This Month in Psychedelics - February 2022

A lot happened in the world of psychedelics in February. A southern U.S. state legalized medical marijuana, scientists created a new way to make 5-MeO-DMT, a follow-up study found psilocybin therapy was an effective treatment for major depression for one year, zebrafish microdosed LSD, and the NFL invested $1 million into cannabinoids.

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Policy

Wins

Southern states have been among the last to warm up to cannabis policy reforms, but Mississippi legalized medical marijuana for people with qualifying debilitating conditions like cancer or sickle cell disease. The law went into effect but it may still be several months before dispensaries will open.

Future

Following last month’s news about the DEA trying to criminalize five more psychedelics, a judge granted a hearing for opposition to the proposal. It will take place in May.

Industry

The recent explosion of interest surrounding 5-MeO-DMT has put a strain on the population of Sonoran Desert toads, which has been under threat of being wiped out because of their highly sought-after psychedelic venom. However, scientists may have found a solution to help conserve the species—a new way to farm 5-MeO-DMT that doesn’t involve milking toads. To make matters even better, the company behind this discovery plans to operate in the spirit of open science by supplying other companies with free samples of the substance as long as they make a commitment to open science.

Sustainable iboga is hard to find in the West, but Gabon has taken the first step toward setting up a legal distribution channel for the plant. In this model, participating villages will work alongside Gabon’s Ministry of Forests, a North American iboga therapy center operator, and the NGO Blessings of the Forest.

Money changed hands from the profit sector to a non-profit company this month as MAPS became the beneficiary of a handsome $500k donation from atai Life Sciences’ philanthropy arm, atai Impact.

Research

Published Studies

Ravers and festival-goers often refer to experiencing the dreaded “comedown” after taking MDMA, but a new study indicated that the drug itself doesn’t actually cause comedowns. Instead, factors such as the unknown purity of illicit substances, lack of rest, and becoming dehydrated can contribute to whether they occur or not.

The jury’s still out when it comes to whether microdosing is effective or just a placebo, but another trial found no evidence that microdosing LSD does anything. However, a different study found that giving microdoses of LSD to zebrafish may indicate its potential benefits for humans. As always, we need more research. But especially in the case of microdosing.

New research trials looking at using psychedelics to treat depression reported positive results. One follow-up study found that psilocybin therapy relieved major depressive disorder symptoms for up to one year in most patients. Two studies found that ketamine is capable of alleviating depression and quieting suicidal thoughts. And the first-ever clinical trial of DMT for major depressive disorder showed promise.

Cannabis is often blamed for causing people to become lazy and sit around on the couch wasting the day away. But over the last few years, many studies have found the exact opposite. Another one was added to the pile this month, as it found that consuming cannabis does not result in “amotivational syndrome.”

Future Studies

Concussions have been a big topic in the sports world for the last few years. A lot of effort is going into researching what can be done to recover from head injuries, and the NFL made big moves by investing $1 million into cannabinoid research. Two medical teams will investigate how cannabinoids affect pain management and neuroprotection.

Miscellaneous

You may recall that last year a U.S. sprinter named Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from competing in the 2021 Summer Olympics due to a positive cannabis test. That was bad enough on its own, but this month Richardson suggested there may be a racist double standard at play after the Olympics allowed a Russian skater to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics even after failing a drug test—for a performance enhancing drug, no less! There are some differences between the two cases, but it does seem a bit questionable, to say the least.

And last up for this recap is a reminder that although psychedelics have the potential of uncovering the truth sometimes, the insights that they give you aren’t always true. It’s tempting to fall into the mental trap of believing that everything you experience while tripping is correct, but if you or someone you know has been feeling that way lately then be sure to check out the linked article above.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

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.

This Month in Psychedelics - January 2022

There’s a lot to catch up on since last month. For starters, Canadians can now request access to psychedelics, a country became the first in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, a study found that hemp may protect against COVID-19, and a U.S. politician smoked a blunt in a campaign ad.

Just like last month’s recap, there is no video recap of this month’s psychedelic news recap up on YouTube. I’ll have another update about some changes coming to my YouTube channel that should hopefully be out later this week on my channel, so make sure you subscribe there if you’d like to be informed about things on that front.

