism found that makes ketamine less addictive (New Atlas)

• How ketamine chic became the new heroin chic (Dazed)

Miscellaneous

• Poll States 28% of Americans Have Tried At Least One Psychedelic Substance (High Times)

• The Need for 100,000 Psychedelic Facilitators is Real (LA Weekly)

• Morgan Stanley Publishes Optimistic Report on Psychedelics (Psychedelic Alpha)

• California Bills To Legalize Psychedelics Possession, Allow Interstate Marijuana Commerce And More Teed Up For Key Hurdle Next Week (Marijuana Moment)

• MindMed Board of Directors Approves Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Majority Of Americans Support Psychedelics Research For Military Members, New Poll Finds As Bipartisan Reform Advances In Congress (Marijuana Moment)

8.12.22

Cannabis

• Report: Spike in Marijuana Positives Fueling Truck Driver Shortage, Supply Chain Disruptions (NORML)

• Ottawa on track to spend $200M per year on cannabis for veterans (CBC)

• Wisconsin Governor Pardons Several for Cannabis Offenses (High Times)

• Missouri will vote on marijuana legalization in November (Leafly)

• Arkansas Supreme Court Orders State To Put Marijuana Legalization Initiative On Ballot, But Votes May Not Be Counted (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado Marijuana Shops Are 98 Percent Compliant With ID Checks To Prevent Underage Sales, State Regulators Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis And Lower COVID Hospitalizations: Is There A Connection? Here’s What A New Study Found (The Fresh Toast)

• Biden DOJ Says Medical Marijuana Patients Are Too ‘Dangerous To Trust’ In Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit On Gun Rights (Marijuana Moment)

• Voters Across Wisconsin Will See Marijuana Questions On Their Ballots In November (Marijuana Moment)

• ‘Very good for tourists’: Thailand aims for high season with U-turn on cannabis (The Guardian)

• The (Possibly) Best and Worst Countries To Get Caught With Pot (Benzinga)

• New Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Filed For 2024 Ballot, With Backing Of State’s Largest Medical Cannabis Company (Marijuana Moment)

• Can memory loss be good? How cannabis can help with PTSD (Leafly)

• Arresting illicit weed sellers repeats our drug war mistakes (NJ.com)

LSD

• Neuroscience research suggests LSD might enhance learning and memory by promoting brain plasticity (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin therapy is prompting states to reconsider laws about magic mushrooms (USA Today)

• Many Oregonians will have to vote again on psilocybin (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Buried Treasure: How Does Psilocybin Reduce Compulsivity? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Can Psilocybin Treat Obesity? New Evidence, Future Directions (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Inside the lab that's creating enough psilocybin for everyone on Earth (Wisconsin Public Radio)

• Phase 2 clinical trial to examine efficacy of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa (Healio)

• Coos County cities move to ban psilocybin for medical use in their communities (KCBY)

• Optimi Health To Launch Therapeutic Psilocybin Product In Partnership With Patient Advocate Thomas Hartle (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

• Las Vegas Wastewater Study Finds Absolutely Bonkers Spike In MDMA Levels During EDC (BroBible)

• Where Ecstasy Meets Power: The Unique Risks of MDMA Therapy (Sam Woolfe)

Ayahuasca

• Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Won’t Be Disciplined for Using Psychedelic Drug (Sports Illustrated)

• Aaron Rodgers’ former Packers QB coach reacts to psychedelic drug revelation (New York Post)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Psilera’s New Compounds Show Potential for Significant Treatment Improvement in Depression and Neurodegenerative Disorders (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Majority of 'Bath Salt' Deaths Concentrated in Just Two States (Medpage Today)

• Woman likely drowned after taking hallucinogenic drugs, coroner finds (Stuff.co.nz)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• States That Legalize Marijuana See ‘Significant Reductions’ In Synthetic Cannabinoid Poisonings, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• A 'very unpleasant time' - new synthetic drug in NZ (Radio New Zealand)

Nitrous Oxide

• Urgent warning to parents over teens inhaling nitrous oxide after canisters found across Dublin (The Irish Sun)

Ketamine

• How The Brain Changes In People With Chronic PTSD Following Ketamine Treatment (Healing Maps)

Miscellaneous

• VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence (Technology Review)

• The DARE Program Is Back in Some School Districts — Here’s What to Know (Teen Vogue)

• Compass Pathways Sued for Stealing Trade Secrets (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• An initiative to decriminalize most plant-based psychedelics is likely to fall short on signatures (Colorado Public Radio)

• Colombia’s New President Wants to End the Drug War. Can He Succeed? (Filter)

• Bear high on hallucinogenic 'mad honey' rescued in Turkey (Irish Mirror)

• How Do We End the ‘War on Drugs’? Perhaps Scandinavia Has the Answer.. (Volteface)

• Psychedelics are having a moment and women could be the ones to benefit (MIT Technology Review)

• Over the counter culture: Are psychedelics coming to the corner shop? (The Independent)

• Psychedelics researchers and investors should focus on delivering therapy, not drugs (STAT)

• Muslims on Drugs: Psychedelics, Queerness, and Identity in the Post-9/11 Era (DoubleBlind)

• What Role does Philosophy Play in the Future of Psychedelics? (TalkingDrugs)

• First Reddit Community-Led Scientific Study to Launch on Quantified Citizen (Yahoo!)

• Red Wall Voters Want Drug Law Reform – New Polling Shows (Volteface)

• Psychedelic Clinical Trials and the Michael Pollan Effect (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Young Psychedelic Philanthropist Blazes Path for the Psychedelic Future (Lucid News)

• Rediscovering Our Ancestral Roots of Exploration (Chacruna)

• What Happens when Psychedelics Meets Video Games? (Lucid News)

8.19.22

Cannabis

• Brittney Griner Appeals Conviction in Russian Drug Case (High Times)

• North Dakota will vote on cannabis legalization in November (Leafly)

• Arkansas court orders recreational cannabis amendment put back on ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Pot-smoking tourists not welcome in Thailand, says health minister (Reuters)

• South Dakota Reservation Bans Alcohol, Allows Cannabis (High Times)

• Analysis: Racial Disparities in Marijuana Possession Arrests Becoming More Pronounced in Prohibition States (NORML)

• ‘Clean weed’ is about to be everywhere in California. Here’s what you need to know (Los Angeles Times)

• Ohio Voters In Seven More Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization At The Ballot This November (Marijuana Moment)

