This Week in Psychedelics - 3.18.16

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• Legal Cannabis Outsold Girl Scout Cookies Last Year (Forbes)
• Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Marijuana (ATTN:)
• Merrick Garland Helped Uphold the DEA's Refusal to Reclassify Marijuana (Reason)
• New Study Suggests Marijuana's Impact on Crash Risk Has Been Exaggerated (Reason)
• Proposed Massachusetts Stoned Driving Rule Is Better Than Washington's but Worse Than Current Law (Forbes)
• Lee Harris, the moral crusader turned cannabis activist vying to be London mayor (The Guardian)
• Israel wants to be the tech hub for the world cannabis industry (Quartz)
• America's First Cannabis Resort Opens in Colorado (Business Wire)
• Lib Dems vote to legalise cannabis (Mirror)
• Marijuana Legalization 2016: Many Women Working In Cannabis Industry Are Smoking The Competition (International Business Times)
• Cops Caught on Camera Eating Dispensary's Snack Bars Charged With Theft (Reason)
• Marijuana Industry Will Add $44 Billion to Nation's Economy by 2020 (Disinfo)
• GW Pharmaceuticals Gets Positive Result for Cannabis-based Epilepsy Drug (The Wall Street Journal)
• New Zealand's 'cannabis crisis': smokers confirm chronic shortage (The Guardian)
• High Times Moves Cannabis Cup to California After Troubles in Denver (Inc)
• Poll: Voters Back Rescheduling And Legalizing Marijuana (NORML)
• French tops teen cannabis use survey: WHO (France 24)
• Cannabis Consumer Products Company Launches First Equity Crowdfunding Campaign (Black Enterprise)
• More Municipalities Embrace Marijuana Decriminalization (NORML)
• Legalized Cannabis and the Brain: NIDA Sounds the Alarm (Medscape)
• New Guide Shows How To Get A Piece Of The Multi-Billion Dollar Cannabis Industry (Reset.me)
• Forget the Startup Nation, Welcome to the Cannabis Nation (Haaretz)
• Vox poll: the only drug Americans want to legalize is marijuana (Vox)
• Palestinian Police in West Bank Cannabis Raid (High Times)
• Purveyors of pot work to reverse stigma, rebrand cannabis (CP24 Toronto's Breaking News)
• Leading California Anti-Pot Activist Says Marijuana Causes 'Almost All' Mass Murders (Reason)

LSD

• Share this: LSD for breakfast may kick Facebook addiction (RT)
• Remember That Time Dock Ellis Threw a No-Hitter on LSD? (Relix)
• Villanova Student Charged With Dealing LSD From Dorm Room (CBS)
• Naked teenager James McAllister-Barnard high on LSD accidentally sets fire to flat, tells officer 'Help me, I'm dead' (Metro)
• Sterrett man nabbed in LSD trafficking bust (Shelby County Reporter)
• Possibly LSD-influenced Man Tased Four Times After Attempting to Attack Deputies in McKinleyville, Says HCSO (Lost Coast Outpost)
• Boy accused of having LSD at Roosevelt High School (Sioux Falls Argus Leader)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Psychedelics and the CIA: The university's influence on magic mushrooms (University of Delaware Review)
• Akron man accused of growing psychedelic mushrooms around child (Cleveland.com)
• Dennis Port man faces charges for LSD, mushrooms (Cape Cod Times)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• Truth Behind the Push to Legalize a Street Drug (LifeZette)
• Can You Really Die from an MDMA Allergy? (VICE)
• Off-duty officer arrested over ecstasy tablets (U.TV)
• Melbourne's gangland: Mafia link to worlds biggest ecstasy bust (Herald Sun)
• 'Molly' and 'LSD' manufacturing operation uncovered inside storage facility (WPEC)
• Legalization, MDMA, and Aggressive Behavior (American Thinker)
• Six college students busted in $100K drug ring (HLNtv.com)
• Russell County sheriff: Man found with ecstasy in form of lollipops (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)
• Dealer tried to smuggle ecstasy in Police Lego box (Edinburgh Evening News)
• Ecstasy death: Man linked to Colorado Springs teen's overdose pleads guilty (The Denver Channel)
• Long Branch cops find MDMA stash in traffic stop (Asbury Park Press)
• Malaysian arrested for smuggling ecstasy pills into N.Sumatra (The Jakarta Post)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• U.S. Consultant Tells Fortunes after Trying Ayahuasca in Cambodia (Latin American Herald Tribute)