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Policy

Wins

Kicking off the new year on a positive note, Health Canada granted the ability for patients to request special access to illegal psychedelic substances for therapeutic purposes. Each request will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and the treatment option will be reserved for serious treatment-resistant and life-threatening conditions only.

Thailand made history by becoming the first Asian country to decriminalize cannabis. The country’s Narcotics Control Board has already approved the removal of the drug from the ministry’s list of controlled substances and the delisting will go into effect 120 days after being formally signed by the health minister.

Future

A global coalition announced its campaign to internationally reschedule psilocybin mushrooms. The International Therapeutic Psilocybin Rescheduling Initiative is working toward a worldwide policy change that would enable new research into their therapeutic potential.

In a surprising move, the mayor of London appears to be pushing for decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis by 18 to 24 year-olds. This pilot trial is still in its early stages but it may signal a potential for some progressive drug policy reform to start coming out of England.

There were several huge victories in the drug policy reform movement last year, and there’s no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, there are already more than two dozen states that might relax their laws involving cannabis and psychedelics in 2022. With any luck, this might be the biggest year for drug policy reform we’ve seen yet.

But not everything is going in the right direction. Last week the DEA proposed adding five more psychedelics to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The substances are: 4-OH-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET, and DiPT. If this push goes through then they will be subject to the same laws that restrict the possession, distribution, import, export, manufacturing, and research of psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA.

Industry

While many psychedelic companies are trying to patent as much intellectual property as they can, the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) published a study featuring an open science approach to synthesizing MDMA. Combined with Usona Institute’s recipe for manufacturing psilocybin that was published in 2020, open science like this will greatly benefit the overall psychedelic industry.

Although many people swear by the amazing transformational experiences they’ve had with classical psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, psychedelic companies are attempting to develop a wide range of novel psychoactive substances. This is similar to the work Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin did in the 20th century. However, the difference is that Sasha wasn’t attempting to corner the market on the psychedelic substances with the greatest potential return on investment.

Research

Published Studies

A study showing that hemp compounds may have the potential of blocking COVID-19 from entering human cells went viral this month. But before you run out to your nearest dispensary (or dealer) for some flower to cram in your vape, you should know that 1) This research was not conducted directly on humans, and 2) The results were not related to smoking, vaping, or eating weed. Instead, the study found that two specific cannabinoids (CBDA and CBGA) inhibited the reproduction and spread of coronavirus during in vitro lab tests.

A clinical trial testing the use of ketamine therapy to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) reported positive results. The study found that the treatment—which also featured an AUD-specific form of mindfulness practice—led to a 90% abstinence rate for patients for six months. In addition, the risk of deaths was also reduced by ten times.

The field of microdosing research is still in its earliest stages, and the verdict is still out as to whether it’s actually effective or not. However, another study has found that there may be no difference between microdosing and placebo. More than 50 subjects participated in a double-blind trial exploring whether microdosing psilocybin could lead to improvements in emotional and mental health. There were not any significant differences between the periods when the participants were microdosing and the times they were taking a placebo.

Future Studies

With the opioid crisis getting worse every year and the rate of overdose deaths rising faster than ever before, the U.S. federal government is starting to consider its options for addressing these issues. One future study to keep your eyes on will take a look at using a non-hallucinogenic version of ibogaine for addiction treatment, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse is partnering up with neuroscience startup Delix Therapeutics to conduct the study.

Harm Reduction

Drug checking organizations in New Zealand have detected a dramatic decrease in the amount of eutylone (commonly referred to as “bath salts”) being sold as “MDMA” in the country. The reason for this drop in tainted drugs most likely has to do with the fact that New Zealand embraced the concept of drug checking after legalizing the practice in November.

Miscellaneous

A candidate running for U.S. Senate made a ton of waves when he smoked a blunt in a new campaign ad. Democrat Gary Chambers, who is hoping to be Louisiana’s newest senator, spends the ad’s 37 seconds (which is the amount of time in between each cannabis-related arrest in America) talking about the harms of criminalization. It’s really a must-watch.

Rounding this month’s recap out is a history lesson. New archaeological evidence from Peru indicated that elite members of the Wari Empire consumed hallucinogenic beer-like beverages to power and maintain political control. Similar to the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries, we don’t know everything about what occurred at these parties, but one thing’s for sure—the Waris knew how to throw down!