• Idaho Activists Launch Medical Marijuana Ballot Push For 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

• Alberta cannabis sales slow to grow as online identity verification deters consumers, say retailers (CBC)

• Gallup: Those with First-Hand Experience with Cannabis Likely to Perceive It Positively (NORML)

• Majority Of Texas Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Most Wisconsin Voters—Including Republicans—Support Legalizing Marijuana, Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• Is Oregon Ready for the Coming Psilocybin-Fueled Mushroom Tourism Boom? (Portland Monthly)

• Optimi Health Unveils Canada’s First Natural Therapeutic Psilocybin Product For Approved Patients (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

• Warnings over dangerously high-strength MDMA pills found at Boardmasters (Mixmag)

DMT

• Small Pharma Receives Approval for DMT-Assisted Psychotherapy and SSRI Drug Interaction Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• The Misfortune of “Right Wing” Psychedelia” in Brazil (Chacruna)

• Anonymous Letter to Conservative Masters of the UDV (Chacruna)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• MindMed Shelves 18-MC for Opioid Use Disorder and Further Cuts Pipeline (Psychedelic Spotlight)

Nitrous Oxide

• Atlanta neighbors frustrated by nitrous oxide use outside Widespread Panic show (KMIZ)

Ketamine

• We Asked the Experts: What Exactly is in Ketamine? (TalkingDrugs)

Miscellaneous

• Video of a forester who found a drunken bear gorged on hallucinogenic honey became a hit on the Internet (The Saxon)

• California Psychedelics Legalization Bill Gutted by Key Committee (DoubleBlind)

• Psychedelics as a sacrament? Lawsuit says drugs are a religious right. (The Washington Post)

• Integration of psychedelic experiences linked to self-actualization via improvements in personal development and self-insight (PsyPost)

• Two In Five Americans Say They’ve Changed Their Mind On Drug Policy, With Most Becoming “More Liberal,” Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

8.26.22

Cannabis

• Federal Trade Commission issues refunds to CBD buyers, here’s why (Leafly)

• Nebraska Officials Will Take A Second Look At Signatures For Rejected Medical Marijuana Ballot Measures (Marijuana Moment)

• New medical marijuana campaign launches in Idaho for 2024 ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Study Shows 20% Increase in Frequency of Cannabis Consumption in Recreational States (High Times)

• FBI Says CBD Use Is An ‘Automatic Disqualifier’ For Employment Despite Federal Hemp Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

• Oklahoma’s legalization initiative at risk due to state delay (Leafly)

• The casualties of California legalizing pot: Growers who went legal (The Washington Post)

• U.S. Forest Service Reminds Workers Of Federal Marijuana Ban And Warns Against CBD Use (Marijuana Moment)

• Dennis Rodman Proposes To Negotiate Russia Brittney Griner Release (High Times)

• Why The Legal Cannabis Industry Needs The Black Market (Forbes)

• Legalization Opponents Sue To Block Initiative From Missouri Ballot (High Times)

• Cannabis for Chronic Pain Linked to Slightly Increased Risk of Arrhythmia (Healthline)

LSD

• First Patient Dosed in Trial of LSD for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Psychiatric Times)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin May Help Treat Alcohol Addiction, Study Shows (TIME)

• Three Out Of Four Oregon Counties Will Vote On Banning Or Postponing Psilocybin Services This November (Marijuana Moment)

• Inside Paul Stamets’ Massive Microdosing Study (DoubleBlind)

Ayahuasca

• Mormon Bishop And Former GOP Utah Rep. Champions Ayahuasca After Faith-Affirming Psychedelic Experience (Marijuana Moment)

5-MeO-DMT

• Trip Advisors: Group Promotes 5-MeO-DMT Harm Reduction By Exposing Shamanic Hustlers (Forbes)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• The DEA is Attempting to Ban Two New Psychedelic Drugs (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Clearmind Medicine Announces Additional Positive Pre-Clinical Results for its Cocaine Addiction Treatment (Psychedelic Alpha)

• BetterLife Lead Drug (BETR-001) Promotes Structural Neural Plasticity with Possible Nootropic Effects Similar to That of LSD Without Hallucinogenic Side Effects (Psychedelic Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

• Laughing Gas During Labor Is Becoming More Popular Among Women in the United States (People)

Ketamine

• Ketamine’s upgrade to an employee benefit in US may hasten the legitimacy of psychedelics in SA (BizNews)

DXM

• FDA Approves First, Only NMDA Receptor Antagonist for Major Depressive Disorder (Pharmacy Times)

Miscellaneous

• Psychedelic Stocks: MindMed and atai Slash their Pipelines, Mydecine Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Psychedelics Use Increasing Among Adults, But Decreasing For Teens, New Federally Funded Studies Find (Marijuana Moment)

• Psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences linked to increased pro-environmental behaviors (PsyPost)

• How near-death experiences and psychedelics alter attitudes about death (EurekAlert!)

• Does Microdosing Actually Work? The Science Is Still Conflicted (VICE)

• Issues of Patient Safety and Ethical Violations in Psychedelic Therapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

• As Plant-Medicine Churches Grow, Legal Questions Linger (Lucid News)

• This Psychedelic Theater Troupe Has Been Quietly Changing the World for Decades (DoubleBlind)

• Do Psychedelic Trips Actually Start In The Gut Instead Of The Brain? (Healing Maps)

• The Psychedelic Community Takes Itself Too Seriously (Psychedelic Alpha)

• Ethics in Psychedelic Therapy: The Promises and Pitfalls of Increased Suggestibility (Sam Woolfe)

• Do You Even Trip, Bro? On Psychedelic Masculinity (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• How Long Can the Psychedelic Renaissance Last? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• The Legal Risks of Psychedelic Therapy and Coaching (EntheoNation)

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.

How Psychedelics Transformed Me Into A Better Person

I first encountered psychedelics in 2006. At that time, I was a much different person than I am today. Several issues had plagued my life for a long time, yet I remained unaware of them, caught up in the day-to-day dramas of life.

But things have changed a lot since then, and psychedelics played a significant role in that process.

In this blog post I will share some of the ways that psychedelics helped me become a better person. I hope that sharing my story will help reduce the stigma surrounding these special medicines and show that they are capable of helping with many different things.

Improving My Mental Health

One of the biggest ways that psychedelics helped me was by alleviating a variety of mental health issues that I used to experience on a daily basis. For pretty much my whole life I suffered from depression and anxiety. There were times when I was unable to do anything, paralyzed by fear and hopelessness. It was miserable, to say the least.

