optimi health

Weekly Psychedelic Links - September 2022

9.2.22

Cannabis

  • Oklahoma Supreme Court Gives Marijuana Activists Temporary Win As They Fight For Legalization Ballot Placement (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pharmaceutical Industry Suffers Billions In Losses After States Legalize Marijuana, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Harvard Grad Student Dies in Bali From Police Brutality Over Cannabis Arrest (High Times)

  • Poll: South Dakota Legalization Initiative in Danger of Failing (High Times)

  • More Americans Now Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes, For The First Time Ever, Gallup Reports (Marijuana Moment)

  • Largest ever independent study into cannabis use (BBC)

  • Cannabis researchers say it’s high time to drop ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype (The Guardian)

  • Pennsylvania: Governor Launches Effort to Issue Mass Pardons to Those with Low-Level Marijuana Convictions (NORML)

  • Ghana's Legal Cannabis Hits a Constitutional Roadblock (TalkingDrugs)

  • Joseph Schooling: Singapore Olympic star suspended for taking cannabis in Vietnam (BBC)

  • Cannabis industry inches toward sustainability (Chemical and Engineering News)

  • New Study Shows Evidence That Low-Dose THC Could Help Treat Veteran PTSD (High Times)

  • U.S. Air Force And Space Force Reviewing ‘Common Sense’ Marijuana Drug Testing Policy Change For Recruits (Marijuana Moment)

  • Qualitative Study Reveals Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Medical Pot (High Times)

LSD

  • LSD decreases binge-like drinking in a rodent model of alcoholism, but only temporarily (PsyPost)

  • Is the Color of LSD an Indicator of Purity? (Lucid News)

MDMA

  • Boy, 16, dies in suspected ecstasy-related incident at Leeds Festival (The Independent)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Nitrous Oxide

  • Why Some New York Stores Will Require You to Show ID to Buy Whipped Cream (Newsweek)

  • Doctors warn of rise in nerve damage linked to nitrous oxide (The Guardian)

Ketamine

  • This New, Legal Cannabis and Ketamine Therapy is Designed to Heal Trauma in the Body (DoubleBlind)

  • They’re Pushing Cut-Rate Ketamine Therapy on TikTok (Rolling Stone)

  • Yukon woman paid $7K for private ketamine treatment, only to learn that the Yukon gov't covers it (CBC)

Miscellaneous

  • An Inside Look at the Lawsuit that could “Legalize Psychedelics in Canada” (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • MindMed Completes 1-for-15 Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Student Loan Forgiveness Limited By the War on Drugs (High Times)

  • Aspen, Colorado Activists Pursue Psychedelics Decriminalization For 2023 Ballot As Voters Prepare To Decide On Statewide 2022 Legalization Measure (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic Advocate Facing Charges Calls for Help, Law Reform in New York (High Times)

  • Is the Psychedelic Therapy Bubble About to Burst? (WIRED)

  • In the Wake of Decrim, Police Continue to Target Psychedelics (Lucid News)

  • How Psychedelics Might Fuel a Paradigm Shift (DoubleBlind)

9.9.22

Cannabis

  • California: Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Doctors from Discriminating Against Medical Cannabis Patients (NORML)

  • Nobody knows how widespread illegal cannabis grows are in California. So we mapped them (Los Angeles Times)

  • UK Government Blocks Bermuda From Legalizing Marijuana On Same Day New Prime Minister Takes Office (Marijuana Moment)

  • Afroman’s Ohio Residence Raided by Local Law Enforcement (High Times)

  • Minnesota Arrests Black People For Marijuana At Much Higher Rates Than White People, State Data Shows (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Cannabis Banking Legislation (High Times)

  • Companies Turn to THC Beverages as Next Growing Legal Cannabis Market (High Times)

LSD

  • LSD-assisted therapy induces rapid and lasting reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms, according to new research (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Placebo-controlled study suggests that the benefits of psilocybin microdosing can be explained by expectancy effects (PsyPost)

  • Psilocybin Study To Investigate the Serotonin System in Autism (Technology Networks)

  • Optimi Health Completes Largest Legal Natural Psilocybin Harvest in Canadian History (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • 'Flesh of the Gods': The Trippy History of Magic Mushrooms (VICE)

MDMA

Ayahuasca

  • Why Are Scientists Dosing Fish with Ayahuasca? (DoubleBlind)

5-MeO-DMT

  • As Use Of The World’s Most Potent Psychedelic Skyrockets, New Site F.I.V.E. Fills An Education Void (Forbes)

Peyote

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Nitrous Oxide

  • Laughing gas: 'A 20-second high is not worth losing your life over' (BBC)

Ketamine

  • Scientists Discover That a Surprising Factor Improved The Effects of Ketamine in Mice (ScienceAlert)

  • Low-dose ketamine is safe and effective to treat children with ADNP syndrome, study suggests (News-Medical.net)

Miscellaneous

  • San Francisco decriminalizes psychedelics (Leafly)

  • Drug Executions in Iran Are Back on the Rise (TalkingDrugs)

  • This Psychedelic Company is Leading the Way on Reciprocity and Holistic Approaches to Healing (DoubleBlind)

  • WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-women speakers (Leafly)

9.16.22

Cannabis

  • Killings, robberies, extortion. California can’t stop its booming illegal cannabis stores (Los Angeles Times)

  • New Zealand Approves Domestic Medical Cannabis Products (High Times)

  • World Anti-Doping Agency Set To Keep Marijuana On Banned Substance List, Saying U.S. Didn’t Back Its Removal (Marijuana Moment)

  • Biden To Meet With Family of Brittney Griner (High Times)

  • Study: CBD Oil Safe, Effective for Autism Patients (High Times)

  • Missouri judge blocks attempt to kick legalization off ballot (Leafly)

  • GOP Missouri Lawmaker Files Revised Marijuana Legalization Bill, Urging Special Session Action To Compete With Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

  • Pregnant Women in Alabama Are Being Jailed For Smoking Pot (High Times)

  • Oklahoma Prosecutors Are Targeting Pregnant Women For Using Medical Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

  • Thai Lawmakers Withdraw Bill to Regulate Cannabis (High Times)

  • New Jersey Employers Can’t Punish Workers Based On A Marijuana Test Alone, State Officials Say (Marijuana Moment)

  • Nevada Judge Orders State Board to Remove Cannabis from Schedule 1 (High Times)

  • Analysis: Legal Cannabis Businesses Associated with Increased Home Values (NORML)

  • Weed Legalization in Germany Hampered by EU Laws (High Times)

  • What’s Next For Cannabis Mergers And Acquisitions? (Forbes)

  • Oregon Officials to Deploy Decoys to Catch Underage Weed, Alcohol Sales (High Times)

  • Small Marijuana Growers Could Sell Directly To Consumers Across State Lines Under New Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • Republican Congressmen Push for Environmental Impact Study on Cannabis (High Times)

  • US Court of Appeals: Federal Scheduling of Cannabis “Irrational,” But Not Unconstitutional (NORML)

  • In Hawaii, People Prefer Black Market Cannabis to State-Managed Facilities (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Scientists have started to examine whether “magic” mushrooms can help in the fight against obesity (PsyPost)

  • Oregon Overcomes Bureaucratic Delays to Therapist Training Program Approvals (Lucid News)

  • The shroom edibles market proliferates underground (Leafly)

  • Revive Therapeutics Provides Update on the Psilocybin Clinical Study for Methamphetamine Use Disorder and Oral Psilocybin Thin Film Strip Program (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Receives Approval for Groundbreaking Phase 1 DMT Human Stroke Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

  • Comedian Ron White Shares How Tripping On Ayahuasca In Costa Rica Turned His Life Around (BroBible)

5-MeO-DMT

  • ‘I’m not a shaman – I just want to help people’: shoe designer Patrick Cox on his psychedelic toad awakening (The Guardian)

Peyote

  • Native American Church of North America Advocates at Capitol Hill for Protections of Peyote (Native News Online)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Mindset Pharma Receives Scientific Advice from UK Regulator Facilitating Advancement of Phase 1 First-In-Human Clinical Trial Plan for Its Lead Clinical Candidate, MSP-1014 (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ketamine

  • New study highlights ketamine’s promise for treatment-resistant depression (Popular Science)

  • Dealers Are Giving Discounts on Cocaine and Ketamine in Honour of the Queen (VICE)

  • Study Explores Effects of Experimenter Sex on Ketamine Response (Psychiatric Times)

PCP

  • PCP (aka Angel Dust) May Actually Have Therapeutic Potential (DoubleBlind)

Datura

Miscellaneous

  • Atlanta is considering the decriminalization of magic mushrooms and other psychedelics (Leafly)

  • Sexual Abuse in Psychedelic Therapy: Important Steps Being Taken to Support Survivors (DoubleBlind)

  • Oregon Voters Continue To Support Drug Decriminalization Law They Approved In 2020, New Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelics Were the Hot Topic at This Year’s World Economic Forum (Lucid News)

  • Local Michigan Lawmakers Vote To Make September Psychedelics Awareness Month After Decriminalization Enacted (Marijuana Moment)

  • A Channel for Magic: Ralph Hood’s Mysticism Scale and the Occult Roots of the Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Program (Psymposia)

  • Psychedelic Twitter is Swarmed by Plug Bots (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Finding Nuance in the Psychedelic Hype Bubble (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psilera Receives First Patent Allowance for Transdermal Patch Formulations (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Adverse Events in Psychedelic Clinical Trials are Underreported (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic South: The Quest to find Good Drugs in Alabama (Psychedelic Spotlight)

9.23.22

Cannabis

  • Canada to review impact of cannabis legalization four years on (Reuters)

  • Marijuana Is Staying On The Banned Substances List For International Athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency Announces (Marijuana Moment)

  • California: Governor Signs Legislation Providing Employment Protections for Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

  • NY finally approves medical homegrow (Leafly)

  • Australian Cannabis Patients Turning to Prescriptions Over Illicit Market, Study Shows (High Times)

  • New Yorkers with weed convictions will have priority in retail market, state says (Leafly)