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

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.

This Month in Psychedelics - December 2021

Happy Holidaze and Happy New Year! Due to an extra busy holiday season on my end, this month’s recap is a bit less detailed than normal and there isn’t a video version up on YouTube. However, I wanted to share December’s biggest highlights so you can get an idea of what happened in the world of psychedelics during the last month of 2021.

Followup

There’s some followup on last month’s story about fentanyl-tainted cannabis. Following the report that the first real case of it was found in Connecticut, a high school in Tennessee was thought to have fentanyl-laced vape pens circulating amongst its teenage students. However, perhaps we should be skeptical. After all, this may be a case of fentanyl panic rather than an actuality. The latest reports have shown that there wasn’t any fentanyl detected in cannabis in Vermont and Massachusetts. And the case in Connecticut is still under development.

Policy

Wins

There were two major drug policy wins this month. Port Townsend, Washington became the 13th city to decriminalize psychedelics and Malta became the first European country to legalize cannabis.

Losses

Not everything was successful though. An attempt to allow therapeutic use of psychedelics in Australia was rejected. The reasoning behind the denial was a lack of sufficient evidence, according to the country’s medical regulator.

Industry

A non-profit known as Freedom to Operate submitted a new legal filing that argues against Compass Pathways’ patent on its form of synthetic psilocybin based on the idea that it is not a novel invention. The results from this case will set a precedent for not just Compass Pathways but other psychedelic companies as well.

Research

Published Studies

Two studies were published this month worth mentioning. The first found that SSRIs can be used safely with psilocybin to treat depression and the second showed that people who use psychedelics were under less stress during Covid-19.

Future Studies

The FDA authorized a Phase 2 clinical trial to treat frontline clinicians dealing with Covid-related distress with psilocybin. The study will aim to assuage depression, anxiety, burnout and post-traumatic stress among doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals.

Research Centers

A new Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy is launching at the University of Texas at Austin. The center will look at working with psychedelics in a clinical environment in the treatment of mental illness.

Miscellaneous

And last but not least, I’d like to encourage you one last time to take this year’s Global Drug Survey. Today’s the last day you can submit an entry and responses will help researchers better understand how and why people use drugs.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

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.

This Month in Psychedelics - November 2021

A lot happened this month, including another U.S. city that decriminalized psychedelics, mixed results from the largest psilocybin therapy trial to date, the first real case of fentanyl-tainted cannabis in the U.S., and much more.

Here’s a video version of this month’s recap if you’d prefer to watch the update instead:

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Policy

Wins

Voters in Detroit passed a proposal to decriminalize the personal possession and therapeutic use of psychedelic plants and fungi, making them the lowest law enforcement priority in the city. Meanwhile, voters in seven Ohio cities approved ballot measures to decriminalize cannabis.

Losses

South Dakota’s Supreme Court killed a cannabis legalization bill and Mississippi’s governor stopped an attempt to legalize medical marijuana in the state.

Future

Germany’s new government has signaled that it plans to legalize cannabis in the country and U.S. Republicans are making moves to decriminalize the plant at the federal level.

At the state level, a Florida lawmaker filed a bill that would decriminalize all drugs and a new proposal to study magic mushrooms would make Pennsylvania a leader in psychedelic research.

Industry

COMPASS Pathways was granted its fifth U.S. patent for its methods of treating treatment-resistant depression with crystalline psilocybin. This is the company’s 10th patent overall, with five in the United States, two in the United Kingdom, and two in Hong Kong.

Research

Published Studies

The results from the largest psilocybin therapy trial to date are in, and they are mixed. While the study found that the treatment may be effective at treating depression, concerns over adverse effects that some participants experienced have called psilocybin therapy for the treatment of depression into question.

Harm Reduction

New Zealand became the first country to permanently legalize drug checking by passing a bill to allow a pilot program offering the harm reduction service at festivals to continue and expand its operations. The new law will go into effect on December 6th.

Miscellaneous

After years of baseless scare stories involving fentanyl-tainted cannabis in the U.S., the first actual case was discovered in Connecticut this month. Although this does appear to be a real confirmation of contaminated cannabis, experts do not believe it reflects a wider trend.