I didn’t have much patience and tended to get angry and fly off the handle over the dumbest things. I wouldn’t say that I had a short fuse, but I definitely didn’t have much control over my anger in the past. Working with psychedelics helped me develop more patience and less anger.

While psychedelics haven’t completely eliminated my dark thoughts, they did help me learn how to love and embrace them instead of trying to run from them.

Quitting Bad Habits and Creating Better Ones

Another major benefit that I’ve experienced from working with psychedelics has been stopping the bad habits that weren’t serving me and creating new ones that actually do.

I’ve intentionally used psychedelics to help me work through addictions (tobacco, alcohol, and food) and to stop interrupting other people while they’re speaking.

In place of those bad habits I have created new ones—a daily yoga and meditation practice, weekly journaling sessions, eating a healthy diet, and just taking care of myself better in general. Although I put in a ton of work to get to the place I am now, I have psychedelics to thank for helping me get here.

Increasing My Appreciation for Nature

When I was younger I was always perplexed by people who found joy in simple things like sunsets, flowers, and walks on the beach. As a nerdy kid who just wanted to stay inside and play video games, I just didn’t get it.

It took just one psilocybin mushroom trip to change all that forever.

An hour after eating some mushrooms I found myself absolutely fascinated with the natural environment I was in. I remember being completely entranced by the birds chirping in the trees nearby, bugs whizzing by me, and the clouds floating through the sky.

This recognition of the natural environment has continued to this day. Psychedelics helped me develop an appreciation for nature that was missing prior to my experience with them, and I am eternally grateful to them for that.

Finding Joy in Life

Let’s not forget one of the most important aspects of psychedelics, one that is rarely mentioned due to the effort to legitimize them for the mainstream public—they can be fun too! A lot of folks in the movement try to downplay the recreational side of psychedelics but I think this is a huge mistake.

Just because psychedelics can be enjoyable doesn’t discount their potential for healing, spirituality, or productivity.

The beginning of the word “recreation” is “recreate”, and I have found that recreating myself through my recreational psychedelic trips has been just as transformational for me as the experiences that were intentionally created for healing or spiritual purposes.

And Tons of Other Things

Psychedelics have helped me with so many other things too. Here are some of the ones that made a big impact on my life:

• Increased openness (especially with regard to spirituality)

• More tolerance and acceptance

• Enhanced creativity and ability to enter flow states

• Increased compassion for myself and others

• Understanding better how my actions affect others

• An ability to see the bigger picture

• Highlighting the people I should (and shouldn’t) keep in my life

• Better life satisfaction

• Improved social relationships

• Increased confidence

• Better at dealing with awkward or uncomfortable situations

• Showed me what’s possible (although I still had to do the work to achieve it)

• Helped me find my passions

• Assisted with setting goals

• Learning how to surrender

• Keep my mind young and playful

After spending the last 14 years working with psychedelics, I think it’s fair to say that I’ve become a much better person than I used to be. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and I’m proud to be part of the growing movement to show the mainstream public that they have the potential to be agents of positive change in a world that is desperately needing just that.

#ThankYouPlantMedicine

Image by johnhain, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

The Best Psychedelic Blogs and Publications in 2020

Art by nanobotz

Last updated: July 28th, 2020

It doesn't matter if you're new to the psychedelic community or an experienced psychonaut with hundreds of trips under your belt—finding blogs and publications that cover the news about psychedelics is tough.

But since I’ve been reporting psychedelic news for more than five years, I’ve accumulated a long list of potential news sources that I regularly scan for interesting stuff to share on this blog and my YouTube channel. So I figured I’d use my expertise to put together this resource guide to help my fellow psychonauts find the best psychedelic blogs and publications on the Internet.

The blogs and publications on this list are all different. Some focus exclusively on one particular plant medicine, like cannabis or ayahuasca. Others cover news about a variety of different psychoactive drugs. All of them have at least a few pieces related to psychedelics, and the collection features such a broad range of editorial styles that I can guarantee you’ll find at least a few that you’ll want to start reading on the reg.

The list is sorted alphabetically. Without further ado, here they are:

Adventures Through the Mind

Adventures Through the Mind is a blog focusing on psychedelic culture. The content is produced by Canadian author and public educator, James W. Jesso, who is the author of Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom and The True Light Of Darkness, both about his experiences exploring the potentials of psychedelics.

Beckley Foundation

The Beckley Foundation is a UK-based think-tank and NGO founded and directed by Amanda Feilding. Its purpose is to pioneer psychedelic research and drive evidence-based drug policy reform.

Big Think

Big Think is where top experts explore big ideas and core skills that define the 21st century, including articles like Can Psychedelics Help You Expand Your Mind? and Can Psychedelics Make Us More Moral?

Botanical Dimensions

Botanical Dimensions is a non-profit ethnobotanical preserve founded on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1985 by Kathleen Harrison and the late Terence McKenna. Its mission is to collect, protect, propagate, and understand plants of ethno-medical significance, including their lore. The organization attempts to appreciate, study, and educate others about plants and mushrooms that are significant to cultural integrity and spiritual well-being. The blog focuses on topics like plants, fungi, culture, food, native knowledge, healing, and shamanism. 

Chacruna

Chacruna is a collective of intellectuals and creatives that love to redefine common knowledge about psychedelic plant medicines. Its contributors include leading anthropologists, psychologists, journalists, neuroscientists, philosophers, therapists, and wordsmiths with deep or new knowledge about psychedelic plant medicines.

The Daily Psychedelic Video

The Daily Psychedelic Video is the biggest collection of curated psychedelic videos on the web. The site is run by a team of psychedelic video aficionados dedicated to finding the best psychedelic videos out there. It has been active daily since April 2010, and includes more than 3,000 psychedelic videos.

Dedicated to the exploration of psychedelic aesthetics in cinema, TV, commercials and web videos, the DPV was created so that any person in the midst of a mind blowing psychedelic experience can have easy access to high-quality psychedelic material.

DMT Times

DMT Times was launched for several reasons. It is a hub and information point for users of DMT and ayahuasca: a place for those interested to find out about the latest news and events, conduct research, and discuss all aspects of their experiences with likeminded people.

There are many resources on the site, from movies and documentaries to books, articles, artwork and of course insights from the authors, John and Caroline. These will continue to grow over time, and soon there will also be interviews with authorities in the field, podcasts, local events and discussions, and more.

