Weekend Thoughts - 2.6.16

Image by Priya Saihgal, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Image by Priya Saihgal, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. It's high time for the Global Drug Survey, which is an annual effort to gather as much information about global drug use as possible, in an effort to understand drug use trends worldwide. The organization is hoping to receive over 120,000 participants this year, so I would like to encourage the Think Wilder audience to check it out and submit a response if you have time.

2. As a massive Philip K. Dick fan, I was elated to see an article discussing his unfinished novel, The Owl in Daylight, show up in my Twitter feed this week. The book would have been his last, but was never completed (much less started, really). The article is worth a read for fans of PKD, and for those of you who aren't familiar with him, I'd suggest reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Man in the High CastleUbik, or The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. PKD was a prolific contributor in the science fiction genre and many of his books were later adapted to movies, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority ReportPaycheck, and A Scanner Darkly. I really can't explain the influence he had on the science fiction genre, the world as a whole, or myself. To put it simply, his works have been extremely influential. Give him a read or a watch sometime soon!

3. I'm also a bit of a sucker for colorful stuff. That's why this article featuring the Brooklyn-based Bagel Store, which sells rainbow bagels caught my eye. Would ya look at those? Just look at 'em!

That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

Support 'Secret Drugs of Buddhism' Kickstarter

TheSecretDrugsOfBuddhism.jpg

I wanted to take the time to promote a Kickstarter campaign that I found out about just yesterday that was created to raise money for the print release of a book titled Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic sacraments and the origins of Vajrayana, written by Mike Crowley. This is a perfect cross-section of topics for the readers of Think Wilder, because this blog has a strong focus on Buddhism and psychedelics. The book focuses on the historical use of psychedelics in Buddhism, and although I haven't read it yet, I immediately backed the campaign and wanted to put the word out to my audience in case anyone else would feel inspired to donate as well. Please visit the campaign for more information and consider acting fast because it is going to expire in 22 hours!

This Week in Psychedelics - 2.5.16

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

  • Americans spent more on legal pot last year than on Cheetos, Doritos (The Denver Post)
  • British Company Developing Field Sobriety Test for Marijuana (ATTN:)
  • Legal Marijuana Sales Projected to Reach $6.7 Billion in 2016 (TIME)
  • Hillary Clinton Just Gave an Underwhelming Response to a Question About Medical Marijuana (ATTN:)
  • Facebook is deleting medical marijuana pages (Engadget)
  • Annual Arrests for Marijuana in NYC Drop From Nearly 51,000 in 2011 to Under 17,000 in 2015 (The Huffington Post)
  • See Inside the Himalayan Villages That Grow Cannabis (National Geographic)
  • Organic Cannabis? One Colorado Hemp Farm Has Earned The USDA's Blessing (KUNC)
  • Man tries to buy 12-year-old's fish with fake pot, police say (CBC)
  • Cannabis-based vagina suppositories the latest invention to help ease period pain (International Business Times)
  • Ricky Williams explains his belief that cannabis can help NFL players (CBS Sports)
  • Utah Mom Risks It All To Treat Daughter With Cannabis (Reset.me)
  • Obama Punts on Cannabis Reform (Leafly)
  • Marijuana Federalists Lead the Republican Field (Reason)
  • How Much Money Marijuana Will Make This Year (ATTN:)
  • Phoenix Open Billboard Says Buds Are Safer Than Bud (or Coors) (Reason)
  • Dad Uses Cannabis Oil To Treat Three Year Old Epileptic Daughter (Collective Evolution)
  • Wiz Khalifa Announces Partnership With RiverRock Cannabis for New Product Line (Billboard)
  • 5 Tips for Hosting a Fabulous (and Safe) Cannabis Wedding (Leafly)
  • Vermont Marijuana Legalization: Recreational Cannabis Bill Moves Forward In Senate Committee (International Business Times)
  • Marley Natural's Elegant Pot Gear Is For Smokers Who Say 'Whoa Sir', Not 'Whoa Dude' (WIRED)
  • Study reveals smoking cannabis ruins your vocabulary in later life (Mirror)
  • Cannabis use dulls the brain, but are effects long-term? (OregonLive)
  • Revealed... the impact of cannabis laws so far: Use of marijuana is increasing among adults - but DECREASING in teens (Daily Mail)

