This Week in Psychoactives - 3.13.20

CANNABIS

• Oglala Sioux Tribe approves medical, recreational marijuana (Leafly)

• Virginia Lawmakers Send Marijuana Decriminalization Bill To Governor’s Desk (Marijuana Moment)

• Capitol Confidential: COVID-19 could derail New York cannabis legalization (Leafly)

• DEA Admits State-Level Marijuana Legalization Reduces Illegal Market Demand (Marijuana Moment)

• Alabama Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Medical Cannabis Improves Effectiveness of Fibromyalgia Treatments, Study Shows (MERRY JANE)

• FDA Invites The Public To Submit More Comments On CBD (Marijuana Moment)

• Joe Biden Is Frustrated People Think He Still Believes Marijuana Is A Gateway Drug (Forbes)

• House Veterans Affairs Committee Passes Multiple Marijuana Bills (NORML)

• NHS urged to listen to new guidance on prescribing medical cannabis (Health Europa)

• Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, 'Vice Of Choice When Alone Is Cannabis': Analyst (Investor's Business Daily)

• Tennessee Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis Use Disorder May Reduce Risk of Digestive Disorders in Schizophrenia (Psychiatry Advisor)

• Hotels benefit from marijuana legalization, study finds (Phys.org)

• Maryland: Lawmakers Advance Decriminalization Expansion Measure (NORML)

• Decriminalization of marijuana in Virginia forces deputies to part with marijuana-imprinted K-9s (WAVY.com)

• Cannabis Legalization May Be Moving Too Fast (Scientific American)

• Joe Biden Mistakenly Says He Would ‘Legalize’ Marijuana Before Correcting Himself (Marijuana Moment)

• Boston's First Cannabis Dispensary Opens With A Request: Avoid Driving (WGBH)

• Bristol explosion: Man 'blew up flats while making cannabis oil' (BBC)

• In San Francisco, cannabis business hasn’t hit the highs expected when it went legal (San Francisco Chronicle)

• Even in California, Nearly All Patients With Vaping-Related Lung Injuries Used Black-Market THC Products (Reason)

• Florida, man: Why 2020 legalization failed in the Sunshine State (Leafly)

• County lines: Hampshire schools pay private firms for sniffer dogs (BBC)

• Here’s How Scientists Think Cannabis Can Repair Brain Cells and Improve Memory (MERRY JANE)

• Mississippi Medical Marijuana Measure At Risk After House Approves Alternate Ballot Question (Marijuana Moment)

• 2 Out of 3 US Latinos Support Marijuana Legalization, Survey Finds (MERRY JANE)

LSD

• The Dutch Psychiatrist Who Treated Traumatized Holocaust Survivors With LSD (Haaretz)

• Talking Golf and LSD With GoDaddy Founder Bob Parsons (InsideHook)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

• Oregon Psychedelic Mushroom Campaign Collects More Than 100,000 Signatures For Ballot Measure (Marijuana Moment)

• Magic Mushroom Effects: Single Take Improves Long-Term Mindfulness (Medical Daily)

• Potentiating Psilocybin: MAOIs and the Entourage Effect (Psychedelic Times)

MDMA

• New study uncovers the distinct acute subjective effects of MDMA and LSD (PsyPost)

• Revealed: Europe's drugs of choice are cocaine and MDMA (Euronews)

• Psychedelic Support? Parents Turn to MDMA to Make Family Stronger (NBC New York)

AYAHUASCA

• After 6 Months, 83% of Ayahuasca Users Report Improved Mental Health, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

IBOGA

• Is Ibogaine a Psychedelic Drug? (Psychedelic Science Review)

KETAMINE

• The Safety of Ketamine on the Cellular Level (News-Medical.net)

OPIOIDS

• 40 Americans Are Dying Every Month From Taking this New, Legal Opioid (VICE)

• Closely watched opioid trial in New York postponed due to coronavirus (Reuters)

• Utah Spent $250k on a Surveillance Startup Instead of Life-Saving Drugs (VICE)

• Hell and Back Again: Life, Death and Heroin in Russia (TalkingDrugs)

