We’ve reached the third month of the COVID-19 lockdown in America and the pandemic is still showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Some brave—or perhaps foolish—states have started to reopen, but it’ll be a couple weeks before we know how that process turns out.
Meanwhile, there has been a ton of movement in the psychedelic community, as per usual. The pandemic is still affecting things but there has been a lot of non-COVID news too, including a positive update on MAPS’ Phase 3 Trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD, the release of a new psychedelic documentary to the masses, novel psychedelic research findings, and an ethical pledge for the psychedelic industry.
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 jump into the news:
Cannabis and Ketamine for Coronavirus?
Scientists all around the world have been working day and night trying to discover a cure for COVID-19. The importance of finding a way to help patients is prompting them to look just about everywhere, even at controversial drugs.
A new preprint study found that cannabis extracts may be able to prevent the novel coronavirus from infecting human cells. The researchers found that using cannabis oils containing CBD and THC may be capable of lowering human cell production of two key proteins that act as a vector for the virus to enter the body and cause infection.
And another study (which hasn’t been conducted yet) is hoping to see if either ketamine or naltrexone could be an effective treatment for COVID-19. The hypothesis is that the two drugs might be able to interrupt the immune system response that can occur with some patients with the virus. Scientists are hoping that by reducing the hyperinflammatory autoimmune response, ketamine and naltrexone may be able to prevent the destruction of normal tissues that can result in death.
MAPS Phase 3 Trials Are Looking Good
The Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies announced the outcome from an interim analysis of the data from the first of its two Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.
The results from the first 60 out of 100 participants found that there is a 90% or greater probability that the trial will detect statistically significant results when all participants have completed treatment, and that the trial won’t require any additional participants beyond the initial 100.
But before you go run and tell your friends that ecstasy is capable of curing PTSD in 90% of people, you should know that that’s not exactly the case here.
The report simply indicates that the MAPS Phase 3 trials have a 90% chance of uncovering statistical significant findings when they are complete, which means that the FDA could still approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD as early as 2022.
DMT Makes You Believe in God
New research adds support to the idea that psychedelics may have the potential to open people up to spirituality. A study from Johns Hopkins University found that more than half of people who use DMT report encountering autonomous entities during their trips and more than half of those who previously identified as atheist before the experience no longer hold that belief.
The online survey asked more than 2500 respondents a series of questions to learn more about what happens when people come across entities in the DMT space. The range of entities that one can encounter after taking a few puffs off a DMT pipe included aliens, spirits, angels, demons, gnomes and fairies. More than 80 percent of the respondents reported that encountering entities during a trip permanently altered their concept of reality.
So before you take the ultimate plunge into entheospace with dimethyltryptamine, just know that it might completely alter the way that you view things forever.
Have a Good Trip Documentary Is Out On Netflix
If you’ve ever wanted to see a movie full of celebrities talking about their psychedelic experiences, then look no further because a new documentary called Have A Good Trip came out this month on Netflix that features exactly that.
The film features an impressive cast of actors, comedians, and musicians including Sting, Anthony Bourdain, Ben Stiller, Carrie Fisher, Nick Offerman, Bill Kreutzmann, and Sarah Silverman, in addition to many more.
Have A Good Trip has been somewhat controversial in the psychedelic community. Similar to Michael Pollan’s 2018 book How to Change Your Mind or the first episode from The Goop Lab Netflix series that came out earlier this year, the film is aimed more toward a mainstream audience than experienced psychonauts. But if you can get past some of the more overtly lame aspects of Have A Good Trip, you might find some things that you enjoy. If you decide to check it out, have a good trip!
Coronavirus Ravages Ayahuasca Capital
The ayahuasca capital of the world (Iquitos, Peru) has been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iquitos is the largest city in the world that can only be reached by plane or boat, and right before COVID-19 showed up the population was already dealing with a nasty dengue fever outbreak. To top it all off, hospitals are relying on intermittent air deliveries of essential supplies of medicine, personal protective equipment, and oxygen.
If you’d like to help, there are some institutions accepting donations and a petition that you can sign that is aiming to get funds and resources distributed evenly throughout the country.
Researchers Accidentally Get High from Inhaling Too Much Nitrous Oxide-Rich Penguin Poop
When you think of getting high you probably don’t think of inhaling penguin poop, but scientists in Antartica found out—completely unintentionally—that it’s possible to experience psychoactive effects from doing just that.
The researchers went a little crazy after spending time surrounded on all sides by the animals’ colonies. That’s because penguin guano produces significantly high levels of nitrous oxide.
However this wasn’t a fun experience—the scientists began to feel ill and get a headache after breathing in guano for several hours at a time. So you probably shouldn’t rush off to buy a penguin to harvest its poop or order some primo guano from the Dark Web to scratch your itch for nitrous oxide. After all, you can probably find some at a store in your own city instead.
An Ethical Pledge for Psychedelic Businesses
An organization that goes by the name North Star shared an ethical pledge for psychedelic businesses that is meant to help guide the emerging psychedelic industry.
The pledge describes itself as “a commitment to a set of principles for individuals working professionally in the field of psychedelics”, and it’s currently comprised of seven principles:
Start Within
Study the Traditions
Build Trust
Consider the Gravity
Focus on Process
Create Equality and Justice
Pay It Forward.
Now those of us working in the psychedelic space have a set of guidelines that can help us make decisions that will bring benefit to the overall field.