LSD

  • LSD: My Life-Saving Drug (GQ)
  • The Turing-Acid Test (Reality Sandwich)
  • LSD to increase focus and creativity (The Spectator)
  • Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Augustus Sol Invictus admits LSD use, describes experiences in journals (Florida Politics)
  • Fireside Chatter: LSD isn't all that bad (The Daily Beacon)
  • Homeowner: Teen who entered home, high on LSD, ate glass from a window he shattered (newsnet5)
  • Longmont man arrested in July LSD incident nabbed again after disturbance. (Longmont Times-Call)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

  • Could Aggressive Coyotes In California Be Tripping On 'Shrooms? (Inquisitr)

MDMA/Ecstasy

  • One in five 'legal highs' contain illegal substances - but nearly half of ecstasy tablets don't have any MDMA, report reveals (WalesOnline)
  • Blac Chyna found with ecstasy during airport arrest (Page Six)
  • Effects of MDMA Injections on the Behavior of Socially-Housed Long-Tailed Macaques (PLOS ONE)
  • Blac Chyna Swears The Ecstasy Wasn't Hers, Doesn't Pack Own Bags (Hip-Hop Wired)
  • Does Past Ecstasy Use Make Noah Spence Too Risky to Pick in 1st Round? (Breitbart)
  • Drug dealer who supplied MDMA to tragic Whitstable teenager jailed for three years (Kent News)
  • Two arrested for ecstasy, molly after raid on Buffalo barber shop, home (WIVB)
  • Man rammed cars while high on ecstasy, police say (Albany Times Union)
  • DRUGS DOG FINDS MDMA (The Leader)

Ayahuasca/DMT

  • A Closer Look At That "First Legal Ayahuasca Church In America" Story You've Seen Hyped In The Media (Reset.me)
  • Why Addiction Expert Dr. Gabor Maté Treats His Patients with Ayahuasca (Psychedelic Times)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

  • Police issue synthetic cannabis warning as teen dies, two more critically ill (The Sydney Morning Herald)
  • The shocking truth about 'synthetic' cannabis: Hallucinations that convince users they're dead and 100 times more potent than real marijuana (Daily Mail)

Dissociatives

  • Could Ketamine be the Ultimate Cure for Depression? (Newsweek)
  • Ketamine Might Be The Cure For Severe Depression (Your EDM)
  • Party drug ketamine may soon show it can do what others can't (Stuff.co.nz)
  • Police Raid Results in One of Edmonton's Largest Ketamine Busts (THUMP)
  • Novel Route for Ketamine in the Treatment of MDD (Psychiatric Times)
  • Ketamine could be most effective cure for severe depression (Mixmag)
  • Police: Liquid PCP found on man after arrest (Asbury Park Press)
  • Ketamine: from party drug to medication (New Zealand Herald)
  • Police say man led officers on chase, possessed PCP (Bryan-College Station Eagle)

Opiates/Opioids

  • At Some Restaurants in China, a Shortcut to Addictive Food: Poppies (The New York Times)
  • Obama Seeks $1 Billion to Fight Heroin Epidemic (TIME)
  • Why the 'heroin antidote' naloxone is now available in pharmacies (ABC)
  • Improvised naloxone nasal sprays lack evidence of absorption and effect (EurekAlert!)
  • Ted Cruz Links New Hampshire's Heroin Epidemic to "Undocumented Democrats" (Mother Jones)
  • Recovered heroin addict goes full circle to serve huge community (SFGate)
  • Fentanyl killing more people in NH than heroin (The Union Leader)
  • CVS to sell heroin overdose antidote in 20 more states (CNN)
  • White And Black Americans Agree That Heroin Abuse Is A Serious Problem (The Huffington Post)
  • Opium seized (The Sangai Express)