COCAINE

• Coronavirus cannot be cured by drinking bleach or snorting cocaine, despite social media rumors (CBS News)

• Trump Tells Colombia: Spray Coca Fields With Alleged Carcinogen—or Else (The Daily Beast)

• Wastewater tests suggest drop in cocaine use in London (The Guardian)

CAFFEINE

• Caffeine sensitivity: Dosage and treatment (Medical News Today)

NICOTINE

• Juul patents an A.I. vape to help people quit nicotine (Brinkwire)

• COVID-19 and Tobacco Harm Reduction: What’s the Relationship? (Filter)

• Nicotine by far the most commonly used vaping product in Canada: survey (Victoria News)

ALCOHOL

• Alcoholics Anonymous vs. Other Approaches: The Evidence Is Now In (The New York Times)

• Why young people are drinking less – and what older drinkers can learn from them (The Conversation)

KRATOM

• Mississippi won't ban or regulate herbal drug kratom (Jackson Clarion Ledger)

MISCELLANEOUS

• Drug Possession Is No Longer a Felony in Colorado, Regardless of the Drug Type (MERRY JANE)

• These Are the Dumbest Drug Moments of the Last 100 Years (VICE)

• First Psychedelics Therapy Center In The US Opens On New York’s 5th Av. (Forbes)

• Study Participants Experience Psychedelic Effects after Receiving Placebo (Psychedelic Science Review)

• How do depressed rats respond to psychedelics? New data offer insight into the human experience (Endpoints News)

• DC Campaign To Decriminalize Psychedelics Delays Signatures Gathering Amid Coronavirus Outbreak (Marijuana Moment)

• Calm Down. What's the Worst Thing That the Wellness Industry Could Do to Psychedelics? (Psymposia)

• 2020 State of the Art of Psychedelic Technology – Where Is It Heading? (Psychedelic Science Review)

• The Real Harms of Abusive, Stigmatizing Language in Addiction Treatment (Filter)

• Know Overdose: Inside San Francisco’s Overdose Prevention Campaign (Medium)

• Can Psychedelics Make You Polyamorous? (DoubleBlind)

• Psychedelics Firm MindMed Forms Board To Oversee Clinical Trial Pipeline (Benzinga)

• Couple says psychedelic drugs made them better parents (TODAY)

• New NFL Policy Would End Suspensions For Testing Positive For Any Drug—Not Just Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• The Birth Control Conditions Attached to Treatment for Women Who Use Drugs (TalkingDrugs)

• Why Kevin O’Leary is betting on psychedelics (Wealth Professional)

• Glasgow activist risks arrest to set up drug consumption room in a van (The Guardian)

• Reflections for a New EU Drugs Strategy (TalkingDrugs)

• Specialized Bicycles CEO Mike Sinyard on his psychedelic-drugs therapy project (The Mercury News)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" 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 Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 3.6.20

Cannabis

• Malawi legalises cannabis amid hopes of fresh economic growth (The Guardian)

• Utah’s first medical marijuana dispensary is now open (Leafly)

• Mexican Senate Committees Advance Marijuana Legalization Bill To Floor Vote (Marijuana Moment)

• Ohio Activists Formally File Measure To Put Marijuana Legalization Before Voters This Year (Marijuana Moment)

• The Smell of Weed Does Not Justify Warrantless Searches, New Study Proves (MERRY JANE)

• UK Government Looks To Ease Barriers On Bulk Importation Of Medicinal Cannabis (Forbes)

• Impression Healthcare (ASX:IHL) to start cannabis trials for treatment of brain injury (The Market Herald)

• What Is CBM and What Does This Uncommon Cannabinoid Do? (MERRY JANE)

• Baseball Players Can Smoke Marijuana But Can’t Be Sponsored By Cannabis Companies, MLB Says (Marijuana Moment)

• Utah’s cannabis czar is leaving his job (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Magic Mushrooms

• The Capital That Ate Wellness Is Going to Eat Your Mushrooms (The New York Times)

• Beta-Carboline Alkaloids Found in Psilocybe Mushrooms (The Third Wave)

Ketamine

• Toronto Just Opened a Ketamine Clinic to Help People With Depression (VICE)