  • German Lawmakers Tour California Marijuana Businesses To Inform National Legalization Plans (Marijuana Moment)

  • Las Vegas City Council Approves Cannabis Consumption Lounges (High Times)

  • Leafly Report: ‘Opt-out’ towns are encouraging illegal marijuana sales (Leafly)

  • University of Kentucky Opens New Cannabis Research Center (High Times)

  • We spoke to the author of that new study on prenatal cannabis exposure (Leafly)

  • Apple Lets Users Search For Marijuana And Pharmaceutical Interactions In Latest iPhone Health Update (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Role of Cannabis in Treating Long COVID (High Times)

  • Canada’s rich and complicated history of psychedelic research (Leafly)

  • Oklahoma: Court Rules that Voters Can’t Decide on Legalization Ballot Measure This Year (NORML)

  • Arkansas: High Court Approves Marijuana Legalization Measure for the November Ballot (NORML)

  • Majority Of Maryland Voters Back Marijuana Legalization Referendum And Expungements, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Two Out Of Three Missouri Voters ‘Certain To Vote Yes’ On Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Poll: Majority in Minnesota Want Legal Weed (High Times)

  • Two In Three Pennsylvania Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, New Poll Shows Amid Key Political Races (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

  • Miami clinic kicks off first national study of LSD, once a ‘public enemy,’ to treat anxiety (Miami Herald)

Magic Mushrooms

  • The Viagra of the Himalayas—the World’s Most Expensive Fungus—Faces Serious Decline Due to Growing Demand (DoubleBlind)

  • Liquid Culture vs. Spores (Reality Sandwich)

MDMA

  • Disruption to Australian ecstasy market following COVID-19 restrictions, report finds (Medical Xpress)

  • MindMed Collaborators Dose First Patient in Phase 1 Investigator-Initiated Trial of MDMA-Like Substances (Psychedelic Alpha)

DMT

  • Researchers Studying Psychedelic Drug as Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease (High Times)

Ayahuasca

  • Packers Bust Out Ayahuasca TD Celebration Weeks After Aaron Rodgers Revealed Psychedelic Use (BroBible)

  • Aaron Rodgers Defends Ayahuasca, Says He May Be 'Called' to Take the Psychedelic Again (People)

Peyote

  • Native American Church Leaders Ask Congress For Funds To Support Peyote Cultivation And Preservation (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Complicated Ethics of Legalizing Indigenous Psychedelic Substances (Ethos)

Iboga

  • You Can Now Get Ibogaine-Based Addiction Treatment In A Hospital Setting In Brazil (Forbes)

Nitrous Oxide

  • What Nitrous Oxide Showed The Father of American Psychology (Lucid News)

Ketamine

  • Looking at Images of People Smiling at You Extends Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine (Neuroscience News)

DXM

  • Please don't cook chicken in NyQuil, the FDA asks TikTok users (NPR)

  • The FDA may have unintentionally made 'NyQuil Chicken' go viral on TikTok (Engadget)

Miscellaneous

  • Math Over Myth: Psychedelic Stock HAVN Life Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelics face corrupting influence of financial interests (UC News)

  • Biden Administration Considers Psychedelic Therapies Task Force (Lucid News)

  • Colorado Polls Show Conflicting Results On Psychedelics Ballot Measure That Voters Will Decide On In November (Marijuana Moment)

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Announces Receipt of CDN $450K Cash Refund from Australian Research Program (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Baby Boomers (Re)Discover Psychedelics as Tools for Aging with Grace (DoubleBlind)

  • Does Microdosing Impact Meditation? New Study From Beckley Foundation and Quantified Citizen Investigates (Newswire)

  • Colombia’s President Tells UN That ‘Democracy Will Die’ If World Leaders Don’t End Drug War And Pursue Different Strategy (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Undergrowth of Psychedelic Australia (Kahpi)

  • Beyond Michael Pollan: Where to learn more about psychedelics. (Medium)

  • Can Psychedelics Help Veterans with Chronic Pain? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

9.30.22

Cannabis

  • Switzerland: Revision of Narcotics Act – Switzerland fully legalizes medicinal cannabis (Global Compliance News)

  • Free medicinal cannabis to be donated to epileptic children in the UK (Sky News)

  • Medical cannabis for doggies, kitties is fully legalized in California (Leafly)

  • Medical Marijuana Helps Patients Reduce Use Of Addictive Opioid Painkillers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Maltese Non-profit Cannabis May be The Way Forward (TalkingDrugs)

  • Check in, smoke up and tune out: Cannabis-friendly vacation rentals are catching on (CNBC)

  • Despite The Munchies, Marijuana Legalization Is Tied To Lower Obesity Rates, Stereotype-Busting Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Investigators say more than 70% of cannabis growers use illegal water (Santa Barbara News-Press)

  • Germany Versus The United States: Which Will Legalize Cannabis First (Forbes)

  • As cannabis usage grows, so does the need for employers to revisit their workplace drug policies (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Could Cannabis and Psychedelic Drugs Make Breast Cancer Treatments More Effective? (PR Newswire)