DoubleBlind

DoubleBlind is a biannual print magazine and media company covering timely, untold stories about the expansion of psychedelics around the globe. It isn’t speaking to the veteran tripper nor evangelizing to the anti-drug square. DoubleBlind is for everyone who is curious about psychedelics. This publication features fresh perspectives on some of the most important issues of our time: the depression epidemic, the corporatization of medicine, and the aching that people around the globe feel for spirituality or some other collective sense of meaning. Dive deep below the surface of the daily news cycle through long-form reported features, poetry, visual art, and provocative photo essays offered both online and in print.

Drug Policy Alliance

The Drug Policy Alliance envisions a just society in which the use and regulation of drugs are grounded in science, compassion, health, and human rights, in which people are no longer punished for what they put into their own bodies but only for crimes committed against others, and in which the fears, prejudices, and punitive prohibitions of today are no more. Their mission is to advance those policies and attitudes that best reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, and to promote the sovereignty of individuals over their minds and bodies.

Drug WarRant

As the art of blogging evolves, few have utilized this tool as effectively for anti-marijuana-prohibition advocacy as Pete Guither. Check him out at DrugWarRant.com and enter the Drug War Rant community. Both of these outlets were the result of Pete’s anger at the continued prohibition of cannabis. What started out as research and writing primarily for his own edification has blossomed into a powerful online forum and community of drug-policy reformers that provides a valuable service by supplying activists with news and information on the latest scientific, legal and political developments.

Filter

Filter launched in September 2018 and is based in New York City. Its mission is to advocate through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights.

The Fix

The Fix is the world's premier website about addiction and recovery, featuring a daily mix of breaking news, exclusive interviews, investigative reports, essays, and blogs on sober living, lifestyle, and cultural resources, as well as knowledge and wisdom from expert counsel.

Freedom and Fulfilment

Writer Aaron Simon started his blog Freedom and Fulfilment to write about his experience and share ideas on self improvement, spirituality, and how we can create the best lives for ourselves and others. He has published several posts about psychedelics, including Mystical Experience & Psychedelics: Meaningful, Measurable, Life Changing and Can We Derive Values From Psychedelic Experience?

Heffter Research Institute

The Heffter Research Institute was incorporated in New Mexico in 1993 as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) scientific organization. Since its inception, Heffter has been helping to design, review, and fund the leading studies on psilocybin at prominent research institutions in the US and Europe. Their research has explored psilocybin for the treatment of cancer-related distress and addiction, for understanding the relationship between the psychedelic experience and spirituality, and for basic science research into the physiology of brain activity, cognition, and behavior. The Heffter Institute believes that psychedelics have great, unexplored potential that requires independently funded scientific research to find their best uses in medical treatment.
Hester is not an endowed foundation, and so there is a continuous need for funding to support this critical research.

Herb

Herb is not the couch-locked stoner caricature sketched by politicians with a hidden agenda and a lack of imagination. Its writers are diverse. They are free thinkers. They are achievers. And they are not here to scare your parents. They believe that cannabis is more than just a plant. Above all, Herb believes that cannabis is a catalyst to experience, to curiosity, to culture, to community, and to health. It’s not about the plant. It’s about what you choose to do with it.

Herb exists to empower our users to use cannabis to transform their bodies, minds and souls. They want you to do one thing: Grow.

HighExistence Magazine

HighExistence Magazine is for the young movers and shakers who want to put a dent in the world. For the up-and-coming artists, creative types, and entrepreneurs. This magazine will take you by the hand and show you how to live a Higher Existence. Every single article in HighExistence Magazine has a section at the end that explains how the article applies to your life and provides simple, practical steps to follow to implement the teachings.

High Times

High Times is the definitive resource for all things cannabis. From cultivation and legalization, to entertainment and culture, to hard-hitting news exposing the War on Drugs, High Times has been the preeminent source for cannabis information since 1974.

The Institute for the Advancement of Psychedelic Christianity

The IAPC is an organizational body whose purpose is to advance the cause of psychedelic Christianity by informing the public of the existence of this way of thinking about Christianity. It is not a church. The organization encourages people to join whatever church they believe tells the most truth and does not endorse any political parties, candidates, or positions. It encourages people to lighten up about politics, to treat them more like a sport and less like a religion, on the grounds that worldly politics will never lead to the kingdom of heaven.

Kahpi: The Ayahuasca Hub

Kahpi is the result of a large collective energy of people with long-term engagement with the realities of ayahuasca culture, science, and experiences. The site features a powerful series of ayahuasca video courses taught by 10 carefully-selected world-renowned teachers. As a charity organization, Kahpi is grateful to receive generous donations from around the world. These donations enable them to offer the Kahpi courses free to access.

Note: I am a contributor at Kahpi. If you would like to check out my work there, you can visit my author page.

Ladybud

Ladybud is the #1 women’s lifestyle publication with a focus on activism specific to drug war reform and other socially progressive issues. This publication fills a void in both mainstream and drug policy reform media. Traditional marijuana media focuses on young men and features content about cultivation and party culture. While Ladybud respects these roots, they are doing something very different. Their writers are mostly women in their 20s-60s who cover a wide variety of topics: marijuana activism, culture, beauty, sex, and food. They identify as the average modern woman who also believes the drug war is one of the greatest social and civil rights issues facing our nation and the world today.

Leafly

Leafly is the world’s largest cannabis information resource. They make the process of finding the right strains and products for you fast, simple, and comfortable. The Leafly "News" page features the latest cannabis news, including what's new in politics and pop culture, information, lifestyle tips, and more. Whether you’re new to cannabis, a medical marijuana patient, or a seasoned consumer, Leafly is the perfect destination for you!

LIMINAL

LIMINAL is a magazine for strange times. It covers a wide range of topics: the planet, the human body, arts, and science, just to name a few. This publication provides trusted context and framing for a new cultural paradigm, one that embraces inner experience – the realm of the psyche – as well as material, ecological, and political necessities.

Lucid News

Lucid News provides informed, honest, and transparent journalism that covers the growing integration of psychedelics into society and their broad implications for human wellness. Founded by longtime participants of psychedelic communities who bring discernment and a healthy skepticism to their work, this publication offers news and opinions from a wide range of perspectives to help readers navigate this pivotal moment of innovation and transformation.