• IV Ketamine Shows Promise for Chronic Pain, But Doubts Remain (Filter)

• K-Holing: Why Ketamine Causes Wild Hallucinations (VICE)

Opioids

• Younger drug users moving away from injecting heroin (BBC)

• Study: Stopping Long-Term Opioid Prescriptions Associated With Veterans’ Deaths (Filter)

• Illegal opium cultivation on the rise in Bandarban (Dhaka Tribune)

Cocaine

• Colombia will have to restart aerial spraying to destroy coca: Trump (Reuters)

• United States and Colombian Officials Set Bilateral Agenda to Reduce Cocaine Supply (WhiteHouse.gov)

Methamphetamine

• California May Soon Pay People to Reduce Their Meth Use (Filter)

• A New Wave Of Meth Addiction Is Hitting Queer People Of Color. But The Help Is Not There. (BuzzFeed News)

Caffeine

• Truck drivers with high caffeine intake crash more often than others (Medical Xpress)

• Caffeine boosts problem-solving ability but not creativity, study indicates (ScienceDaily)

Nicotine

• House Lawmakers Vote to Ban All Flavored Tobacco (Convenience Store News)

• The UK Government Says What the US Won't: Vaping Is Safer Than Cigarettes (VICE)

• Starting July 1st you'll have to be 21 to purchase tobacco products in New Mexico (CBS4Local.com)

Benzodiazepines

• Bitter pill: Benzodiazepine medication by Irish over-65s in Ireland highest in OECD (Irish Examiner)

Kratom

• Oklahoma House passes bill to regulate drug called kratom (The Journal Record)

• Kratom in the crosshairs: Mississippi considers limit or ban on herbal drug (Jackson Clarion Ledger)

• Liver Experts Sound Alarm on Kratom (Pharmacy Practice News)

• Popular Kratom Vendor Shows How Kratom Is Manufactured (New Kerala)

• This New Johns Hopkins Kratom Survey Offers Insightful Takeaways (Kratom Guides)

Miscellaneous

• Psychedelic therapy is on the cusp of legalization—and plagued with sexual abuse allegations (Quartz)

• Hawaii Senate Approves Drug Defelonization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Oregon Activists Collect Enough Signatures For Drug Decriminalization And Treatment Measure (Marijuana Moment)

• Did the UN’s Anti-Narcotics Board Just Recommend Decriminalizing Drugs Globally? (MERRY JANE)

• DC Psychedelics Activists, Citing Coronavirus Concerns, Want Online Petition Gathering Option (Marijuana Moment)

• Therapists Are Unprepared to Talk to People About Taking Psychedelics (VICE)

• A Statement Regarding “The Emergence of a New Market: Psychedelic Science Conferences” (Psymposia)

• American teens are delaying first use of drugs, including tobacco and alcohol, study finds (MinnPost)

• Did Ancient Buddhists Use Psychedelics? (DoubleBlind)

• Psychedelics for Climate Action? (Psymposia)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" 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 Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Month in Psychoactives - February 2020

Let’s face the facts. It’s incredibly tough to keep up with psychoactive drug news nowadays.

There’s a ton happening, and this month was certainly no exception. In this blog post I cover the most important news stories from February so that you can stay up-to-date regarding what’s going on without having to spend all of your time tracking down stories and figuring out which ones are actually worth reading.

Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

Without further ado, let’s get into the news:

First-Ever Thank You Plant Medicine Day

Last week thousands of people all across the globe shared stories on social media expressing gratitude for the important role plant medicines and psychedelic compounds played in helping address a wide range of issues.

This coordinated effort was all part of the first-ever Thank You Plant Medicine Day, which inspired stories of gratitude that were shared on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and Snapchat. This day of gratitude for psychedelics gave people the encouragement they needed to come out of the psychedelic closet online, many for the first time.

I joined in the fun too, producing a YouTube video and blog post discussing how psychedelics have helped heal me from a variety of conditions and catalyze a personal transformation that has resulted in a much different person than I was 15 years ago.

Psychedelic Companies Are About to Go Public

A psychedelic company based in Toronto will soon be listed on a Canadian stock exchange, marking the first time a business in the psychedelic space has gone public.