  • Federal Marijuana Prohibition Is Putting Patients At Risk Of Consuming Contaminated Products, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Supreme Court trial on homegrow ban reveals a bigger issue in federal cannabis legalization (Leafly)

  • Medical Marijuana Patient Plans To Sue Feds For $3.5 Million Over ‘Discriminatory’ Cannabis Raid On Tribal Land (Marijuana Moment)

  • Is Big Tobacco Pivoting to Big Cannabis? (High Times)

  • Wisconsin Governor’s Push To Allow Ballot Initiatives Could Put Marijuana Legalization Before Voters (Marijuana Moment)

  • Majority Of D.C. Voters Support Marijuana Legalization And Oppose Crackdown On Unregulated ‘Gifting’ Market, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Missouri Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative Leads In New Poll, But With Less Than 50 Percent (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • Connecticut to Offer Legal MDMA and Psilocybin Therapy as Early as Next Year (DoubleBlind)

  • DEA Claims Doctors Requesting Psilocybin For Dying Patients Have Commercial Interests (Benzinga)

  • Woman’s Breast Cancer Returned Immediately After Dropping Treatment With Cannabis, Shrooms (High Times)

  • Psilocybin Shows Gender-Specific Effects on CNS Reactivity and Behavioral Responses (Gilmore Health News)

  • Psyence Group Completes Export of Psilocybin Mushrooms to Portugal (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

  • MDMA in the UK Is Finally Pure Again (VICE)

Ayahuasca

  • Aaron Rodgers fumbles the science on psychedelics. Drugs like ayahuasca can alter the brain—but how? (Salon)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • 'A lot of MDMA that wasn't MDMA': The early results from inside Australia's first drug testing clinic (SBS)

  • atai Life Sciences Announces Initiation of Phase 1 Trial for its MDMA Derivative, EMP-01 (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • LSD-Like Molecules Counter Depression Without the Trip (UC San Francisco)

  • BetterLife Files Comprehensive Patent for BETR-001 and Other LSD Derivatives (Psychedelic Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • A new urine test could help curtail the use of the latest synthetic cannabinoids to enter the drug scene (Medical Xpress)

Ketamine

Miscellaneous

  • How Interdisciplinary Research Could Reveal Psychedelics’ Blind Spots (Microdose)

  • New Theory Believes Psychedelics Could Benefit Long-Term Space Travelers (High Times)

  • After rocky start, hopes up in Oregon drug decriminalization (ABC)

  • Psychedelic drugs: how to tell good research from bad (The Conversation)

  • Do You Even Trip, Bro? A Look At Psychedelic Masculinity, From Joe Rogan To Mike Tyson (Benzinga)

  • I went to the only psychedelic dispensary in North America—here’s how they do it (The Manual)

  • The Racism and Classism Hidden Behind “Moms who Microdose” (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Whole-Body Effects of Psychedelics Part 3 – The Heart (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Majority Of Mainers Support Drug Decriminalization And Other Harm Reduction Policies, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Why Tripping at Raves Can Be Just As Healing as Ceremony (DoubleBlind)

  • Math Over Myth: MindMed’s Self Destructive Stock Mission (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Men More Likely To Have Substance Abuse Disorder, Women More Likely To Overdose (High Times)

  • Psychedelic Retreats Offer Healing Only for the Wealthy (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic therapy could reduce anxiety, distress among patients with cancer (Healio)

  • The Narrowing of Psychedelic Discourse (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Is Now a Good Time to Invest In Psychedelics Stocks? (The Motley Fool)

  • The Messy Job of a Psychedelic Integration Coach (Psychedelic Spotlight)

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Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Weekly Psychedelic Links - August 2022

8.5.22

Cannabis

  • Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for drug possession and smuggling (Leafly)

  • Another American Caught With Weed in Russia Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison (High Times)

  • Cannabis no more of a risk than tobacco and alcohol – study (Cannabis Health News)

  • Federal Marijuana Records Would Be Expunged Under New Bipartisan Congressional Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Study Says Legalization Hasn’t Caused More Teens To Try Cannabis (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis Cafes Emerge in Post-Legalization Thailand (High Times)

  • Study Shows Cannabis Users 55% Less Likely to Develop Common Liver Cancer (High Times)

  • Arkansas Marijuana Campaign Files Lawsuit To Put Legalization Measure On Ballot After State Board’s Rejection (Marijuana Moment)

  • US weed homegrowers produce 8x more than Colorado legal market, says new report (Leafly)

  • Feds Seek Contractor To Help Test Marijuana Compounds In People’s Breath (Marijuana Moment)

  • New 3D Structures of Cannabinoid Receptor Inform Safer Drug Design (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • New Report Recommends Tips for Successful Cannabis-Impaired Driving Campaigns (High Times)

  • Colleges In States That Legalize Marijuana See A Boost In Application Numbers, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Brazilian Government’s Selective Blindness to Cannabis Evidence (TalkingDrugs)

  • Largest Federal Workers Union Calls For Ending Marijuana Tests For Most Government Employees In Legal States (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin Microdosing Shows No Benefit to Creativity, Cognition, Perception in New Scientific Study (Willamette Week)