And wrapping up this month’s top stories is my annual recommendation to fill out the 2022 Global Drug Survey. This is the world’s largest drug survey and responses will help researchers better understand how and why people use drugs.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

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.

This Month in Psychedelics - October 2021

A lot happened this month, including three more U.S. cities that decriminalized psychedelics, two European countries that are slated to legalize cannabis soon, the truth about official warnings involving laced Halloween candy, results from the latest psychedelic research studies, and some examples of why psychedelic drug policy reform future is here—it’s just not very evenly distributed yet.

Here’s a video version of this month’s recap if you’d prefer to watch the update instead:

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Policy

Wins

Three U.S. cities decriminalized psychedelics in October. Now Seattle, WA, Arcata, CA, and Easthampton, MA have joined the growing ranks of municipalities choosing to put an end to criminalizing the possession, use, and cultivation of psychedelics.

Across the pond, Luxembourg is expected to become the first country in Europe to legalize cannabis, with Switzerland following close behind.

Future

Looking to the future, voters in the U.S. will have the opportunity to weigh in on several cannabis and psychedelic ballot measures next week, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering relaxing restrictions involving psilocybin, Denver is thinking about expanding its psilocybin decriminalization experiment, and Mexico may finally legalize cannabis within the next few weeks.

Industry

The psychedelic industry is still quite young, but it may have the potential to completely change our conception of work forever. All kinds of new jobs in the field are opening up, and ethical concepts like privacy, indigenous reciprocity, and professionalism are still being sorted out. But one thing’s for sure—psychedelics are here to stay.

One intriguing aspect of the growing psychedelic industry is the emergence of ketamine clinics popping up all over the place. They are innovative and may serve as a helpful blueprint for other legal psychedelic therapies.

Research

Published Studies

Several studies were published this month, but two stood out from the rest of the pack. The first study took a look at people who have used psychedelics and found that those who tried the drugs even just once tend to have a lower incidence of both heart disease and diabetes.

The second study found that small group psilocybin therapy for cancer patients achieved remission of major depression symptoms for 50% of participants, demonstrating not only the possibility of treating mental health disorders but also the feasibility of administering psilocybin in groups rather than sticking to the more common individual-based therapy option.

Future Studies

With a surprising 180-degree turn-around, the DEA has proposed a dramatic increase in the production of cannabis and psychedelics for research in 2022. This would enable more psychedelic research to be conducted and it’s a refreshing signal from the federal law enforcement agency that has traditionally stood in the way of such research in the past.

MindMed announced a forthcoming study that will look at treating social anxiety associated with autism spectrum disorder with R(-)-MDMA.

Research Centers

And Toronto’s University Health Network is opening Canada’s first psychedelic therapy research center for mental health with the help of a $5 million donation made by tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Sanjay Singhal.

Harm Reduction

As usual, scare stories about unknowingly dosing children with laced Halloween treats have been making the rounds again this year. State officials sounded the alarm about psychoactive candy and snacks but research has shown that there still haven’t been any incidents of children being killed or seriously injured by contaminated Halloween treats.

If you take the time to think it through, drug dealers and users alike are just not going to waste their money or substances to unknowingly dose children. It doesn’t make any sense, yet officials use this time of year to warn parents about a seriously-unlikely danger anyway.

Miscellaneous

Next is a reminder that although many places around the world are relaxing their attitudes toward drug policy, some countries are still heavily punishing people for possessing, using, or distributing drugs. Two examples of this came up this month, including a man who will be hanged in Singapore for importing roughly two pounds of cannabis and a British man was given a 25-year prison sentence in Dubai after being caught with four bottles of CBD vape oil. Those of us who live in less punitive locations ought to remind ourselves that we are fortunate to not face these extreme punishments and we should continue fighting for the reform of drug policies around the world.

If you or someone you know often throws up when coming up on MDMA, that may be due to intense euphoria rather than a sign of toxicity. Since the drug causes serotonin production in the brain to increase, and serotonin stimulates the part of the brain that controls nausea, a sudden flood of the neurotransmitter could be responsible for the occasional up-chuck that some people experience during the first portion of a roll.

And wrapping up this month’s recap is a story about the world’s largest collection of LSD art. If you’re a fan of blotter art then it’s definitely worth checking out!

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

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.