Mind Medicine Inc. (MindMed) is currently preparing for a Phase 2 clinical trial looking at using ibogaine to treat opioid addiction. The company is aiming to become one of the first publicly listed neuro-pharmaceutical companies developing psychedelics.

Competitors are still weighing their options. London-based company Compass Pathways has not commented on whether its planning a public listing, but Ronan Levy of Field Trip Psychedelics Inc. (also known as Field Trip) is considering a public listing, although both companies might end up getting private funding instead.

Here in the U.S., if any American psychedelic companies decide to go public they would be able to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange even though they aren’t able to do so in their home country.

Federal Vaping Flavor Ban Goes Into Effect

The federal vaping flavor ban went into effect earlier this month, banning all flavors other than menthol and tobacco in an attempt to reduce teenagers’ access to nicotine vapes.

But the reality of the situation is probably not what you’re thinking of when you hear the phrase “federal vaping flavor ban”.

The restriction only applies to one specific category of devices: cartridges or pre-filled pod devices, like the ones made by Juul. The full range of flavors is still available in several other forms though, including refillable vapes, nicotine pouches, and some disposable vaping devices.

Journal Retracts Problematic E-Cigarettes Study

A paper published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal last year was retracted this month after a review identified serious issues with its findings. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, falsely claimed that e-cigarette users were more likely to have had heart attacks.

However, the study’s authors didn’t get things right.

It turns out that the majority of the vapers studied had suffered a heart attack on average a decade before they even started using e-cigarettes. In other words, there isn’t sufficient evidence to conclude that there is a relationship between vaping and heart attacks.

Unfortunately, even though the study was retracted, it’s already done quite a bit of damage to e-cigarettes reputation due to widespread media coverage last year and its unlikely those same media outlets will cover the retraction.

UK Rejects Ketamine Nasal Spray

Back in December the UK granted a license to the nasal spray form of ketamine, known as Spravato or esketamine, for the treatment of severe depression. It looked like treating depression was right around the corner.

But that progress hit a stopping point this month when a UK assessment agency called the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) decided against integrating Spravato into the UK health system. NICE expressed concerns over Spravato’s efficacy for treating depression and its cost-effectiveness, claiming there isn’t enough evidence to approve the drug at this time.

The drug’s developer, Johnson and Johnson, may file for an appeal but would need to provide new evidence to support its case in order for Spravato to eventually be incorporated into the UK’s healthcare system.

New Investigation Finds Vaping Lung Injuries Started in 2007

New cases of vaping-associated pulmonary injury, or VAPI, have decreased dramatically this year compared to 2019, but a new investigation found that contrary to popular belief, these issues didn’t actually spring up overnight last year.

In fact, it turns out they actually date back all the way to 2007.

I was right about one thing over the course of the VAPI epidemic last year—these lung injuries can be caused by more than just vitamin E acetate. The investigation found that toxic pesticides, metals, solvents, oils, and heated byproducts also led to injuries.

However, a lot of people (myself included) were wrong about something else—VAPI isn’t exclusively related to THC after all. But that doesn’t change the fact that the vast majority of cases last year involved illicit THC vape cartridges, not nicotine e-cigarettes or weed vapes sold by legally regulated shops in states that have legalized cannabis. This investigation also found that unregulated cartridges containing nicotine, CBD, or other drugs like DMT or kratom can also cause lung injuries.

We need federal regulations for vaping products now more than ever, but it turns out that problems with vaping stretch back even further than some of us previously thought.

Washington DC Psychedelic Decriminalization Ballot Measure Advances

A measure to decriminalize psychedelics in Washington, D.C. advanced this month when the Board of Elections approved the initiative’s ballot language.

Similar to other cities that have decriminalized psychedelics within the last year, the D.C. measure would not change the laws that currently ban psychedelics. Instead, it would make enforcing those laws among the lowest priorities for law enforcement and request that the attorney general and federal prosecutor stop prosecuting people for these offenses.

Marijuana Reforms Advance in Several Places

Cannabis reform efforts made a ton of progress in February. When it comes to legalizing marijuana at the state level, New Hampshire and Vermont advanced legalization bills and Ohio filed a legalization measure for the November ballot.