  • Oregon Psilocybin Rules Set To Be Finalized in December (High Times)

  • Lead Plaintiff in Canadian Right To Try Lawsuit Shares His Psilocybin Story (Lucid News)

  • The Rise of Casual Shrooms (VICE)

MDMA

  • It’s Festival Season! How Should We Group Dose MDMA? (Lucid News)

DMT

Ayahuasca

Mescaline

  • Mescaline: A Neglected Tool for Psychotherapy (Sam Woolfe)

Peyote

  • The Peyote Plot: The Indigenous Fight to Conserve the Sacred Plant and the Spiritual Medicine it Contains (DoubleBlind)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Ketamine

  • Double-action mechanism found that makes ketamine less addictive (New Atlas)

  • How ketamine chic became the new heroin chic (Dazed)

Miscellaneous

  • Poll States 28% of Americans Have Tried At Least One Psychedelic Substance (High Times)

  • The Need for 100,000 Psychedelic Facilitators is Real (LA Weekly)

  • Morgan Stanley Publishes Optimistic Report on Psychedelics (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • California Bills To Legalize Psychedelics Possession, Allow Interstate Marijuana Commerce And More Teed Up For Key Hurdle Next Week (Marijuana Moment)

  • MindMed Board of Directors Approves Reverse Share Split (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Majority Of Americans Support Psychedelics Research For Military Members, New Poll Finds As Bipartisan Reform Advances In Congress (Marijuana Moment)

8.12.22

Cannabis

  • Report: Spike in Marijuana Positives Fueling Truck Driver Shortage, Supply Chain Disruptions (NORML)

  • Ottawa on track to spend $200M per year on cannabis for veterans (CBC)

  • Wisconsin Governor Pardons Several for Cannabis Offenses (High Times)

  • Missouri will vote on marijuana legalization in November (Leafly)

  • Arkansas Supreme Court Orders State To Put Marijuana Legalization Initiative On Ballot, But Votes May Not Be Counted (Marijuana Moment)

  • Colorado Marijuana Shops Are 98 Percent Compliant With ID Checks To Prevent Underage Sales, State Regulators Say (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis And Lower COVID Hospitalizations: Is There A Connection? Here’s What A New Study Found (The Fresh Toast)

  • Biden DOJ Says Medical Marijuana Patients Are Too ‘Dangerous To Trust’ In Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit On Gun Rights (Marijuana Moment)

  • Voters Across Wisconsin Will See Marijuana Questions On Their Ballots In November (Marijuana Moment)

  • ‘Very good for tourists’: Thailand aims for high season with U-turn on cannabis (The Guardian)

  • The (Possibly) Best and Worst Countries To Get Caught With Pot (Benzinga)

  • New Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Filed For 2024 Ballot, With Backing Of State’s Largest Medical Cannabis Company (Marijuana Moment)

  • Can memory loss be good? How cannabis can help with PTSD (Leafly)

  • Arresting illicit weed sellers repeats our drug war mistakes (NJ.com)

LSD

  • Neuroscience research suggests LSD might enhance learning and memory by promoting brain plasticity (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin therapy is prompting states to reconsider laws about magic mushrooms (USA Today)

  • Many Oregonians will have to vote again on psilocybin (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

  • Buried Treasure: How Does Psilocybin Reduce Compulsivity? (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Can Psilocybin Treat Obesity? New Evidence, Future Directions (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • Inside the lab that's creating enough psilocybin for everyone on Earth (Wisconsin Public Radio)

  • Phase 2 clinical trial to examine efficacy of psilocybin for anorexia nervosa (Healio)

  • Coos County cities move to ban psilocybin for medical use in their communities (KCBY)

  • Optimi Health To Launch Therapeutic Psilocybin Product In Partnership With Patient Advocate Thomas Hartle (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

  • Las Vegas Wastewater Study Finds Absolutely Bonkers Spike In MDMA Levels During EDC (BroBible)

  • Where Ecstasy Meets Power: The Unique Risks of MDMA Therapy (Sam Woolfe)

Ayahuasca

  • Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Won’t Be Disciplined for Using Psychedelic Drug (Sports Illustrated)

  • Aaron Rodgers’ former Packers QB coach reacts to psychedelic drug revelation (New York Post)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • Psilera’s New Compounds Show Potential for Significant Treatment Improvement in Depression and Neurodegenerative Disorders (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Majority of 'Bath Salt' Deaths Concentrated in Just Two States (Medpage Today)

  • Woman likely drowned after taking hallucinogenic drugs, coroner finds (Stuff.co.nz)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • States That Legalize Marijuana See ‘Significant Reductions’ In Synthetic Cannabinoid Poisonings, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • A 'very unpleasant time' - new synthetic drug in NZ (Radio New Zealand)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Urgent warning to parents over teens inhaling nitrous oxide after canisters found across Dublin (The Irish Sun)

Ketamine

  • How The Brain Changes In People With Chronic PTSD Following Ketamine Treatment (Healing Maps)

Miscellaneous

  • VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence (Technology Review)

  • The DARE Program Is Back in Some School Districts — Here’s What to Know (Teen Vogue)