Global Drug Survey: Special COVID-19 Edition
The Global Drug Survey is the largest survey in the world focusing on drug use. It normally only accepts responses at the end of each year, but the global pandemic inspired a special COVID-19 edition to open up.
If you would like to help the world’s largest drug survey learn how the pandemic is affecting people’s lives, relationships, mental health, well being, and drug use, then make sure you submit a response before the survey closes mid-June.
New York Bill to Decriminalize Psilocybin
A New York assemblywoman has introduced a measure to decriminalize psilocybin. Sponsored by Linda Rosenthal, who has historically proven to be pro-cannabis, this bill is one of the first of its kind because it was introduced from within the state’s legislature as opposed to coming from an activist group like Decriminalize Nature.
However, the measure has raised questions among activists because it appears to be aimed more at paving the way for pharmaceutical psychedelic industry rather than giving psychonauts a license to use psilocybin mushrooms recreationally or spiritually. That’s because instead of including provisions for amounts, cultivation, or distribution, the bill would simply remove psilocybin from the New York State Controlled Substances Act. In fact, it doesn’t mention mushrooms at all, instead focusing solely on the active ingredient psilocybin, which is far more likely to be created in a pharmaceutical laboratory than grown at home.
This is definitely a bill that we (as a community) need to keep our eyes on.
Joe Biden Is Pushing Marijuana decriminalization
Former Vice President and presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has a long history as one of America’s most adamant drug warriors but is looks like he is beginning to soften his stance on cannabis.
Biden released a new plan that would decriminalize the use of cannabis and expunge prior cannabis convictions as part of his “Plan for Black America”. He has also advocated for ending the crack vs. cocaine sentencing disparity (which he played a key role in creating in the first place), repealing mandatory minimums, and sending people with minor drug convictions to treatment instead of prison.
The question on the minds of many drug policy reformers is: “Is this enough to convince people who were harmed by Biden’s actions in the past to vote for him now?” We’ll have to wait until November to find out (assuming the pandemic has calmed down enough by then that we’ll even be able to vote).
Virginia Finally Decriminalizes Marijuana
The long fight to decriminalize cannabis in Virginia is finally over now that Governor Ralph Northam has signed two identical bills into law. The law will go into effect on July 1, and starting on that date, people who possess up to one ounce of marijuana will merely receive a $25 fine with no jail time or criminal record. It’s a small step forward, but it’s a step in the right direction nonetheless.
Cannabis Pre-Employment Testing Is Ending
Along with the relaxation of cannabis policies at both the state and federal level, many municipalities have begun to put an end to testing their public employees for cannabis use as well. As states continue to reform cannabis policies and the chance of decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana at the federal level becomes more of a reality than a pipe dream, we can probably expect to see more municipal offices loosening up when it comes to allowing their employees to use cannabis. As long as employees spark up off the clock, of course.
Could Psilocybin Help People Lose Weight?
A company looking to develop psilocybin microdoses to help people lose weight has filed for a patent that would allow the chemical to be used as a weight loss supplement. NeonMind Biosciences thinks that psilocybin might be able to reduce food cravings, put a stop to impulsive eating, and increase metabolism—all things that could help people struggling with their weight and enable the company to treat obesity-related diseases like diabetes.
However it is important to bear in mind that this is just a patent and it doesn’t prove that psilocybin is capable of addressing excessive weight gain. We will need to wait for more scientific research to be conducted in this area before we can say for sure.
A Florida Ayahuasca Church Is Suing the DEA
An ayahuasca church in Florida has filed a lawsuit with the DEA in an attempt to receive a religious exemption from the Controlled Substances Act. The group claims that the government’s legal restrictions when it comes to using ayahuasca in their ceremonies is an affront to their right to free speech that is granted by the First Amendment.
Soul Quest is a non-profit organization that has specialized in offering ayahuasca ceremonies to military veterans in a country where the DMT-containing brew is illegal. The group first filed a petition asking the DEA to provide an exemption three years ago but the agency did not respond. It’s safe to say that this lawsuit will prompt a reaction though!
Medical Psilocybin and Drug Decriminalization Campaigns Submit Signatures
Voters in Oregon will have two opportunities to show their support for drug policy reform efforts in the state later this year. After joining forces to fight for the reformation of outdated drug policies together, the campaigns to decriminalize drug possession and legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic use submitted signatures to make it on the ballot in November.
The signatures still need to be verified by the secretary of state’s office, but the activists behind the efforts are planning to continue collecting additional signatures until the July deadline so that the campaigns can ensure that they collect more than enough valid signatures.
Psychedelics May Relieve Chronic Pain
Rounding out this month’s recap is a story about a new review of the scientific literature published in the journal Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine that found that psychedelics may have the potential to relieve chronic pain.
The researchers reviewed previous studies that tested psilocybin, LSD, and the LSD analog 2-bromolysergic acid diethylamide (BOL-148) to treat conditions like cluster headaches, migraines, cancer pain, and phantom limb pain.
This is still a new area of research and to date none of the 200+ studies that were included in the review studied the efficacy of treating chronic pain with psychedelics. Future studies will need to be conducted in order to identify the mechanisms involved and figure out what effective doses of psychedelics that will reliably provide pain relief.
This discovery just adds on to the ever-growing pile of uses for psychedelics. It’s enough to make psychonauts wonder if there is anything that psychedelics can’t do?
That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.
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