Medical marijuana bills in Kentucky and Alabama moved forward and lawmakers in Virginia lawmakers approved a bill to decriminalize cannabis possession in the state.

Other countries are warming up to the idea of legalizing cannabis too, with Croatia, Luxembourg, and Israel thinking about relaxing their laws. We’re still waiting on Mexico to finalize its legalization framework though.

But not all reform efforts were successful—New Mexico, Mississippi, and Arizona ran into roadblocks that may prevent the states from moving forward with legalizing recreational or medical marijuana.

Denver Holds World’s First Psilocybin Policy Review Panel Meeting

The city that started the wave of psychedelic decriminalization in America held its first psilocybin mushroom policy review panel meeting to discuss how things have been going since the fungi were decriminalized last year.

Denver’s district attorney and a sheriff deputy met with Kevin Matthews, the man behind the decriminalization movement, in front of an audience of tie-dye wearing people who came out to watch. Sara Gael Giron, a harm reduction advocate from Boulder, also served on the panel.

By all accounts it seems like things are going well so far. The first task is to figure out reporting criteria for local law enforcement agencies regarding psilocybin mushrooms, which must be done by March 31. The panel will also be responsible for presenting a report to Denver City Council a year from now on the effects of decriminalization.

Who would’ve thought that decriminalizing one of the safest psychoactive substances around would have gone so smoothly? (Well… I did, as did most psychonauts, I’d imagine.)

Will Boulder Be the Next City to Decriminalize Psilocybin Mushrooms?

And Denver might not be the only city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms in Colorado. It looks like advocates in Boulder are pushing for it too.

However, this reform effort would go one step further by taking the Decriminalize Nature approach that Oakland and Santa Cruz employed to decriminalize multiple psychedelic plants and fungi all at once.

New Drug Testing Techniques Can Detect MDMA and Cocaine Use

Drug testing technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Scientists unveiled a technique that involves using speech pattern technology to detect whether you’re under the influence of MDMA. It may sound farfetched, but is it really that much crazier than using thermal cameras at raves to find people in the crowd who are high?

And a new fingerprint test is capable of determining the difference between someone who has actually taken cocaine vs. someone who has just touched it.

It’s amazing to see all the ingenuity that goes into drug testing tech, but I can’t help but feel like that energy could be better spent on more worthy endeavors.

Philly’s Supervised Injection Site Gets Final Approval From Federal Judge

Harm reductionists in Philadelphia have a lot to celebrate this month, as a long battle to open the nation’s first legal supervised injection site finally received approval from a federal judge. Safehouse was hoping to open its doors next week but after intense opposition announced it will hold more community meetings before proceeding.

Wearable Microdosing Technology Patented

In an unexpected turn of events, the patent for a new personalized perfume technology included a section on wearable microdoses that could be consumed via spraying a scent into the air from a device like a watch. The concept was based on Philip K Dick’s sci-fi book Ubik.

Will wearable microdoses ever make it to market? Will they even work? Does it even matter in the first place? I don’t know.

Case Report Covers Extreme LSD Overdoses

An astounding paper co-authored by Mark Haden, the executive director of MAPS Canada, looked at three case reports featuring extremely large doses of LSD. Unexpected health benefits came out of these psychedelic trips, including mental health improvements, pain reduction, and an easing of opioid withdrawal symptoms. One woman accidentally consumed 500ug (5 times more than a normal dose) during her first trimester of an unknown pregnancy and the baby turned out just fine.

But the case that takes the cake belongs to a woman who accidentally mistook LSD for cocaine and snorted a whopping 55mg of LSD. That’s 550 times more than a normal dose—a completely insane amount.

All of the subjects survived and experienced bizarre health benefits.

Man Regains Sense of Smell with Psilocybin

One of the stand-out stories from Thank You Plant Medicine Day involved a man who regained his sense of smell—lost after a severe car crash two years prior—following the use of psilocybin mushrooms.

These magical fungi must be effective at treating many more issues that we know of at this time, but as more people come out of the psychedelic closet and share their experiences with the world we will continue to learn of their true potential.