Iboga/Ibogaine

• Voacanga: An Alternative, Sustainable Source of Ibogaine Treatment (Psychedelic Times)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• 'Legal LSD': Dangerous Party Drug Sold Online (Medscape)

Dissociatives

• U.K. man jailed 5 days in St. John's after friend's ashes mistaken for ketamine (CBC.ca)
• New Study Shows Ketamine May Regenerate Brain Cells, Relieving Depression with Lasting Benefit (PR Newswire)
• Man who was seen handing €130000 of ketamine to another man during surveillance operation is given bail to 'prove himself' (Irish Independent)
• $100K bail for Jersey City man facing PCP charges while on probation (NJ.com)
• Prosecutor: Driver in crash that killed teens was on PCP (Fox News)
• Wallingford PD: Local man grabbed employee by throat, in possession of PCP (Meriden Record-Journal)

Opiates/Opioids

• The Right Chemistry: A history of morphine (Montreal Gazette)
• What to Do About Heroin Addiction (The New York Times)
• Mexico governor floats idea of medical opium growing to reduce drug violence (Yahoo! News)
• CDC Prescription Guidelines Will Leave More Patients in Pain and Drive More Addicts to Heroin (Reason)
• Roots of opioid epidemic can be traced back to two key changes in pain management (Disinfo)
• The strange history of opiates in America: from morphine for kids to heroin for soldiers (The Guardian)
• Americans Have Been Addicted to Prescription Opiates Forever (WIRED)
• Opium crop failure: No high for these farmers in times of drought (The Indian Express)
• The Devastating Effects Heroin Has on the Body and Mind (ABC News)
• A Small Town Wanders What To Do When Heroin Is 'Everywhere' (NPR)
• EpiPen For Heroin Overdose – Start-Up Solved Naloxone Administration (HealthAim)

Absinthe

• Absinthe makes a comeback (The Orange County Register)

Kratom

• N.H. Senate Passes Bill to Ban Kratom Use by Minors (NHPR)
• The battle over Kratom in Shelby County (WIAT)
• Bill to regulate kratom to go before committee (WBRC)
• Kratom dealers busted in Krabi raid (Phuket Gazette)

Kava

• Non-alcoholic Drinks With a Buzz (My Fox Zone)
• Kava export markets hit hard by TC Winston (Fiji Broadcasting Corporation)
• Expect Kava shortage in local markets next month (Fiji Broadcasting Corporation)
• Mystic Joint gives Miami a new sensation of fun (Examiner)

Khat

• Chinese Customs Confiscate 700 Kilos of Banned Plant Khat (China Topix)
• 70-year-old arrested for 46kg of drugs (iAfrica.com)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Will UNGASS 2016 Be the Beginning of the End for the War on Drugs? (StoptheDrugWar.org)
• The U.S. May Support Revolutionary Reform to International Drug Policy (ATTN:)
• How Psychedelics Can Help You Meditate, and Why Meditation Makes Your Psychedelic Experience Easier (Psychedelic Times)
• Ross Ulbricht's Sentencing Indecent, Based on Procedural and Substantive Errors, New Amicus Brief Argues (Reason)
• This Trafficking Gang Posed as a Fake Flower Business to Smuggle Drugs into the UK (VICE)
• The Darker Side of 'Just Say No' (Reason)
• How Sex and Drugs Saved My Life (and Could Save the World) (AlterNet)
• Why the War on Drugs Failed and How It Affects Psychedelic Addiction Treatment (Psychedelic Times)
• Missouri State Patrol shows you how to make meth (Boing Boing)
• Thomas Massie: War on Drugs in Afghanistan Has Been a Failure (Reason)
• Watch How the Drug Overdose Epidemic Spread in America (TIME)
• Miley Cyrus' Wedding Dreams: Marijuana, Aging Rock Stars & Psychedelia (Inquisitr)
• Man high on psychedelic drug trashed Haworth school, cops say (NJ.com)

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 - 3.12.16

Image by Alejandro Rojas, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

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

1. Here is an interesting description of a typical float in a floatation tank. I've been interested in checking one of these out for a really long time but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm definitely a proponent of meditation, and feel that a float would elevate the experience even higher.