  • Compass Pathways Sued for Stealing Trade Secrets (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • An initiative to decriminalize most plant-based psychedelics is likely to fall short on signatures (Colorado Public Radio)

  • Colombia’s New President Wants to End the Drug War. Can He Succeed? (Filter)

  • Bear high on hallucinogenic 'mad honey' rescued in Turkey (Irish Mirror)

  • How Do We End the ‘War on Drugs’? Perhaps Scandinavia Has the Answer.. (Volteface)

  • Psychedelics are having a moment and women could be the ones to benefit (MIT Technology Review)

  • Over the counter culture: Are psychedelics coming to the corner shop? (The Independent)

  • Psychedelics researchers and investors should focus on delivering therapy, not drugs (STAT)

  • Muslims on Drugs: Psychedelics, Queerness, and Identity in the Post-9/11 Era (DoubleBlind)

  • What Role does Philosophy Play in the Future of Psychedelics? (TalkingDrugs)

  • First Reddit Community-Led Scientific Study to Launch on Quantified Citizen (Yahoo!)

  • Red Wall Voters Want Drug Law Reform – New Polling Shows (Volteface)

  • Psychedelic Clinical Trials and the Michael Pollan Effect (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Young Psychedelic Philanthropist Blazes Path for the Psychedelic Future (Lucid News)

  • Rediscovering Our Ancestral Roots of Exploration (Chacruna)

  • What Happens when Psychedelics Meets Video Games? (Lucid News)

8.19.22

Cannabis

  • Brittney Griner Appeals Conviction in Russian Drug Case (High Times)

  • North Dakota will vote on cannabis legalization in November (Leafly)

  • Arkansas court orders recreational cannabis amendment put back on ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Pot-smoking tourists not welcome in Thailand, says health minister (Reuters)

  • South Dakota Reservation Bans Alcohol, Allows Cannabis (High Times)

  • Analysis: Racial Disparities in Marijuana Possession Arrests Becoming More Pronounced in Prohibition States (NORML)

  • ‘Clean weed’ is about to be everywhere in California. Here’s what you need to know (Los Angeles Times)

  • Ohio Voters In Seven More Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization At The Ballot This November (Marijuana Moment)

  • Idaho Activists Launch Medical Marijuana Ballot Push For 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Alberta cannabis sales slow to grow as online identity verification deters consumers, say retailers (CBC)

  • Gallup: Those with First-Hand Experience with Cannabis Likely to Perceive It Positively (NORML)

  • Majority Of Texas Voters Support Marijuana Legalization, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Most Wisconsin Voters—Including Republicans—Support Legalizing Marijuana, Poll Shows (Marijuana Moment)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Is Oregon Ready for the Coming Psilocybin-Fueled Mushroom Tourism Boom? (Portland Monthly)

  • Optimi Health Unveils Canada’s First Natural Therapeutic Psilocybin Product For Approved Patients (Psychedelic Alpha)

MDMA

  • Warnings over dangerously high-strength MDMA pills found at Boardmasters (Mixmag)

DMT

  • Small Pharma Receives Approval for DMT-Assisted Psychotherapy and SSRI Drug Interaction Study (Psychedelic Alpha)

Ayahuasca

  • The Misfortune of “Right Wing” Psychedelia” in Brazil (Chacruna)

  • Anonymous Letter to Conservative Masters of the UDV (Chacruna)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

Nitrous Oxide

  • Atlanta neighbors frustrated by nitrous oxide use outside Widespread Panic show (KMIZ)

Ketamine

  • We Asked the Experts: What Exactly is in Ketamine? (TalkingDrugs)

Miscellaneous

  • Video of a forester who found a drunken bear gorged on hallucinogenic honey became a hit on the Internet (The Saxon)

  • California Psychedelics Legalization Bill Gutted by Key Committee (DoubleBlind)

  • Psychedelics as a sacrament? Lawsuit says drugs are a religious right. (The Washington Post)

  • Integration of psychedelic experiences linked to self-actualization via improvements in personal development and self-insight (PsyPost)

  • Two In Five Americans Say They’ve Changed Their Mind On Drug Policy, With Most Becoming “More Liberal,” Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

8.26.22

Cannabis

  • Federal Trade Commission issues refunds to CBD buyers, here’s why (Leafly)

  • Nebraska Officials Will Take A Second Look At Signatures For Rejected Medical Marijuana Ballot Measures (Marijuana Moment)

  • New medical marijuana campaign launches in Idaho for 2024 ballot (Marijuana Business Daily)

  • Study Shows 20% Increase in Frequency of Cannabis Consumption in Recreational States (High Times)

  • FBI Says CBD Use Is An ‘Automatic Disqualifier’ For Employment Despite Federal Hemp Legalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • Oklahoma’s legalization initiative at risk due to state delay (Leafly)

  • The casualties of California legalizing pot: Growers who went legal (The Washington Post)

  • U.S. Forest Service Reminds Workers Of Federal Marijuana Ban And Warns Against CBD Use (Marijuana Moment)

  • Dennis Rodman Proposes To Negotiate Russia Brittney Griner Release (High Times)