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 2.28.20

Cannabis

• Marijuana use is rising sharply among seniors over 65, study says, and there are serious risks (CNN)

• Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales Officially Passes Vermont House Of Representatives (Marijuana Moment)

• Mexican Senate Committees Meeting This Week To Finalize Marijuana Legalization Plan (Marijuana Moment)

• Luxembourg’s government reportedly weighs plan to legalize recreational marijuana (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Presidential Candidates Clash Over Marijuana Legalization At Democratic Debate (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis for pain: Does medicating with marijuana increase abuse risk? (Leafly)

• Israel's Prime Minister To Explore Marijuana Legalization (Reason)

• Moldy, Yeasty Legal Weed Products Prompt Health Advisory in Nevada (MERRY JANE)

• Elizabeth Warren Has A New Plan For Legalizing Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• Labor unions flex their muscle in fight with California cannabis industry (Los Angeles Times)

• Cannabis excellence: LSSU launches new chemistry facility (The Mining Journal)

• More Than 80% of Denver Teens Don’t Smoke Weed, New Study Says (MERRY JANE)

• Henderson marijuana dispensary hosts cannabis-based blood drive (KTNV)

• Ohio Marijuana Legalization Measure To Be Filed For November Ballot This Week (Marijuana Moment)

• Weed Is Better at Preventing Cavities Than Most Toothpaste Brands, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

• Mississippi Lawmakers Attempt To ‘Kill’ Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative With New Strategy (Marijuana Moment)

• Capitol Confidential: THC bill would kill Arizona’s medical marijuana system (Leafly)

LSD

• This Is What Happens When You Take 550 Doses of LSD At Once (VICE)

• Microdosed LSD: Finally A Breakthrough For Alzheimer’s Disease? (Forbes)

Magic Mushrooms

• Could CBD and Psilocybin Treat Brain Injuries? This University Plans to Find Out (MERRY JANE)

MDMA

• Israel Makes A Big Move Toward The Acceptance Of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy For PTSD (Forbes)

• Belgian woman dies after taking sip of MDMA-laced wine (The Guardian)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• The Unintended Consequences of Prohibitionist Policies - Mephedrone (Drug Science)

Ketamine

• Lawsuit: Ketamine clinic caused psychosis (Albuquerque Journal)

Opioids

• In 2019 speech, Bloomberg mocked Brooklyn father and son who died from heroin as ‘not a good family’ (NY Daily News)

• Inside the Middlesbrough clinic where heroin users get a 'last chance' (BBC)

• Teaching Children How to Reverse an Overdose (The New York Times)

• Mother of dead heroin addict to Chicago Police Department: ‘Enforce the law’ (Chicago Sun-Times)

• What happens when naloxone expires (KUSA)

• Enhancing Rates Of Opioid Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution In Emergency Departments (Health Affairs)

Cocaine

• The World's Biggest Legal Coca Industry Might Get Shut Down (VICE)

• Why the FDA Approval Process Is Under Scrutiny Following Approval of ‘Numbrino’, a Cocaine-Based Nasal Spray (Grit Daily)

• U.S. drug deaths dipped in 2018, but cocaine and meth overdoses rose (Science News)

Methamphetamine

• Meth Still a Missouri Problem, but Now It Comes From Mexico (The New York Times)

• DEA labels North Texas a 'meth hub' after spike in drug seizures (WFAA)

Nicotine

• Inside the Philip Morris campaign to 'normalize' a tobacco device (Reuters)

• New Juul patent application hints at AI-powered vape to help users quit nicotine (The Verge)

• House tobacco bill revives talk of nicotine limits (Politico)

• A New Bill Would Ban The Sale of All Flavored Nicotine Products (Colorado Public Radio)

• Governor Cuomo pushing ban of flavored nicotine vaping products, restricting ads aimed at youth (INFORMNNY)

Benzodiazepines

• Understanding the link between nicotine use and misuse of 'benzos' (EurekAlert!)