2. For those of you who enjoy psychedelics and art, check out Vladimir Kush's stuff. It has a mix between Salvador Dali and M.C. Escher, in my opinion. I first found out about Kush because one of his pieces is featured on the latest album by funk band Lettuce, titled Crush. Check it out:

3. I thoroughly enjoyed this article titled The Vast Bay Leaf Conspiracy on The Awl. In it, the author interviews several chefs and foodies about the inherent bullshit that is including bay leaves in cooking. I do use bay leaves in my personal cooking, but can't honestly say whether it does much or not.

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

This Week in Psychedelics - 3.11.16

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• Legalizing Weed Has Done What 1 Trillion Dollars and a 40 Year War Couldn't (Disinfo)
• Federal Agents Seizing Far Less Marijuana At Southern Border (NORML)
• 'Erowid' Analysis Finds People Like Cannabis No Matter What Other Drug They Take (Inverse)
• These Cannabis Activists Want To Get Arrested In Front Of The White House (ThinkProgress)
• FDA Sends Warning Letters To Cannabis Companies Over False Claims (Forbes)
• 5 Rare Disorders That Can Be Treated With Marijuana (ATTN:)
• This Ivy League doctor believes in medical cannabis' potential (The Cannabist)
• Study: Cannabis' Influence On Driving Performance Differs Significantly From That Of Alcohol (NORML)
• Signature Snafu May Doom Maine Marijuana Measure (Reason)
• Cannabis legalisation in UK 'would raise £1bn a year in taxes' (The Independent)
• Doctor Destroys Cannabis Myths Once And For All (Illegally Healed)
• Passage Of State Medical Marijuana Laws Don't Influence Youth Use (NORML)
• Cannabis Grower, Dispensaries To Donate One-Tenth Of Sales To Bernie Sanders' Campaign (Inquisitr)
• US Senators' Views On Medical Cannabis and DEA (NORML)
• Is "kosher" cannabis Israel's next big export? (KRON4)
• Wikileaf makes finding the best weed, at the best prices, easy (Boing Boing)
• 9 Problems With the Marijuana Rules Proposed by Massachusetts Legislators (Reason)
• Cannabis providers discuss future at private meeting in Missoula (NBC Montana)
• Meet the Man Who Hopes To Stop Marijuana Legalization in California (Reason)
• Colorado Springs Shuts Down Its Cannabis Clubs...in Eight Years (Reason)
• Cannabis and Sleep: 10 Things to Know About Your Herbal Nightcap (Leafly)
• New Jersey 'Weedman' Says Closing Pot Temple Violates Religious Freedom (TIME)
• 'Uncle Spliffy' Seeks To Change Negative Perceptions About Cannabis And Sports (The Weed Blog)
• Cannabis Science 101: The Physics and Chemistry of the Joint (Leafly)
• It's Time To Get Over the Prejudice Against Marijuana! (NORML)
• Cannapics: 7 Stunning Images of Cannabis Joints (Leafly)
• Police recover 9000 cannabis plants in Nelson-Marlborough aerial operation (Stuff.co.nz)
• Cannabis in First-Episode Psychosis Linked to Poor Outcomes (Medscape)
• Couple accused of murdering their 21-month old daughter kept skunk cannabis in the toddler's Tommy Tippee drinking cup, court hears (Daily Mail)
• Cannabis should be legalised and regulated, Lib Dems say (BBC)