MAPS Bulletin

MAPS (the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) publishes the MAPS Bulletin three times a year. The print edition is is mailed to members who donate $50 or more per year ($60 international) to support the organization’s research and educational initiatives, and the MAPS Bulletin Archive contains free electronic versions of each issue, stretching all the way back to 1988! MAPS also distributes the Bulletin as an educational tool for scientists, researchers, government officials, drug war prisoners, and educators. The MAPS Bulletin began as a one-page newsletter in 1988. In 1995, after growing successively longer with each issue, the newsletter became the MAPS Bulletin. Two out of three issues a year feature full-color thematic artwork on the covers.

Maps of the Mind

Blogger John Andrew created Maps of the Mind to share his experiences, pass on ideas and resources, and to inspire others. Through his experiences he has come to believe that the most powerful tool for transformation is the mind, so a lot of what he writes is based around three related areas: psychedelics, travel, and meditation.

To John, these three areas have an interesting crossover—there is a reason why psychedelic experiences are called “trips” and in the same way he believes that travel and meditation can be psychedelic inasmuch as they can be mind-opening and lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of self and the world. They have all been hugely influential in shaping who he is and his work aims to shape his readers as well.

Marijuana Moment

If you need up-to-the-minute news on the politics, business, and culture of cannabis, you’re in the right place. Edited by Tom Angell, a 15+ year veteran of the legalization movement, Marijuana Moment helps activists, industry professionals, consumers, policymakers, and the public understand developments and trends affecting cannabis.

Merry Jane

MERRY JANE is a new generation's definitive resource for news, culture, and video covering cannabis and beyond. Through exclusive content and engaging perspectives, MERRY JANE brings together the most important information and entertainment for today's audience while also offering vital, interactive tools to explore the new frontier of cannabis products, dispensaries, events, and community. Roll with MERRY JANE!

NeuroticBuddha

There are many pitfalls along the path. Misinformation, quackery, and sometimes just plain lunacy make it difficult for the skeptical yet interested individual to see the real value of the spiritual path through the fog. NeuroticBuddha is for these very people. Written by Michael Stone, this project is for sound minded individuals who are cautious to walk the path and wish to approach it rationally but also with a wondrous curiosity that there is something more profound to be discovered about life. Michael's aim is to thoughtfully explore the wisdom in Buddhism, meditation, psychedelic use, and other spiritual pursuits in order to, even just slightly, silence that neurotic voice within.

New Moon Musings

New Moon Musings is an up-and-coming blog written by Maia Snow, a psybass DJ and PHD student researching gender and psychedelic/visionary culture and mixing it all together to create original commentary about the psychedelic community.

NORML

NORML's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient, and affordable.

The Oak Tree Review

The intent of The Oak Tree Review is to investigate the many branches of psychedelic culture throughout history. Special interest is taken in its manifestations in art and literature.

Psilocybin Alpha

Psilocybin Alpha provides information, research, news and interviews from the emergent psychedelic industry so you can cut through the “shroom stock” noise and make sound decisions when choosing psychedelic companies to invest in.

Psychedelics Daily

Psychedelics Daily was started by Hash C Borgir, a Bhang Sadhu (Cannabis Shaman) from Punjab who was raised by his Shaman grandmother and trained in the Arcane Techniques of Ecstasy since the age of three. Hash has traveled the world looking to study the nature of the Sacrality of Manifested Experience from the Masters of Primacy, the Technicians of the Sacred, and the scientists of Ecstasy. Currently residing in the USA, Hash C Borgir has created Psychedelics Daily as a sub-project of The Stoned Apes Non-Profit, spreading psychedelic awareness to decondition the mind, one day at a time.

Psychedelic Frontier

The aim of Psychedelic Frontier is to:

• Encourage the responsible exploration of non-ordinary mental states.

• Provide information that enables people to gain better control over their own minds, both in transcendental states and in everyday life.

• Share stories about the writer's transcendental experiences. These are not your average trip reports.

• Spread reliable information and ideas on a topic that is fraught with misinformation and controversy.

• Oppose the dogma, elitism, and pseudoscience that often plague discussions about psychedelics.

Psychedelic Press UK

Psychedelic Press UK was established in 2008 as a blog dedicated to the literature of psychedelic substances. In 2012 it launched a printed house journal, which now comes out 4 times a year, and a new publisher was established to manage both the journal and various other print publications.

As a result, PsypressUK.com is now focused on being an extensive database of book reviews dealing exclusively with drug-related literature. A free web resource for academics and the psychoactively-curious, it aims at providing an extensive introduction to the culture, science, and history of psychedelics.

Psychedelic Science Review

Psychedelic Science Review discusses scientific research and knowledge about psychedelics, from chemistry to psychology. Science writers break down complex topics, offering context and connecting important concepts in the literature to familiar examples. This publication also offers background information about psychedelic compounds, an ever-changing history of events surrounding psychedelics, and the organizations and people involved in progressing this resurgent field.

Psychedelic Science Review provides an exclusively scientific perspective on psychedelics. Its writers are not proponents or opponents of political or social change, nor do they offer moral commentary. While there is a place for those voices, this publication’s goal is to offer factual information on the basis of scientific relevance.

The Psychedelic Scientist

The Psychedelic Scientist is a blog dedicated to sharing the highlights of worldwide psychedelic research. It is a resource for interested scientists, psychonauts or laypeople who want to learn more about research into psychedelics, and how they can enhance our lives.

The Psychedelic Society

The Psychedelic Society advocates the careful use of psychedelics as a tool for personal and spiritual development. The profound experiences of unity and interconnectedness reliably brought about by strong psychedelic trips can help people to live lives of greater love, compassion, and joy.

Psychedelic.Support

Psychedelic.Support is committed to bring individual and global transformation through sharing of knowledge and connection to resources.

The organization saw a need for better connection to therapeutic care related to use of psychedelics and set out to use its skills, connections, and the Internet to give greater visibility to practices and programs of professionals working in this field. This global web-based platform is a guidepost for trusted care and evidence-based information.

Psychedelic Times

The mission at Psychedelic Times is to share the latest news, research, and happenings around the study of psychedelics as tools of healing, recovery, and therapy. They are passionate about the incredible potential that psychoactive substances such as marijuana, ayahuasca, MDMA, LSD, iboga, psilocybin, and DMT present to humanity, and are excited to share that passion with you.

Note: I am a contributor at Psychedelic Times. If you would like to check out my work there, you can visit my author page.

Psychedelics Today

Psychedelics Today is dedicated to exploring and discussing the important academic/scientific and other research in the field of psychedelics. They are interested in how psychedelics and other non-ordinary states of consciousness relate to the human potential as well as the healing potential that they can foster.