Kratom

  • Still Mostly Legal: Kratom May be a Better Choice for Heroin and Pain Pill Users? (AlterNet)
  • Arizona heroin users claim a controversial herbal supplement helps kick addiction (Cronkite News)
  • Asian tree with psychoactive effects on verge of being illegal (The Moultrie Observer)
  • Panel Bans Kratom On Tearful Testimony (WFSU)

Kava

Khat

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

  • What is Harm Reduction Psychotherapy? Alternative Treatment for Psychedelic Users (Psychedelic Times)
  • Drug Warriors Are Losing Online (Reason)
  • Yale Launches Group To Examine Use Of Psychedelics In Therapy (Reset.me)
  • Scientist David Nutt on the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs (Financial Times)
  • Here's What Mixing Drugs Does to Your Body and Brain (ATTN:)
  • What the 1981 Rat Park Experiment Means for Addiction and Our Need For Human Connection (Psychedelic Times)
  • Psychedelic drugs should be used to treat mental illness (The Rocket)
  • 5 Major Companies That Don't Drug Test (ATTN:)
  • Drugs from the dark web (Brunswickian)
  • How Ted Cruz Turned His Back on Drug War Prisoners (Reason)
  • Gift of the Gods: Why Visionary Plant Medicines Deserve Reverence and Caution (High Existence)
  • West Virginia Lawmaker Counters Drug Testing Welfare Recipients With Legislator Testing (ATTN:)

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 (and other psychoactives) are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Weekend Thoughts - 1.30.16

Image by David A. LaSpina, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Image by David A. LaSpina, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. Many of us don't think about what to do when police come to our door (assuming they even knock—police can be so rude sometimes!). Hopefully you will not have to deal with that situation, but if you do—this guide covering what to do when police show up to your door uninvited may come to your rescue. The main tips include asking for a search warrant with the door closed, following the police while they conduct a search, and recording the event on video if possible.

2. In thinking about what will make for the next evolutionary level of artificial intelligence, engineers are finding that creating a bot that has the ability to engage in believable small talk to be of upmost importance. And that does make sense—when dealing with entities that we know are computers we generally prefer to work with the ones that have a personality and an ability to chitchat. The article argues that is why people like speaking to modern chatbots that are able to hold a conversation, and they are much preferred over software that is strictly computerlike. And another article predicts that chatbots will be making a resurgence in 2016, as companies find various ways to monetize them and their interactions with human users will presumably become more believable and enjoyable.

3. The late Hunter S. Thompson is one of my favorite authors and journalists that ever put ink to paper, but he wasn't always a successful writer. In fact, when he was fresh out of the military and sick of working as a lowly copy boy at TIME Magazine, he sent an extremely forward letter to Jack Scott, the editorial director of The Vancouver Sun, announcing his potential desire to work for the publication. Wow, he really did have some gumption, didn't he!?

4. For those of us on the East Coast of the United States, winter storm Jonas (which was classified as a blizzard in many locations) offered a beautiful snowy view mixed with the challenges of dealing with said snow. In North Carolina, we mainly received sleet, which made for extra slick streets. One of the good things that came out of the snow is this video of some people tandem snowboarding through the streets of New York City, even after a ban on driving personal vehicles was put into place. Even better, the police officer in the video who pulled over the snowboarder and the vehicle that was towing him was really chill and essentially let them off the hook completely. It's worth a watch, for its aesthetic quality and the uplifting exchange with the officer. Kudos to all involved!

5. As one of the backers for the Fantastic Fungi Kickstarter campaign, I have received a link to a sneak peek of the documentary, which is now aiming for a 2017 release. Although the link to this newly-released footage is only intended for the backers of the campaign, I wanted to spread the word about the film to the Think Wilder audience in hopes of piquing some of your interest before it is released. The project is intended to be a life-affirming, climate-changing, bee-saving film about mushrooms, directed by Louie Schwartzberg, featuring Paul Stamets and produced by Lyn Lear. I'm definitely looking forward to viewing it when it comes out next year!