  • Why The Legal Cannabis Industry Needs The Black Market (Forbes)

  • Legalization Opponents Sue To Block Initiative From Missouri Ballot (High Times)

  • Cannabis for Chronic Pain Linked to Slightly Increased Risk of Arrhythmia (Healthline)

LSD

  • First Patient Dosed in Trial of LSD for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Psychiatric Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin May Help Treat Alcohol Addiction, Study Shows (TIME)

  • Three Out Of Four Oregon Counties Will Vote On Banning Or Postponing Psilocybin Services This November (Marijuana Moment)

  • Inside Paul Stamets’ Massive Microdosing Study (DoubleBlind)

Ayahuasca

  • Mormon Bishop And Former GOP Utah Rep. Champions Ayahuasca After Faith-Affirming Psychedelic Experience (Marijuana Moment)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Trip Advisors: Group Promotes 5-MeO-DMT Harm Reduction By Exposing Shamanic Hustlers (Forbes)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • The DEA is Attempting to Ban Two New Psychedelic Drugs (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Clearmind Medicine Announces Additional Positive Pre-Clinical Results for its Cocaine Addiction Treatment (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • BetterLife Lead Drug (BETR-001) Promotes Structural Neural Plasticity with Possible Nootropic Effects Similar to That of LSD Without Hallucinogenic Side Effects (Psychedelic Alpha)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Laughing Gas During Labor Is Becoming More Popular Among Women in the United States (People)

Ketamine

  • Ketamine’s upgrade to an employee benefit in US may hasten the legitimacy of psychedelics in SA (BizNews)

DXM

  • FDA Approves First, Only NMDA Receptor Antagonist for Major Depressive Disorder (Pharmacy Times)

Miscellaneous

  • Psychedelic Stocks: MindMed and atai Slash their Pipelines, Mydecine Collapses (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelics Use Increasing Among Adults, But Decreasing For Teens, New Federally Funded Studies Find (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences linked to increased pro-environmental behaviors (PsyPost)

  • How near-death experiences and psychedelics alter attitudes about death (EurekAlert!)

  • Does Microdosing Actually Work? The Science Is Still Conflicted (VICE)

  • Issues of Patient Safety and Ethical Violations in Psychedelic Therapy (Psychedelic Science Review)

  • As Plant-Medicine Churches Grow, Legal Questions Linger (Lucid News)

  • This Psychedelic Theater Troupe Has Been Quietly Changing the World for Decades (DoubleBlind)

  • Do Psychedelic Trips Actually Start In The Gut Instead Of The Brain? (Healing Maps)

  • The Psychedelic Community Takes Itself Too Seriously (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Ethics in Psychedelic Therapy: The Promises and Pitfalls of Increased Suggestibility (Sam Woolfe)

  • Do You Even Trip, Bro? On Psychedelic Masculinity (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • How Long Can the Psychedelic Renaissance Last? (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • The Legal Risks of Psychedelic Therapy and Coaching (EntheoNation)

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.

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

This Week in Psychedelics - 3.25.22

Cannabis

  • Federal Marijuana Legalization Bill Officially Scheduled For House Floor Vote Next Week (Marijuana Moment)

  • Rwanda Begins Cannabis Production (High Times)

  • New Hampshire Lawmakers Approve State-Run Marijuana Legalization Bill With Amendments, Sending It Back To House Floor (Marijuana Moment)

  • South Dakota: Governor Signs Legislation Preserving Patients’ Home Cultivation Rights (NORML)

  • U.S. Senate Unanimously Approves Marijuana Reform Bill On Same Day That House Schedules Legalization Vote (Marijuana Moment)

  • New York’s Cayuga Nation To Sell Recreational Cannabis (High Times)

  • What Do Joe Biden’s Cannabis Policy And Seinfeld Have In Common? Nothing. Literally. (Forbes)

  • After Surge Of Deadly Robberies At Marijuana Shops In Washington State, Officials Push For Federal Banking Reform (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study raises questions about risks of using medical marijuana for mood and anxiety disorders (CNN)

  • Group Launches Petition to Bring Recreational Pot to Colorado Springs (High Times)

  • Can cannabis ward off nightmares? Here’s what we know about how weed affects dreams (GreenState)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • Hawaii Senators Amend Psilocybin Study Resolution To Make Access Contingent On Federal Approval (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psilocybin Is Effective in Reducing Weight Gain, New Study Shows (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Missouri looks to legalize shrooms (KMOV)

  • Stargazer Mushroom Strain: Cultivation, Effects, & More (DoubleBlind)

  • Beyond Psilocybin: These Mushrooms May Offer Brain-Boosting Compounds, Too (Discover)

  • Optimi Health Begins Cultivation Of Natural Psilocybin For Use In Clinical Trials (GlobeNewswire)

MDMA

  • MDMA Therapy for PTSD Looks Safe and Effective in New Trial Data (Gizmodo)

  • MDMA assisted therapy significantly reduces eating disorder symptoms (leafie)

  • You Won’t Feel High After Watching This Video (The Cut)