Psymposia

Since being founded in 2014, Psymposia has become a leading educational media and events group for rethinking drugs, in person and online. They bring students, researchers, and diverse voices together from around the world to share fresh perspectives, ask new questions, push boundaries, and shine a spotlight on how emerging psychedelic science and drug policy reform can transform society, law, and medicine. Through investigative journalism, personal stories, and deep conversation series, Psymposia illuminates how emerging trends shape society, law, and medicine.

PsyPost

The mission at PsyPost is to spread objective information about psychology and neuroscience research. By reporting on a wide variety of important, interesting, and overlooked studies, PsyPost provides the general public, mental health professionals, and academics with free updates on new research — providing everyone with a glimpse into the latest knowledge being uncovered by scientists.

The publication covers the latest discoveries in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, sociology and similar fields.

Reality Sandwich

Reality Sandwich is a magazine of ideas for the transformational community. They cover subjects like shamanism, non-local consciousness, visionary art, alternative economics, psychedelics, permaculture, transformational festivals, meditation, democratic engagement, near death experiences, and tantra, to name but a few. Together these topics are the heart of a vibrant new transformational culture that’s addressing the social, spiritual, and ecological crises of our time.

Note: I have previously contributed to Reality Sandwich. If you would like to check out my work there, you can visit my author page.

Reset.me

Reset.me provides journalism on natural therapies and medicines to enhance the mind, body, and spirit. Reset.me strives to help expand consciousness and spread more love around the world. The team behind Reset.me endeavors to build a community that connects like-minded individuals worldwide to promote the sharing of knowledge and experiences. Reset your mind. Reset your life.

Rick Strassman MD

Rick Strassman is a medical doctor specialized in psychiatry with a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology research. He has held a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology research at the University of California San Diego and was Professor of Psychiatry for eleven years at the University of New Mexico. After twenty years of intermission, Strassman was the first person in the United States to undertake human research with psychedelic, hallucinogenic, or entheogenic substances with his research on DMT. He is also the author of the well known book DMT: The Spirit Molecule which summarizes his academic research into DMT and includes his own reflections and conclusions based on this research.

Rooster

It's a mindset. It's a release. It's a magazine that allows you to relax and fully engross yourself in a humorous and provocative editorial journey that won't drain, but enlighten and excite. The team at Rooster gives you hope that not all journalism comes from the same source or homogenous mentality to make another dollar with repurposed content. They give you an escape from the inevitable and burdensome troubles of life. 

Sam Woolfe

Sam Woolfe is a freelance writer and blogger currently based in London, UK. He created his blog more than seven years ago with the aim of sharing a range of interesting ideas and his thoughts on them, as well as to generate healthy debate and discussion. Sam strives to write in a balanced, curious, and thought-provoking way and enjoy creating well-researched content that readers find insightful and useful.

As a writer, his specialist areas include mental health, current affairs, self-development, careers, and travel. His blog delves into many topics of interest, including (but not limited to):

• Spirituality

• Buddhism

• Psychology

• Psychedelics

• Moral philosophy

• Applied ethics

• Evolutionary theory

• Culture and society

• The human condition

Sapiensoup Blog

If you want answers to tough questions you could probably find them easily at the touch of a button. However, in today’s world we find ourselves flooded by vast amounts of information. And that’s where Sapiensoup Blog comes in. The two bloggers that run the site love science and numbers, and they question everything. Nadine is a research scientist, and Marlene is a marketing manager. Together, they sift through the fog of information to provide their readers with the opportunity to make informed decisions.

Spirit Pharmacist

Benjamin Malcolm teaches psychopharmacology and clinical psychiatric pharmacy, practices as a clinical specialist in psychiatric pharmacy, and performs clinical research on psychoactive drugs. He also run a blog on his website, Spirit Pharmacist, which offers up unique analysis about psychedelics that often focuses on the dangers of combining them with other drugs.

Stop The Drug War

StoptheDrugWar.org publishes the publication Stop The Drug War and the Drug War Chronicle newsletter, a widely-read publication that is a staple tool of organizations and advocates worldwide and a venue in which their work is highlighted to others. Their current advocacy focus is international drug policy. They organized sign-on letters and statements during the lead-up to the April 2016 "UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem" (UNGASS), and continue to promote a broad policy reform agenda for the UN and the US Congress and administration.

Techgnosis

Techgnosis is a website run by Erik Davis, an author, award-winning journalist, independent scholar, and lecturer based in San Francisco. His blog covers a wide variety of topics and includes many psychedelic-related posts.

The Third Wave

The First Wave was indigenous use of psychedelics for thousands of years. The Second Wave was the use of psychedelics during the counter-culture of the 60s and 70s. The Third Wave is upon us now. Brought about by recent developments in cannabis legalization and psychedelic research—and it will change the way mainstream culture perceives psychedelic use. The Third Wave provides well-researched, high-quality information specific to the classic psychedelics—and how they can be used to help people like you live more vibrant lives.

Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D.

Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. is a Professor of Educational Psychology at Northern Illinois University, DeKaIb, Illinois, where he has taught courses on transpersonal, mind-body, psychedelic, and consciousness topics. He is also the author of the book The Psychedelic Future of the Mind: How Entheogens Are Enhancing Cognition, Boosting Intelligence, and Raising Value. His Academia.edu profile features papers, talks, teaching documents, and many more resources that he has created.

The Trip Report

If you’re looking for intelligent analysis of the blossoming psychedelic industry with a uniquely humorous spin, then look no further than Zach Hainey’s The Trip Report. It’s a weekly newsletter for the builders of the emerging psychedelic ecosystem that covers the business, policy, and impact of psychedelics. In addition to Wednesday’s free-for-all-dispatch, paid subscribers get additional The Trip Report Pro updates every Monday and Friday with more in-depth news and analysis from the land of psychedelia.

VICE

VICE is a magazine focused on arts, culture, and news topics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the magazine's founders later launched Vice Media, which consists of divisions including the magazine as well as a website, broadcast news unit, a film production company, a record label, and a publishing imprint. VICE regularly publishes articles about psychedelics and drug culture.

Westword

More than 1.6 million active users read Westword each month to find stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who’ve won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. Four decades after its founding, Westword remains the voice of Denver for faithful readers who appreciate hard-hitting journalism. And better beer.