That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

This Week in Psychedelics - 1.29.16

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

  • Listen to 911 call of very stoned drivers turning themselves in (Boing Boing)
  • The Rules for Taking Marijuana on an Airplane (ATTN:)
  • Can Cannabis Treat Epileptic Seizures? (Scientific American)
  • Marijuana Legalization: Should Bernie Sanders' Home State Embrace Socialized Cannabis? (International Business Times)
  • Study: Vaporizers Deliver Safe, Reliable Doses of Cannabinoids (NORML)
  • CBD Oil "Highly Promising" In Pediatric Epilepsy Treatment (NORML)
  • Cannabis Refugees: Why People Are Moving Across Country To Reap The Benefits Of A Plant (Reset.me)
  • NY Health Department sponsoring medical cannabis study (Press & Sun Bulletin)
  • Attorney General Rejects 3rd Petition for Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment (Fox 28)
  • Federal Judge Orders Iowa State to Stop Censoring Marijuana Reform T-Shirts (Reason)
  • See Inside One of New York's First Medical Marijuana Dispensaries (TIME)
  • This Marijuana Product Could Cure Menstrual Cramps (ATTN:)
  • Cliff Robinson On Medical Cannabis Use In The NBA (Blazer's Edge)
  • Florida: Medical Marijuana Measure Qualifies For 2016 Ballot (NORML)
  • How a Top Cannabis Investor Looks at Your Company (Leafly)
  • Denver NORML Announces Marijuana Lounge Initiative (NORML)
  • Let pain and PTSD sufferers in Illinois use cannabis (Chicago Tribune)
  • Mom illegally treats 3-year-old daughter with cannabis oil (AOL News)
  • Over 60 Percent Of New Mexicans Support Regulating Marijuana Sales (NORML)
  • Love, with Mary Jane: Inside the world's first Cannabis Wedding Expo (Mashable)
  • Can the cannabis 'nuns' of California save medical marijuana? (The Washington Post)
  • How Much You Have to Take of These Legal Drugs to Overdose (ATTN:)
  • Life As a Marijuana Activist (NORML)
  • Champaign medical cannabis dispensary prepares to open, eight conditions pending approval from Rauner (Daily Illini)
  • Medical cannabis producer Bedrocan lowers its prices to $5 a gram (News1130)
  • How Can LED Lighting Impact Cannabis Growth? (Leafly)
  • She's not blowing smoke (The News-Gazette)
  • Clalit's 'refusal' to allow doctors to prescribe medical cannabis spurs protest (The Jerusalem Post)

LSD

  • 'I went to a Donald Trump rally on acid - and it was a really bad idea' (The Telegraph)
  • Chelsea Handler on Drugs: 'I Took My SATs on Acid' (Celeb Stoner)
  • Man with Asperger syndrome meticulously documents his LSD trip (Death and Taxes)
  • Michael Kennedy, Who Fought for LSD Guru, Mob Boss, Dies at 78 (Bloomberg)
  • N.J. man arrested with LSD, 5 pounds of marijuana (NJ.com)
  • Teacher censured for taking LSD at bach (3News NZ)
  • Drug response overhaul after Townsville stabbing (Townsville Bulletin)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

  • Author and Podcaster Tim Ferriss Leads Effort to Fund Psilocybin Research for Depression (Psychedelic Times)
  • Coyotes High On Mushrooms Possibly To Blame For Strange Incidents On Highway (CBS Sacramento)
  • Calm Your Suffering Mind: The Link Between Psilocybin and Depression (Psychedelic Times)
  • Magic Mushrooms Known for Natural Hallucinogens (The Bong Shop)

MDMA/Ecstasy

  • Supplier Involved in Last Year's Deadly "Superman" Pill Outbreak Jailed for 6 Years (THUMP)
  • Gardaí find €50k worth of ecstasy during Kenneth O'Brien investigation (The Journal)
  • Briton handed six-year jail sentence for trying to smuggle ecstasy into Australia (Sunday Express)
  • Cafe worker found with MDMA and cannabis outside Creamfields avoids jail (Warrington Guardian)
  • Riau Polie Seize Ecstasy Pills Worth to Rp2.3 Billion (Tempo.co)
  • Parents should watch for these signs of dangerous synthetic drug 'Molly' (WFLA)
  • Man charged with selling MDMA (Daily Citizen)
  • Teenager charged with trafficking 87 ecstasy tablets, claims to have forgotten where he resides (Malta Independent)

