Weekend Thoughts - 5.12.18

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

1. The sunny state of California may soon become the first U.S. state to require solar panels on nearly all new homes built after 2020. However, not all newly constructed homes would be affected—those that aren't big enough to fit solar panels and properties featuring taller buildings or trees that would throw shade would be exempt from the mandate. This (along with some additional proposed energy standards) would significantly increase the cost of building new homes, hiking it up by an estimated $25,000 to $30,000 per home. On the bright side, the energy savings is estimated to save homeowners between $50,000 to $60,000 over the lifespan of the solar system. Solar may be an effective type of renewable energy for California, but it might not perform as well in places like the midwest because of the less sun and lower home prices. Still, this is an exciting experiment—maybe it'll end up lowering prices in the solar market, enabling even more people to install solar power on their properties. Just maybe. Only time will tell.

2. Uber announced plans to bring a flying taxi service to the market in 2023. The images of the "skyports"—the launchpads and landing sites that the flying taxis would use—are truly stunning. Imagining a world with flying taxis is quite a fun exercise; I invite you to try it.

3. Now that you're done with that daydream, check this out: the bipedal robot that Boston Dynamics has been developing can totally run and jump now. It's also able to maintain its balance when pushed and can pick itself up when it falls over. I'm not sure about this robot in particular, but judging from the other Boston Dynamics robots that I've seen, I imagine this bipedal robot is one tough cookie, too. I imagine that at some point in the relatively near future these robots will be virtually indefatigable, capable of outrunning and overpowering a human being with no problem at all. So if you want to try another mental exercise, try to imagine the fully polished 3.0 version of this robot working on the beat as a cop. 

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

Image by GenesJourney, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

This Week in Psychedelics - 5.11.18

Cannabis

• What Tuesday’s Primary Elections Mean for Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• It’s Time for a New Discussion of Marijuana’s Risks (The New York Times)

• Illinois bill would use medical marijuana to fight opioids (ABC News)

• Marches in Peru & Argentina demand new cannabis laws (Euronews)

• Thousands March in Chile for Legal Cannabis Cultivation (teleSUR)

• DEA Task Force Backs Group Fighting Medical Marijuana in Utah (Marijuana Moment)

• Thousands toke and buy weed as Sacramento hosts first legal marijuana fest in California (The Sacramento Bee)

• Medical marijuana for PTSD and pain signed into Georgia law (Politically Georgia)

• Legalizing Hemp Brings Schumer And McConnell Together (Forbes)

• How anti-marijuana Jeff Sessions became the best thing to happen to pot legalization (USA Today)

• MMJ for Autism Bill Passes Legislature, Moves to Governor (Westword)

• Canada plans to legalize weed – but will those charged with crimes get amnesty? (The Guardian)

• Illinois police claim if marijuana is legalized, they'll have to kill their police dogs (The Week)

• Colorado Cop Debunks lllinois Cop’s Claim That Legal Pot Would Lead to Killing of Police Dogs (Grit Post)

• Even Where Weed Is Legal, Government Regulation Makes Advertising It a Nightmare (Reason)

• Missouri Medical Marijuana Initiative Filed (NORML)

• NORML's New Push to De-schedule Marijuana (Westword)

• Cannabis Industry Could Be 'A Form Of Reparations,' Says Cynthia Nixon (Forbes)

• New York: Patients Using Fewer Opioids Following Enrollment In Medical Cannabis Program (NORML)

• Colorado's Governor Will Decide Whether Cannabis Consumers Get 'Tasting Rooms' (Reason)

• Senator Kamala Harris Cosponsors The Marijuana Justice Act (NORML)

• Cannabis Kicks Lyme Disease to the Curb (Health & Fitness)

• What do we know about women, cannabis and psychosis? (National Elf Service)

• Interstate Smuggling? How the Vireo Incident Is Testing State Cannabis Laws (Leafly)

• Mother Credits Marijuana For Transforming Son With Severe Autism (CBS Denver)

• Cannabis tax revenue in California falls far short of projections (San Francisco Chronicle)

• How close is New York to legalizing marijuana? (Times-Union)

• Meghan Markle’s Nephew Is Growing Weed in Oregon—and Created a Cannabis Strain In Her Honor (The Potlander)

• Report: Rec marijuana consumers use less alcohol, pain medications, sleep aids (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Lots of Doctors Recommend Weed Without Understanding It (WIRED)

• Marijuana shops recommend products to pregnant women, against doctors' warnings (CNN)

• McConnell: I won't support legalizing marijuana (The Hill)

• Banning home-grown pot would be paternalistic, unenforceable: task force chair (CBC)

• Marijuana Arrests Soar in Allentown and Bethlehem as Both Cities Consider Marijuana Decriminalization (NORML)

• Cannabis fans call for legalisation in international celebration of weed (Metro)