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That concludes the list. Hopefully you learned about a few more psychedelic blogs and publications that you'd like to read. I plan to keep this blog post updated as old blogs die and new ones are born, so if you notice that there are any that I missed or if others have gone defunct, please contact me and let me know. And don't forget to share this post with your network so we can funnel more traffic to these websites and spread the love!

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this resource guide, 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.

Book Review - The True Light of Darkness

This is the most recent book written by the psychedelic writer/speaker/podcaster James W. Jesso—it was published three years ago, in 2015. I reviewed Jesso's book Decomposing the Shadow: Lessons from the Psilocybin Mushroom last summer, if you would like to check it out.

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In the author's note at the very beginning of this book, James W. Jesso lets his readers know upfront that while The True Light of Darkness was written for the play of reading and storytelling, it should primarily be considered a serious cautionary tale. Although its true that psychedelics can be used as a tool for psychotherapy and alleviating depression, he writes,

"The cautionary elements of this book are to expose how dark, painful and potentially damaging these experiences can be when they lack certain support structures, such as a guide, a supportive community and an understanding of one's psychology."

Later on in the author's note, Jesso mentions that the deepest intention behind writing the book was "greater health, understanding and wisdom for all of us through sharing stories and welcoming conversation." The book is structured in three main parts, which explore the outcomes of three separate challenging experiences that Jesso had with psilocybin mushrooms.

The first chapter in the trip trilogy of chapters is titled 2 Friends, 5 Grams, and a Box from Cusco, Peru and it describes a high-dose mushroom experience that Jesso had with two other friends, during a period of his life when he had recently worked through the feeling of lacking a sense of general direction. That feeling left him confused and perplexed about the purpose of life, but he identified that his life purpose was to write a book about his experiences with psilocybin mushrooms, which eventually became his second book, Decomposing the Shadow: Lessons from the Psilocybin Mushroom. However, that book had not been finished when he embarked on this trip—in fact, he was still in the process of writing it. After making what Jesso considers to have been a "terrible breakfast decision" (consisting of "a toasted kamut grain bun with butter, jam, and hemp seeds, followed by a big bowl of oatmeal and a cup of black tea"), a wave of nervous anxiety washed over him, eventually leading to a series of challenging events that escalated quickly. These events included things like the development of paranoid feelings about a dirty box from Peru, the thought of being attacked by germs in an unhygienic bathroom, and the belief that the Internet was alive and under immediate threat. At one point in the trip, one of Jesso's friends asked him a question about the direction his life was going that sends him into an existential crisis of sorts. However, he ultimately ended up learning that he desperately needed to change the way he approached his writing project, which turned out to be beneficial for his wellbeing.

The next trip trilogy chapter is titled Discovering the True Light of Darkness. It takes place after a thirteen-month practice where Jesso worked with psilocybin mushrooms once per month, always during the full moon, and always solo. He noticed that after more than a year with this practice, he was a noticeably changed man—and for the better. So Jesso decided to break the model he had established and embark on a psychedelic journey outside of the full moon ceremony framework, with one of his close friends, and prior to the December 21, 2012 (a date that was predicted by many, including Jesso, to bring about great change). Both Jesso and his friend were experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression and wanted to work with the mushroom to learn how to alleviate those feelings. Jesso makes a point to describe the custom blend of tea that he consumed at the beginning of his trip, which I found to be an intriguing side note and something to research further on my own in the future. After working through several challenging thoughts during a meditation, a walk in nature, and a productive mind mapping session, Jesso was able to identify the source of his negative emotions and made plans to change his behavior so that he could live a less stressful and happier life.

The final chapter of the trip trilogy is titled Facing Forgiveness; Embracing the Shadow, and it takes place in a unique location: a float tank. Once again, Jesso found himself battling an especially rough round of depression and decided to combine the use of psilocybin with the distraction-free environment of a sensory isolation tank. Although I have not had any personal experiences with float tanks at the time that I write this review, I am aware that they are intense on their own, without the addition of any psychedelic compounds, so it seemed to me to be both extremely courageous and also somewhat foolish to work with the mushroom while floating. However, I also knew that Jesso is not a reckless psychonaut and would not embark on a journey of this caliber without ensuring that he would be in a safe, supportive environment that would minimize any potential physical risks that could occur during the experience. He describes the entire evening's events, including the humble beginnings of consuming a chocolate drink made with the mushrooms, a simple-yet-transformative walk to the float center, and the wild contents of his psychedelic trip inside the tank. Once again, Jesso ends up working through psychological material that was hidden within his unconscious and finds himself healed by his experience with the mushrooms in the tank.

I really enjoyed The True Light of Darkness and found it to be a brutally honest inside look at Jesso's more challenging psilocybin experiences. As someone who has had a fair share of challenging psychedelic experiences, I appreciated how forthcoming Jesso was when describing the things he had to work through (and the methods that he employed to do so) and how these psychedelic experiences positively impacted his life. If you're interested in psychedelics, and especially if you want to know how challenging they can be, you owe it to yourself to check out this book. At the very least, I encourage you to head over to jameswjesso.com and look at all of the work that he has produced, including three books, a collection of writings, a podcast called Adventures Through The Mind, and a series of videos. As a fellow writer and content creator, I definitely look up to Jesso and strive to create content that is similar in both quantity and quality. Perhaps one of these days I will write a book that is as honest and insightful as The True Light of Darkness, but for now the psychedelic community is blessed to have books like this one.

4/5 stars. 156 pages.