LSD

• Could cuddling and LSD become the norm at work? (The Vancouver Sun)
• Star Wars animator took LSD during production: 'I got to the green screen and it was like 'Aaagh, I took way too much' (The Independent)
• What are the Benefits of LSD? Rethinking Acid as a Therapeutic Medicine (Psychedelic Times)
• Some People Swear That 'Microdosing' LSD on the Job Makes You a Better Worker (TIME)
• An LSD trip story: "Went to a Donald Trump speech on acid SUPER BAD VIBES" (Boing Boing)
• Student arrested for LSD in City Hall (The GW Hatchet)
• N.J. woman skipped court on LSD charge, prosecutor says (NJ.com)
• Man pleads not guilty to selling LSD (Daily Citizen)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Researchers seek spiritual leaders for magic mushroom study (Extract)
• Chicago man with psychedelic mushrooms arrested Friday (The News-Gazette)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• What It Was Like to Be Part of a Major Ecstasy Ring in the 90s (VICE)
• The Disturbing Truth About How Ecstasy Affects the Brain (Mic)
• Thames Valley Policeman Ryan Sproat dismissed for taking MDMA at nightclub (Metro)
• UC Santa Cruz MDMA Ring Busted; Sorority, Fraternity Members Jailed (CBS)
• Narcotics Agency Chief: Islamic school students mistaking ecstasy for vitamins to make them pray longer (Coconuts Jakarta)
• Ecstasy caused death of UC Irvine student who went to rave in San Bernardino County, coroner says (Los Angeles Times)
• Former Canberra doctor who used MDMA suspended for two years (The Canberra Times)
• New Research Aims To Reveal Cognitive Deficiencies In MDMA Users (Your EDM)
• MDMA Use May Damage Serotonin Receptors In The Brain, Risk Cognitive Impairment (Medical Daily)
• Ever taken MDMA? Then this news might concern you (Metro)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• High in the Amazon - Aurianna Joy's quest for peace in the jungle (The National Student)
• The DMT experience - Terence McKenna (Disinfo)

Peyote/San Pedro/Mescaline

• Finding Psycho Spiritual Healing with a Huachuma Healing Ceremony (Psychedelic Times)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• DOB and 2C-B: The Controversial Legacy of Alexander Shulgin's Research (Psychedelic Times)
• Three schoolboys aged 15 fighting for life in hospital after taking legal highs 'similar to LSD' (The Sun)
• Father Of Round Rock Man Accused Of Choking Nurse While On K2 Disputes Police Account (Patch)
• College student from Salem admits peddling synthetic hallucinogen (The Salem News)
• Minnesota man gets 9 years for selling synthetic LSD (La Crosse Tribune)

Dissociatives

• What It's Like to Treat Severe Depression With Ketamine (New York Magazine)
• Paramedics to give ketamine to patients high on flakka (EMS1)
• 'I was shocked': Man arrested at customs after friend's ashes test positive for illegal drug (CTV News)
• Police Cripple 'Chinese Connection', Seize Ketamine Worth RM1.3 Million (Bernama)
• West Haven man on PCP arrested after trying to smother baby (Fox 61)
• Man high on PCP assaults women at Glen Burnie Target, police say (WBAL)
• Prosecutor: Driver in Crash That Killed Teens Was on PCP (ABC)

Opiates/Opioids

• Afghanistan Taliban War: Opium Fuels Conflict As Farmers Pray For A Prosperous Harvest (International Business Times)
• Heroin Epidemic Increasingly Seeps Into Public View (The New York Times)
• Medication maintenance: Methadone, Suboxone can cause more problems than they solve (Hartford City News Times)
• Senate poised to pass bill to combat heroin use and prescription drug abuse (USA Today)
• Naloxone Prescribed With Every Opioid? (Medscape)
• CVS Health to offer naloxone without prescription in 23 states by month's end (Drug Store News)
• Frank Bures: Non-medical prescription opioids and heroin use (Winona Daily News)
• Opium bounces back, enriching Taliban and Afghan officials (IRIN)
• Five myths about heroin (Culpeper Star-Exponent)

Absinthe

• Of Absinthe and Garden Laws (Patheos)