• Letters: ‘Pot’ and cannabis not interchangeable (Palm Beach Post)

• Avoid These Obvious Mistakes When Investing In Cannabis Stocks (Forbes)

• Cannabis use among veterans soars as Ottawa cuts paybacks (The Globe and Mail)

LSD

• These LSD-Inspired Paintings Are Wild, Man (VICE)

• GMU Student Pleads Guilty to Selling LSD to Frat Brother Who Jumped to His Death (NBC4 Washington)

• Woman allegedly takes LSD before babysitting, stealing child’s toys (WHIO)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• A ‘Magic Mushroom’ Strategy for America’s Opioid Crisis (The Crime Report)

• First, Marijuana. Are Magic Mushrooms Next? (Daily Beast)

• Washington Mushroom Hunter Faces Five Years in Prison for Psilocybin (Ladybud)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• Thank you, New York Times, for asking ‘Who is behind these studies? Where does the money come from?’ (Health News Review)

• Scientists Want the FDA to Designate MDMA a 'Breakthrough Therapy' for PTSD (Motherboard)

• Are Ecstasy Induced Serotonergic Alterations Overestimated For The Majority Of Users? (SAGE Journals)

• Here Are 4 Conditions That the Drug Ecstasy May Help Treat (Healthline)

• Psychedelic drug provides relief for veterans with PTSD (Military Times)

• The Cure for PTSD is Illegal (Andrew Joseph)

• 'Happy and healthy' schoolgirl, 15, died on mountainside beauty spot after taking ecstasy for the first time (Daily Mail)

• Children turn stepfather into police after bag of ecstasy was found in 3-year-old's pants (FOX13 Memphis)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• Peru Authorities Say Canadian Killed Respected Ayahuasca Shaman (VICE)

• The Magazine Interview: Michael Pollan on his new book and what he learnt smoking the psychedelic venom of a toad (The Sunday Times)

• 6 Ways Ayahuasca Works like a Good Trauma Therapist (Chacruna)

• The Bizarre Murder Case of a Revered Ayahuasca Shaman (VICE)

• Inside Peru’s Amazonian mind-altering drug camps where Westerners flock for spiritual highs and cancer cures (The Sun)

• How I Became an Ayahuasca Sorcerer (Kahpi)

Peyote/San Pedro/Mescaline

• Peyote documentary screens Tuesday at Crowley Theater (The Big Bend Sentinel)

Iboga/Ibogaine

• The Cure for Opioid Addiction is Illegal (Andrew Joseph)

Salvia Divinorum

• Salvinorin A. Is it possible to have a truly powerful painkiller that is not addictive? (Psymposia)

Dissociatives

• Author recounts how he ended up high on green ketamine with the Irish President (Metro)

• Ketamine Stirs Up Hope—and Controversy—as a Depression Drug (WIRED)

• A depression drug that researchers have called 'the most important discovery in half a century' just got a big lift (Business Insider)

• Epic twitter thread about doing ketamine at work is nightmarishly hilarious (The Daily Dot)

• Police use Taser on PCP-high man at least 6 times, family says (KPRC)

Opiates/Opioids

• Walmart won't provide more than 7 days worth of opioids for some prescriptions (USA Today)

• Reversing An Overdose Isn't Complicated, But Getting The Antidote Can Be (NPR)

• People Are Using A $1 Test Strip To Check Their Drugs For Fentanyl (BuzzFeed News)

• The Complicated Relationship Between Opium and Art in the 20th Century (Artsy)

• Needle by Needle, a Heroin Crisis Grips California’s Rural North (The New York Times)

• Arkansas man arrested after 17 pounds of heroin found in fire extinguisher (THV11)

Kratom

• The First Kratom Leadership Summit Gain The Support From Scientists, Advocates, And Community (Kratom Guides)

• Two Manufacturers Recall Kratom Supplements for Possible Salmonella (Food Poisoning Bulletin)

Khat

• Khat (Plant) Market to witness excellent Long-Term Growth Outlook (The Mobile Herald)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• More drug convictions might be tossed because of evidence snorting chemist (Rooster)

• Usage of Depression Pills Almost Halved Among Children in Denmark (Mad in America)

• A revival in the scientific study of psychedelics prompts a journalist to take a trip (Science Magazine)

• PsyCare UK: 10 years of festival harm reduction in the UK (Psychedelic Press UK)

• More pill-testing at festivals on the cards after Canberra success (WA Today)

• The crippling stigma of drug addiction (New York Daily News)

• Psychedelic drugs appear to fundamentally reorganize the brain — and they're starting to turn into approved treatments (Business Insider)

• Drugs should be legalised, regulated, and taxed (British Medical Journal)

• Spiritual Warrior on The Psychedelic Path: Interview with Author Richard Haight (Psychedelic Times)

• Psychedelic Hero’s Journey of a Traveling Nobody by Traveling Nobody (Psychedelic Press UK)