Ayahuasca/DMT

  • What Is Ayahuasca? The Truth About Peruvian Drug From 'Chelsea Does' Drugs Episode (Mic)
  • A crazy world of shapes and colors (Castleton Spartan)
  • Legal Ayahuasca? Pierce County church offers Peruvian psychedelic ceremony (The Seattle Globalist)
  • Ayahuasca: the shamanic brew that produces out-of-body experiences (Raw Story)
  • Personal Story: The All-Star Shaman, All Night Massacre (Reset.me)
  • Police bust Israeli DMT importers who ran 'psychedelic purification rituals' (The Jerusalem Post)

Peyote/San Pedro/Mescaline

Iboga/Ibogaine

  • NEW Memoir About Iboga! Heart Medicine: A True Love Story (E. Bast)
  • Former Ibogaine Resort Now Offers Healing Vacations in Costa Rica (The Costa Rica Star)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

  • Court martial set for soldier accused of supplying N-bomb (Stuff.co.nz)
  • FOURTEEN Birmingham shops found selling 'legal highs' which carry cocaine and ecstasy-style effects (Birmingham Mail)
  • Teenagers are being used as 'guinea pigs' to test lethal substances (Irish Independent)
  • Cork teenager dies in hospital after taking 'party pill' (Evening Echo)
  • VIDEO: HSE issues warning about psychedelic drugs (Irish Independent)

Dissociatives

Opiates/Opioids

  • China finds restaurants using opium poppies in food (BBC News)
  • Coming to a High School Near You: Drugs that Reverse Heroin Overdoses (U.S. News)
  • This Tiny Implant Just Changed the Game for Addicts (ATTN:)
  • Heroin Kills White People More Than Anyone Else — And Nobody Is Sure Why (VICE News)
  • NYPD Says It Found $14 Million Worth of Heroin Stashed Inside Monster Truck, Pickup (Inside Edition)
  • What Opioids and Heroin Do to Your Appearance Over Time (ATTN:)
  • What Investors Need To Know About The Billion Dollar Opioid Opportunity (Baystreet)
  • Intelligence inputs say militant outfits in North East trading opium (The Economic Times)
  • Marijuana, opium cultivated in Makawanpur destroyed (The Himalayan Times)
  • NE militants taking up opium cultivation, says Assam Rifles (Deccan Herald)

Kratom

Kava

  • Kava bar gains popularity (Fiji Times)
  • Owners say make yourself at home at this Little Haiti kava lounge (Miami Herald)

Khat

  • Drug known as 'khat' seized by Ohio County deputies (WTOV)
  • Four arrested in Uitenhage khat bust (RNews)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

  • What are the Dangers of Psychedelics? Things to Consider Before a Psychedelic Experience (Psychedelic Times)
  • Why Drug Laws Are Interfering With Medical Research (LawFuel)
  • Why This Doctor Believes Addictions Start In Childhood (The Huffington Post)
  • Psychedelia in the Movies, Part 2 (Reality Sandwich)
  • Plant Medicine: A Natural Pharmacology Primer for Anxiety and Depression (Papermag)
  • Psychedelics as Therapy (Yahoo! News)
  • The Difference Between My Psychiatrist and My Shaman (Reality Sandwich)
  • Dewshine: The Stupid New Teen Drug Panic (Reason)
  • Allan Badiner: The Psychedelics of Compassion (Tricycle)
  • Can You Buy Brains? Introducing Smart Drugs (Psychedelic Press UK)
  • The Case For Psychedelic Psychotherapy (Science 2.0)
  • Maine's Governor Wants to Fight the War on Drugs with the Guillotine (Reason)

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 (and other psychoactives) are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.