Kratom

• Shelby Co. officials want stores to stop selling Kratom (WBRC)
• Five men arrested for growing 'kratom' trees in Bangkok (The Nation)
• Group working to keep Kratom legal says it's a harmless herb when used properly (WBRC)
• Kratom: Opiate Withdrawal Help or Another Barrier to Addiction Treatment? (GroundReport)
• Parents and lawmakers call for Kratom ban (ABC33/40)
• Red Vein Thai Kratom Effects and Benefits (Kratom Guides)

Kava

• Fiji kava growers forced to sell early in bulk (Radio New Zealand)
• Kava and kava drinking (Vanuatu Daily Post)
• Winston results in flood of kava onto Fiji market (Radio New Zealand)
• A tasty sip of anti-anxiety: MeloMelo Kava Bar (The Daily Californian)

Khat

• How a mild stimulant generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year (GlobalPost)
• Third arrest made at O R Tambo in suspected drug syndicate (News24)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Do Psychedelic Drug Laws Violate Human Rights? (The Atlantic)
• Iran Is About to Execute Another 100 Prisoners for Drug Offenses (VICE News)
• How 5 Common Drugs Affect Sex (ATTN:)
• Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Launches PR Blitz for Better Conditions (TIME)
• The 5 Pills You Definitely Shouldn't Mix With Alcohol (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 - 3.5.16

Image by Stanley Zimny, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

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

1. Do you like TED Talks? How about procrastination? Here is an excellent story about one man's personal experience of procrastinating to prepare for a TED Talk on the topic of procrastination. It's humorous, educational, and a bit of a nail-biter. I think you will probably really enjoy it!

2. A piece published on WIRED dives into the nefarious business side of ad blocker companies. I find it incredibly ironic that the piece was published on WIRED, considering the site recently stopped displaying content for those of us who choose to run ad blockers in our web browsers. Not to say the publication is inherently on the wrong side of the battle, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth every time I load an article on the site and find that I am unable to read it unless I load it in another browser or whitelist the site. It's been, and will likely continue to be, very interesting to see how the publishing industry as a whole alters its business models to sustain profits without alienating its audiences.

3. Alan Watts was one of the most innovative philosophers, writers, and speakers in recent history. One could do no wrong by pursuing his work. He liked to ask thought-provoking questions, like what would you do if money was no object? How would you determine the meaning of your life if that was the case?

4. I found xkcd's infographic showing the "size of the U.S.'s pipelines if each fluid produced or consumed in the U.S. had to be carried by a single pipe" to be really interesting. Different substances, from tea to blood to toothpaste, are depicted with different sized pipes. It's more of a thought experiment than real-world example, but it's fascinating to check out!

5. It turns out that Ben Franklin wasn't always a great writer. He put in a lot of work during his formative years to hone his craft, and I found this account of the steps that he took to become a better writer to be both fascinating and helpful for a aspiring writer such as myself.