• Why alcohol health warning labels are a good idea: findings from the latest Global Drug Survey (The Conversation)

• How Many Chances Should a Drug User Get? (The New York Times)

• Ohio patrol uses drug dogs more often with black drivers (Miami Herald)

• Dealer used dark web, bitcoin and U.S. Postal Service to run national drug business from Denver, feds say (The Denver Post)

• Supervised injection facilities are necessary; adding drug-checking services would save even more lives (New York Daily News)

• The Pscience of Psychedelics (JSTOR Daily)

• Cocaine 'delivered faster than pizza' in Scotland (STV News)

• The Prohibition of Psychedelics Retards the Evolution of Humanity (Andrew Joseph)

• Bid to make University of Buckingham drug-free called ‘misguided’ by think tank - and Sir Anthony now thinks so too (Buckingham and Winslow Advertiser)

• Psychedelics and Personality Changes (Psychedelic Heaven)

• Drug dealers are 'using professional networking site Linkedin to sell cocaine, heroin, ketamine and Xanax' (Daily Mail)

• Avicii and what we can learn from his death. (Psychedelic Astronaut)

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.

Image by Dahtamnay, 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.

---

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 - An Appeal to the World

This is a short—but incredibly sweet—book by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It was published in 2017 and contains myriad great wisdom for troubled times. The Dalai Lama once told the co-author of An Appeal to the World, Franz Alt, "I don't have any enemies, only people I haven't met yet." He has spent his life cultivating this positive attitude, and it can be found on every page of this book.

Today's world is marked by division. Politicians are promoting borders rather than inclusion, economic inequality is running rampant, and religion is breeding violence. Yet the need for unity has never been more urgent, because the crises that humanity faces are affecting people all around the world. Many people have lost all hope for the future and wonder what we can possibly do to move forward.

Well, they're in luck, because the Dalai Lama and Alt have created a brilliant book that is capable of watering the seeds of world peace that are already located inside of each and every one of us—even though many people do not know or believe that they exist. He reminds us that all people have two things in common—our universal pursuit of happiness and the compelling desire to avoid suffering. Finding common ground and engaging in an open dialog is an effective way to mitigate the division that we otherwise experience.

One theme that the Dalai Lama repeats several times throughout the book is the concept that ethics are more important than religion. He even goes on to say, "On some days I think it would be better if there were no religions. All religions and all scriptures harbor potential for violence. That is why we need secular ethics beyond all religions." He explains that the core tenets of secular ethics are mindfulness, education, respect, tolerance, caring, and nonviolence. I was pleasantly surprised by how strongly and frequently he spoke about our need to cultivate secular ethics throughout the book.

I was also happy to see that the topic of Trump was also addressed in the book. A lot of people are experiencing suffering because he is currently our President, and hopefully the Dalai Lama's words on this topic will help soothe their psychic wounds.

An Appeal to the World is already a major international bestseller, and for good reason. It's an inspirational, powerful book written by one of the most revered spiritual leaders of our time that has the potentially to truly change the world. It would probably take the average person between one to three hours to read it from cover to cover, and I highly recommend that you do.

4/5 stars. 128 pages.

Weekend Thoughts - 5.5.18

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

1. The Cambridge Analytica drama is finally over—well, almost... the political consulting firm has shut down all of its offices, but in reality it's just rebranded itself as a new company called Emerdata. The new company's Board of Directors includes the daughters of Robert Mercer, the former CEO of Cambridge Analytica, and most of the original company's employees have packed up and moved into the new Emerdata offices already. That was fast! It's not entirely clear what Emerdata is going to be working on, but the company is listed under "data processing, hosting, and related activities." I wouldn't be surprised if Emerdata does something shady and is publicly shamed in the near future, just like what happened with Cambridge Analytica. In other words, even though the original company shut down, it doesn't really solve anything at all.

2. If there's a way to cheat at something, people are usually pretty quick to figure out how to do just that. Well, it turns out that people in China are cheating the system to get discounts on their health insurance by using a "swinging cradle" device to convince health insurance companies that they are getting ten thousand steps per day, even if they're actually sitting around doing nothing. I'm not surprised that this has happened, and I'm interested to see how the health insurance industry will respond to this. The ball is in their court now.

3. Speaking of tracking the state of our health with mobile phones, apps are being developed that attempt to assess your ability to drive. Police officers could use this technology in the future to figure out if someone is fit to operate a motor vehicle, and it would be capable of assessing a wide variety of impairments like whether a person is to drunk or high, too sleepy, or too medicated to drive. In other words, this would be like a universal field sobriety test that runs on mobile phones, taking the police officer's judgment out of the equation. There are already some first-generation apps out there, like Druid and Am I Stoned, that can do this to some extent. It'll be exiting to follow this space and see where it takes us in the near future.

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

Image by htomek, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.