Alcohol

• 27,000 Mass. drunken-driving convictions may be tossed out due to faulty breathalyzer machines, lawyer says (The Boston Globe)

• Alcohol-Linked Deaths Soaring in U.S., Women Hit Hardest (U.S. News and World Report)

• Chicago Approves Earlier Start for Sunday Alcohol Sales (Eater)

GHB

• New report shows illicit drug GHB deaths could be prevented (Medical Xpress)

• Call for 'date rape' drug GHB to be reclassified (BBC)

Kratom

• Kratom at Risk in Colorado Without Legislation, Activists Say (Westword)

• Drug Tests Show Kratom Use Doubled in U.S. (Pain News Network)

Kava

• Utah's Attorney General hosts a kava ceremony in the Capitol (Fox 13 Now)

Miscellaneous

• Supervised-injection site in Philadelphia gets final green light from federal judge (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• South Philadelphia to become site of nation’s first supervised-injection facility next week, organizers say (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• DEA agent accused of conspiring with cartel (Associated Press)

• Europe’s psychedelic science renaissance has started (Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research)

• Beyond Mushrooms: The Mysterious, Magical World of African Plant Medicine (DoubleBlind)

• Should Breakthrough Psychedelic Research Make Us Question Our Assumptions About Mental Illness? (Psychedelics Today)

• End-to-end solution in psychedelic therapies establishes Numinus as leader in emerging space (Investing News)

• Scotland's drug death crisis in six charts (BBC)

• Psychedelics May Aid in Deprogramming Addiction (Psychedelic Science Review)

• They Fell In Love Helping Drug Users. But Fear Kept Him From Helping Himself (NPR)

• Podcast Host Joe Rogan Is Steadily Documenting A Psychedelic Record Of The 21st Century (Forbes)

• Vans Adds Psychedelic Tie-Dye To Their Iconic Checkerboard Print (Sneaker News)

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this week’s update, please consider helping out by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, or sharing this post with a friend. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" 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 Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychoactives - 2.21.20

Cannabis

• Leafly investigation: Vape lung injuries date back to 2007 (Leafly)

• New Hampshire House Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• New Study Claims Americans See Marijuana as the “Safest” Party Drug (EDMTunes)

• Mike Bloomberg Attacks Marijuana Legalization In Controversial Resurfaced Recording (Marijuana Moment)

• Everyone Scared of Legal Weed Was Freaking Out Over Nothing: Report (VICE)

• Kentucky House Approves Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado Marijuana Money Funds Cleaner Highways And Anti-Bullying Programs (Marijuana Moment)

• There's a New Synthetic Weed Drug Coming That's Basically Marinol Chewing Gum (MERRY JANE)

• Medical Marijuana Patients With ADHD Use Fewer Prescription Drugs, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Alabama Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

• New Utah marijuana bill clarifies that private employers don’t need to allow its use (Deseret News)

• NFL Would End Marijuana Suspensions In Deal Approved By Team Owners (Forbes)

• Marijuana May Have Caused 12-Hour Erection, Doctors Say (Marijuana Moment)

• Pregnant Women with Anxiety or Depression More Likely to Smoke Weed, Study Finds (MERRY JANE)

• Flying high: Are cannabis drone deliveries the future or merely fantasy? (Leafly)

• Mike Bloomberg Calls For Marijuana Decriminalization And Expungements In New Plan (Marijuana Moment)

• The cannabis industry's next big threat: Hacks and fraud (CNN)

• New Arizona Bill Attempting to Limit Medical Marijuana to 2% THC (Arizona Marijuana)

• Hemp Is For Horses? New Study Examines CBD’s Calming And Painkilling Effects In Animals (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

• Mushroom Advocates Eyeing Boulder As Next Decriminalization Target (Westword)

• Man Magically Regains His Sense of Smell Using Psilocybin Mushrooms (DoubleBlind)

• DC mom leads effort to decriminalize magic mushrooms after treating postpartum depression (WJLA)

• Can A Legal Magic Mushroom Industry Avoid the Pitfalls of Recreational Weed? (East Bay Express)

• Therapists Are Fighting for Psilocybin Mushroom Legalization in Canada (Euro Weekly News)

DMT

• DMT and the Psychedelic Underground in Mainland China—An Insider’s Story (Kahpi)