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

This Week in Psychedelics - 3.4.16

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• Weediquette Takes Viewers Inside the World of Marijuana (Reason)
• Colorado Hospital Allows First CBD Treatment For Epileptic Infant (Reset.me)
• What stock photos say about marijuana users (420 Intel)
• Here's What We Know About Cannabis And Cancer (Reset.me)
• Cannabis has given my son a gift (Des Moines Register)
• Vermont Senate Approves Legal Pot as Governor Cheers (Reason)
• Controlled Medical Marijuana Cultivation Legalized In Australia (Reset.me)
• Can cannabis gelato change Italy's attitude to weed? (CNN)
• Denver NORML Files Marijuana Social Use Initiative For 2016 City Ballot (NORML)
• Banned by Facebook, Cannabis Companies Turn to Pot-Friendly Social Media (Fortune)
• New Zealand urged to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes (Stuff.co.nz)
• Has DARE Gone Soft on Marijuana? (Reason)
• Setting Up a Mindful Marijuana Meditation Practice at Home with Joe Mattia (Psychedelic Times)
• 'Just Add Weed': How Brand Licensing Allows Cannabis Companies to Expand Across State Lines (Leafly)
• How One Millennial Started The 'Facebook Of Cannabis' And Got Invited To Richard Branson's Island (Forbes)
• Cannabis Entrepreneur Turns Dixie Cups And Duct Tape Into Successful Pot Plant-Shipping Business (Forbes)
• Medical Cannabis measure for Pennsylvania may be on cusp (Reading Eagle)
• NSW Government claim cannabis stays in system for up to 12 hours questioned by magistrate (ABC)
• Cannabis use affects processing of emotions (Medical News Today)
• Smoking marijuana makes me a better mum' Woman reads cannabis book to toddler (Express)
• Cannabis use linked to worse treatment outcomes for psychosis patients (Medical News Today)
• Takaka woman's use of cannabis to treat MS 'topical' (Stuff.co.nz)
• Meet Your Mate in This Stoner Party Bus (Reason)
• Poll: Florida Voters Back Constitutional Amendment To Permit Medical Cannabis (NORML)
• Cannabis Use Can Elicit 'Autistic-Like' Behavior (Broadly)
• Former Gresham bank is nowheadquarters [sic] of Cannabis Nation (Portland Tribune)
• The Cannabis Taxonomy Debate: Where Do Indica and Sativa Classifications Come From? (Leafly)
• Editorial: Cannabis issue demands comprehensive approach (Des Moines Register)

LSD

• Can very small doses of LSD make you a better worker? I decided to try it. (Vox)
• That time Trey Parker and Matt Stone took acid and went to the Oscars in drag (Death and Taxes)
• The price of MK-Ultra (Beaufort Observer)
• Man who stabbed another at Nimbin hostel 'was on LSD' (Echo NetDaily)
• New charges filed in woman's death on I-39 (Pentagraph)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Can Drug Trips Be Religious? Rabbis Take 'Shrooms for Science (Live Science)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• Ecstasy used to treat PTSD: MDMA could be legal before you think (7NEWS Denver)
• A Nonprofit Is Raising $400,000 for a Kilo of MDMA by Hosting "Psychedelic Dinner" Parties (Thump)
• Patients Legally Take Ecstasy While Receiving Therapy In Marin County (CBS)
• Fake electrician attempted to stash pills in electrical box ahead of music festival (The Daily Telegraph)
• California police find puzzle box filled with ecstasy pills (KTTN)
• Police officer caught taking MDMA at nightclub is dismissed (ITV)
• Spring Break Safety: Activities can Bring Danger, Increased Risk (Vinton Today)
• Alleged Athens ecstasy trafficker fighting forfeiture of $180K seized from home and bank (Athens Banner-Herald)
• 'Totem OneLove' dance party organisers endorse pill testing at their 'Stereosonic' events - where two people have died after taking lethal doses of ecstasy (Daily Mail)
• Dumbarton teenager found dead after reportedly taking ecstasy (Daily Record and Sunday Mail)
• Thousands of Ecstasy pills seized near UCR campus (Inland News Today)
• Ecstasy overdose caused death of UCLA student who went to rave at county fairgrounds (Los Angeles Times)
• Hume drug lab: Man caught making MDMA in custody after guilty plea (ABC)
• 2 charged after police seize 800 ecstasy pills during stop (Boston Herald)
• Worthing death crash driver had taken MDMA (Shoreham Herald)
• Naperville-area man accused of dealing ecstasy (Chicago Tribune)
• Man arrested on drug charges after picking up package from post office (Chicago Tribune)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• Can DMT Prolong Your Life After Clinical Death? (Collective Evolution)
• What Is the Difference between 5-MeO DMT and DMT? Choosing a DMT Therapy (Psychedelic Times)
• The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization (Frontiers)
• What's an Ayahuasca Experience Like? 12 Days of Healing at the Temple of the Way of Light (Psychedelic Times)
• Open a Portal into Consciousness with Psychedelic Sculptures (The Creators Project)

Peyote/San Pedro/Mescaline

• Texas Matters: Understanding Peyote (Texas Public Radio)