This Week in Psychedelics - 1.26.18

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• Vermont Becomes the Ninth State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana (Reason)
• Medical Cannabis Protections Extended As Part Of Short Term Federal Budget Agreement (NORML)
• What The Government Shutdown Means For Marijuana (NORML)
• Bipartisan Members Of Congress Speak Out Against AG Sessions (NORML)
• Why marijuana retailers can't use banks (The Economist)
• Washington DC's Cannabis Market Is Still Untested, Untaxed, and Underground (Leafly)
• What Is THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin) And What Does It Do? (High Times)
• New Jersey: New Governor Calls For 'Patients First' Expansion Of State's Medical Cannabis Access Program (NORML)
• Cannabis Stock Investors Should Pay Attention To The U.S. Federal Policy Change (Forbes)
• Ontario asks for public's opinion on allowing cannabis lounges as legalization looms (Global News)
• How a Cannabis Ban Turned One California County Into 'Ground Zero for Chaos' (Leafly)
• Poll Commissioned by Pot Prohibitionists Shows How Unpopular Pot Prohibition Is (Reason)
• Why No Gadget Can Prove How Stoned You Are (Wired)
• The PAX Era Ushers in a New Generation of Cannabis Cartridge Technology (Leafly)
• Most U.S. Attorneys in States With Legal Pot Don't Seem to Be Planning a Crackdown (Reason)
• Political Commentator Angela Rye on Ending Systematic Racism in the Marijuana Industry (ATTN:)
• Cannabis measures make headway in Indiana Legislature (WISH-TV)
• NORML Activists Take Marijuana Reform Fight to Harrisburg (NORML)
• A 9-Year-Old Accidentally Shared Her Grandpa's Marijuana Gummies With Her Fifth-Grade Class (TIME)
• Looking For Inspiring Work? Consider Cannabis Marketing. Here's Why. (Forbes)
• Re-criminalizing cannabis is worse than 1930s 'reefer madness': Guest opinion (The Oregonian)
• Leafly Readers Share Their Cleverest Hiding Places for a Cannabis Stash (Leafly)
• WeedMD Commences the Sale of Cannabis Oil (GlobeNewswire)
• 'Beyonce Takes THC': The Week in Cannabis Quotes (Leafly)
• Oregon's marijuana industry showcased at cannabis conference (KGW8)
• Getting to Know the Glossy Cannabis Lifestyle Magazines on the Market (Leafly)
• Canadian cannabis firm Aurora in talks to buy both CanniMed and Newstrike: sources (Reuters)
• Introduction to Growing Cannabis with Aquaponics (Leafly)

LSD

• Microdosing LSD helped my company earn $10 million (New York Post)
• How to Microdose Acid and Magic Mushrooms? (Psychedelics Daily)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Psychedelic mushrooms reduce authoritarianism and boost nature relatedness, experimental study suggests (PsyPost)
• Psilocybin (from magic mushrooms) plus meditation and spiritual training leads to lasting changes in positive traits (Research Digest)
• Psychedelic Mushrooms Is the Potential Anti-depressant Treatment of the Future (Health Aim)
• New Psilocybin Research Suggests 'Set and Setting' Are Crucial to Helping Patients Get Better (Reason)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• The psychedelic renaissance: Can Ecstasy really be used to treat mental illness? (International Business Times)
• MDMA For PTSD Therapy Enters Final Round of Trials, Could Be Approved In U.S. and Canada By 2021 (Newsweek)
• From "X" to Rx: Discussing MDMA with Rick Doblin (Psychedelic Frontier)
• Psychedelic-Psychotherapy-QuickFacts (National Post)
• Fake ambulance worker exposed when teenager died from ecstasy at illegal rave (Metro)
• MDMA is Vipassana (Disinfo)
• Grieving mother, 50, whose daughter, 22, died after taking ecstasy in a 'final fling' to celebrate finishing her exams collects her maths degree in moving ceremony just months after her death (Daily Mail)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• No reason to believe the pineal gland alters consciousness by secreting DMT, psychedelic researcher says (PsyPost)
• Acute antidepressant effect of ayahuasca in juvenile non-human primate model of depression. (bioRxiv)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• 'MDMA' warning after 8 Thanet men taken to hospital - with one said to be in a serious condition (The Isle of Thanet News)

Dissociatives

• Can Ketamine Improve 'Electroshock' Therapy? (The Fix)
• Ketamine could prove useful in treatment of severe social anxiety (PsyPost)
• Ketamine 'cures' suicidal woman of bipolar and severe depression (Metro)
• Man faces 5 years for sending PCP to Save the Children (CT Post)

Opiates/Opioids

• Why some US cities are opening safe spaces for injecting heroin (Vox)
• Tom Petty Died of an Accidental Drug Overdose, Coroner Says (TIME)
• Study of Postsurgical Patients Shows Addiction to Pain Pills Is Rare (Reason)
• Scripps researcher developing vaccine to battle heroin addiction (Chron)
• Philadelphia's Government 'Expresses Interest' in Safe Injection Sites (Reason)
• Opium cultivation down by 40%, narcotics chief says (The Nation)
• Chinese Drugmakers Are Getting Opioids Into the U.S. Through the Postal Service (TIME)
• The Feds Are Willing to Let More Medical Workers Treat Opioid Addicts. Now the States Need to Step Up and Allow It. (Reason)

Kratom

• Effective Ways To Deal With Kratom Constipation (Kratom Guides)
• FDA Warns Promoters of Herbal Addiction Treatments (Pain News Network) 
• Kratom: Libertarian Party of Colorado Rips Denver Human Use Ban (Westword)
• The Controversial Painkiller Known As Kratom (TG Daily)
• Kratom: substitute for opioids? (KOLO)

Kava

• 'Acute pain, sore muscles, anxiety, and lethargy': Athletes are embracing kava as an alternative to everything from supplements to opioids (Daily Mail)
• Farmers Keep Potential Buyers At Bay So Yaqona Plants Can Mature Properly (Fiji Sun)
• Kava maker brings popular Polynesian health drink to America (Daily Mail)

Khat

• What Is Khat? (High Times)
• Chewing khat leaves increases risk for chronic liver disease (Healio)
• UK Khat Ban Fails To Stop Contraband Imports (High Times)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Your Sloppy Bitcoin Drug Deals Will Haunt You For Years (Wired)
• A psychedelic trip could tackle depression in a way that antidepressants can't (Business Insider)
• The Experience Elicited by Hallucinogens Presents the Highest Similarity to Dreaming within a Large Database of Psychoactive Substance Reports (Frontiers in Neuroscience)
• Cryptocurrency and Psychedelics: Interview with Brian Normand of Psymposia (Psychedelic Times)
• We Ate the Acid: A Note on Psychedelic Imagery (The Oak Tree Review)
• Trump's 24-year-old drug policy appointee was let go at law firm after he 'just didn't show' (The Washington Post)
• The Office of National Drug Control Policy Is on the Chopping Block Again. Here's Why That's Not a Bad Thing (Reason)
• Herbal Supplements May Be Dangerous When You Take Certain Prescription Drugs (TIME)
• How to Use TripSit's 'Guide to Drug Combinations' Chart (Psychedelic Times)
• Building a Modern Eleusis (Reality Sandwich)
• Bill aims to introduce driver drug testing for MDMA, cannabis and methamphetamine (Stuff.co.nz)
• Group urges safe use of psychedelic substances (The Kingston Whig-Standard)

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.