Ketamine

• Use of ketamine among partygoers could be underreported (UPI)

• Ketamine Could Be Useful Alternative for Pain Relief, Sedation in ICU (MD Magazine)

• Ketamine use can prevent postanesthetic shivering without severe side effects (Medical Dialogues)

Opioids

• Insurance companies can’t penalize people with prescriptions for life-saving opioid overdose medication, state says (The Denver Post)

• Opioid vending machine opens in Vancouver (The Guardian)

• Johns Hopkins Will Test Epidiolex to See If It Can Help with Opioid Withdrawal (MERRY JANE)

• Naloxone Administration to Be Used as “Probable Cause” for Drug Charges in Indiana (Filter)

• Progress Slows In Massachusetts: Death Rates Flat In Opioid Crisis (WBUR)

• Police Scotland officers set to trial drug overdose spray (BBC)

• U.S. states reject $18 billion proposal to settle opioid lawsuits, discussions ongoing: sources (Reuters)

Methamphetamine

• Meth is back and flooding the streets of Ohio and Kentucky, and it's uglier than ever (Cincinnati.com)

Caffeine

• From khat to coffee: revitalising an age-old Yemeni crop (The Guardian)

• How natural caffeine compares to synthetic caffeine, according to health experts (MSN)

Nicotine

• Journal Retracts Study That Falsely Associated E-Cigarettes With Heart Attacks (Filter)

• Could tobacco cure coronavirus? Don’t laugh. (Politico)

• The great vape debate: are e-cigarettes saving smokers or creating new addicts? (The Guardian)

• Study Researches Whether Nicotine Patch Can Help People With Memory Loss (NBC4 Washington)

• Governor Cuomo Launches Campaign to Ban Flavored Nicotine Vaping Products and Restrict Vaping Ads Aimed at Youth (NY.gov)

• Why One of the World’s Largest Tobacco Companies Is Struggling (The Wall Street Journal)

• Teen vaping is bad. Nicotine makes it worse, says researcher (Science)

• Foods That Flush Nicotine Out of Your Body (Thrive Global)

Alcohol

• Higher alcohol taxes to fund NHS would benefit poor – study (The Guardian)

• Beer goggles: the truth about alcohol and romantic judgment (The Guardian)

• A Utah bill could prevent offenders from buying alcohol at state stores (The Salt Lake Tribune)

GHB

• New report shows illicit drug GHB deaths could be prevented (UNSW Newsroom)

Kratom

• Missouri House passes bill requiring more kratom regulation (KSDK)

• Michigan debates future of kratom, an herbal remedy linked to 9 state deaths (Bridge Michigan)

• Oregon House Moves to Ban Underage Sales Of Kratom, A Botanical Used For Pain Or Fun (The Lund Report)

• Popular Kratom Vendor Shows How Kratom Is Manufactured (Benzinga)

• Reports of Kratom Causing Acne: Is That True? (Kratom Guides)

Miscellaneous

• Ballot Language Approved For Washington, D.C. Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

• A quarter of street drugs are fake and dangerous to users (The Guardian)

• Drug use will change significantly in the 2020s – here’s how (Dazed)

• #ThankYouPlantMedicine Creates Wave of Gratitude for Ayahuasca, LSD, and Mushrooms (The Third Wave)

• Business gets ready to trip: How psychedelic drugs may revolutionize mental health care (Fortune)

• Virtual Reality Can Replicate Mystical Psychedelic Experiences, Study Says (MERRY JANE)

• The influence of drugs on murder rates is being overstated (TalkingDrugs)

• Psychedelic drugs have lost their cool. Blame Gwyneth Paltrow and her Goop (The Guardian)

• Rampaging Vikings were fuelled by hallucinogenic herbal tea that made them feel less pain and become 'highly aggressive' say scientists (Daily Mail)

• First Psychedelics-Centered PR Agency Launches In Toronto (Benzinga)

• Psychedelics for systems change: could drugs help us save the planet? (openDemocracy)

• The Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group: driving reform in the UK (Health Europa)

• Study shows Dublin hospital has third highest number of drug-related medical emergencies (Irish Examiner)

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Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychoactives" 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 Psychedelic Astronaut.