Iboga/Ibogaine

• Iboga And Kratom Help Fight Overdose And Addiction – So Shouldn't They Be Legal? (Reset.me)
• Why is the U.S. Disregarding Plants Like Iboga and Kratom in the Fight Against Overdose and Addiction? (AlterNet)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• New Jersey police captain killed in car crash had 'double the legal level of alcohol, bath salts and prescription drugs in his system' (Daily Mail)
• Minnesota man gets 9 years for selling synthetic LSD (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Dissociatives

• Ketamine could be used to sedate aggressive hospital patients (Metro)
• Is The High Cost Of Legal Ketamine Treatment Driving People To Black Markets? (Vocativ)
• Potential Risks of Poorly Managed Ketamine Use in Depression Treatment (The American Journal of Psychiatry)
• Controversial drug offers hope to patients with chronic pain, PTSD (KSAT)
• PCP-addled woman bites off beau's tongue during make out session, briefly eludes police when victim can't spit out her name (New York Daily News)
• Depressed? Your doctor might soon prescribe ketamine (The Guardian)
• Not just a party drug: no ketamine means no surgery in some developing countries (The Guardian)
• 'Major' Hartford Supplier Found With Liter Of Liquid PCP, Police Say (Hartford Courant)
• CRPS Physician Says Take Control of Your Treatment (National Pain Report)
• Man sentenced to prison in drug case (The News-Gazette)

Opiates/Opioids

• Virtual Reality 'Heroin Cave' Could Help Smack Addicts Kick Habit (NBC)
• Boston's Heroin Users Will Soon Get A Safer Place To Be High (NPR)
• Can Naloxone work for potent W-18? (Hanna Herald)
• More than 30 pounds of opium found in luggage at O'Hare (WLS-TV)
• Police destroy opium, but only during the harvest (The Kathmandu Post)
• The surprising path from student athlete to heroin addict (CBS News)
• Two US employees killed in Pakistan drug-busting operation (The Guardian)
• Grassroots activists in Myanmar on march to destroy poppies (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
• Schemer's Office Speaks on Naloxone Bill (WICZ)
• From painkillers to heroin, progression of opioid abuse follows deadly track (Omaha World-Herald)

Kratom

• Some Say Kratom Is A Solution To Opioid Addiction. Not If Drug Warriors Ban It First. (The Huffington Post)
• Kratom Abuse and Treatment and Withdrawal (American Addiction Centers)
• Is Kratom the New Bath Salts? (The Daily Beast)
• Legislature getting fired up over Kratom debate (WIAT)
• Report shows potential harm of kratom (Herald Times Reporter)
• Senate bill would ban sale of kratom herb to those under 18 (Foster's Daily Democrat)
• Drug law will have predictable consequences (The Decatur Daily)
• Kratom: A dangerous drug or a helpful pain reliever? (FOX10)
• White Vein Sumatra Kratom Effects (Kratom Guides)
• Red Dragon Kratom - Benefits and Side Effects (Kratom Guides)
• Toxicology Rounds: Opioid-Like Kratom Use Booming, Cheap, Unregulated, and Addictive (Emergency Medicine News)

Kava

• Kava and the Rise of Healthy New York (The New Yorker)
• Driving following Kava Use and Road Traffic Injuries: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Fiji (TRIP 14) (PLOS ONE)
• Tea and Sympathy: SquareRüt spreads the gospel of kava (The Austin Chronicle)

Khat

• Woman bust at airport with 17kg of Khat (IOL)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Drug Warriors Will Pay $3.6 Million for Maiming a Toddler (Reason)
• Parents hire K9 teams to search teens' rooms (Courier-Journal)
• Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Wants to Be Extradited to the U.S., Says Lawyer (TIME)
• Why the war on drugs is unwinnable (Boing Boing)
• Latest from the V&A: Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll to recreate the Swinging Sixties - complete with psychedelic hallucinations (Daily Mail)
• Meet The Erotic Artist Bringing Psychedelic Sex To Instagram (The Huffington Post)
• How to Run a Drug Cartel (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.