Russell Hausfeld, writing for Psymposia:
MDMA significantly increases pro-social behaviors that are usually suppressed in octopuses. On MDMA, octopuses are more apt to want to hang out with other octopuses than when they are sober.
When science and strange collide.
Kevin Maimann, writing for The Toronto Star:
An Edmonton company that will soon be a world leader in cannabis production is now offering medical pot coverage for its employees.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced a new benefits plan Monday that will include coverage for medical marijuana authorized by a physician or nurse effective Aug. 1.
We've reached the point where your employer's health insurance policy can cover the cost of your medical marijuana.
Erin Brodwin, writing for Business Insider:
So far, Compass claims it has made two 250-gram batches of psilocybin, the equivalent of 20,000 doses of 25 mg of the drug. Although some of that will be tested for stability, the rest has been shaped into capsules. Those will soon be shipped to a handful of sites in Europe and North America, where Compass plans to use the psilocybin in clinical trials.
Interesting to see that a startup company is in the business of manufacturing psilocybin.
Xavier Francuski, writing for The Third Wave:
Psilocybin Truffles and Psilocybin Mushrooms are very similar psychedelics, in that they contain the same active compounds (psilocybin, psilocin and baeocystin), but differ in how they are produced. Psilocybin Truffles are underground clumps formed out of mycelial strands, whereas Psilocybin Mushrooms grow out fully when conditions are favorable.
Even though they are made of the same stuff, there are certain distinctions between them.
An excellent breakdown of the differences between truffles and mushrooms, including variations in legality, trip intensity, perceptual characteristics, and safety.
Ashifa Kassam, writing for The Guardian:
Scientists in a small Ontario laboratory are testing enzymes and experimenting with fermentation. Their techniques are not new, but their focus is a first. They are developing what is being described as the world’s first beer brewed from cannabis.
Most cannabis beers on the market are brewed from barley and infused with marijuana oil, according to Dooma Wendschuh of Province Brands, the Toronto startup behind the product. “That’s not what we do. Our beer is brewed from the stalks, stem and roots of the cannabis plant.”
It is a story playing out across Canada as entrepreneurs race to secure a foothold in what is expected to be a multibillion-dollar market. The country will become the second in the world to legalise marijuana for recreational use on 17 October.
A savory-tasting, non-alcoholic, gluten-free beer that gets you high instead of drunk, and hits you quickly but is roughly equivalent to a single dose of alcohol? Sign me up.