5-MeO-DMT

  • Demand for This Toad’s Psychedelic Toxin Is Booming. Some Warn That’s Bad for the Toad. (The New York Times)

Ketamine

Miscellaneous

  • The US Gets Its First Free, Rapid Drug-Checking Mail Program (Filter)

  • Utah Governor Signs Bill To Study Use Of Psychedelics For Mental Health Therapy (Marijuana Moment)

  • Another Michigan City Approves Psychedelics Decriminalization As Activists Pursue Statewide Ballot Measure (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Brave New World of Legalized Psychedelics Is Already Here (The Nation)

  • Another Psychedelics Company Is Crashing (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Connecticut Lawmakers Advance Psychedelics Therapy Bill (High Times)

  • Three Bills Seek to Shift Psychedelics Policy in New York State (Lucid News)

  • COMPASS Pathways and partners launch The Centre for Mental Health Research and Innovation, in the UK (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Can Psychedelic Masculinity Stop War? (Lucid 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 Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

This Week in Psychedelics - 1.21.22

Cannabis

  • Thailand Plans to Make Marijuana Legal, Scrapping Jail Terms and Fines for Possession (Bloomberg)

  • U.S. Senate Candidate Smokes Marijuana Blunt In Campaign Ad About Harms Of Criminalization (Marijuana Moment)

  • After One Year As President, Biden’s Marijuana Promises Remain Unfulfilled (Marijuana Moment)

  • Mississippi House Approves Medical Marijuana Bill With Amendments (Marijuana Moment)

  • It’s high time that people caught with cannabis be spared jail, declare public (The Telegraph)

  • London’s Cannabis Diversion Plan Draws Political Fire (Filter)

  • Kansas Medical Marijuana Hearings Cancelled After Senate GOP Leader Reroutes House-Passed Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • What Is THC-O Acetate, And Why Is It Getting Attention? (Forbes)

  • Study Shows Cannabis was Food Staple for Ancient Chinese Dynasty (High Times)

  • Most Americans Predict Biden Won’t Uphold Marijuana Decriminalization Promise In 2022, Poll Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Austin, Texas Cannabis Decriminalization Initiative Set for Ballot in May (High Times)

  • Rhode Island Governor Includes Marijuana Legalization And Expungements In Budget Request (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis use impacts cognitive ability beyond intoxication: study (CTV News)

  • Minnesota Democratic Leaders Preview Marijuana Legalization Plan For 2022 (Marijuana Moment)

  • Ohio Advocates Submit Additional Signatures for Cannabis Proposal (High Times)

  • Kentucky Addresses Cannabis Reform Through New Legislation (High Times)

  • Canada might be home to the world’s first airport dispensary (Leafly)

  • Nebraska Activists Say New GOP Medical Marijuana Bill Is A ‘Poison Pill’ Meant To Detract From Ballot Efforts (Marijuana Moment)

  • South Dakota Governor Demands Cannabis Advocates Cover Legal Costs (High Times)

  • Banking Activity Increases In States That Legalize Marijuana, Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis Companies Target Teens on Social Media, Study Claims (High Times)

  • Cloudastructure’s Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Cannabis Surveillance (High Times)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Controversial Kansas Lawmaker Files Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Possession And Cultivation (Marijuana Moment)

  • Bipartisan Congressional Lawmakers Tell DEA To Allow Psilocybin Treatment For Terminal Patients (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Research Probes Psilocybin’s Effect on Suicidality (Lucid News)

  • Optimi Health Submits Natural Psilocybin Combined Drug Delivery and Extraction Formulations for Provisional Patent (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

  • Why MDMA Makes You Horny (VICE)

  • Use of ecstasy and cocaine drops during pandemic (Irish Examiner)

  • Numinus Announces Key Milestones in MAPS-Sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Clinical Trial (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • The MDMA Comedown: Why Coming Down From Molly Feels So Bad (DoubleBlind)

  • A psychedelic trip to recovery: How psychedelics can help treat PTSD (The Ubyssey)

DMT

  • Algernon Pharmaceuticals Files for Clinical Trial and Ethics Approval for Phase 1 DMT Human Stroke Study (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Why Do People See Elves And Other "Entities" When They Smoke DMT? (IFLScience)

Ayahuasca

Morning Glory Seeds

  • What Is LSA? Your Guide To The Complicated Psychedelic (Healing Maps)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

  • BetterLife Receives FDA Response On Its Pre-IND Application For Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Treatment With BETR-001 (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Study: Cannabinoids May Help Prevent and Treat Peanut Allergies (The Marijuana Herald)

  • Trial Will Test Synthetic Cannabinoid for Weight Loss in Obesity (Medscape)

  • Dyadic Introduces Novel Method to Produce Synthetic Cannabinoids and Precursors Utilizing C1 Cell Line Production Platform and Patent Pending Process (GlobeNewswire)

Ketamine

  • Plastic Surgeons Are Using Ketamine to Make Nose Jobs More Pleasant (Allure)

Datura

  • Are your food grains adulterated with poisonous dhatura (Times of India)

Miscellaneous

  • DEA Proposes Adding 5 More Psychedelics to Schedule 1 Controlled Substances (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic use is only “weakly” associated with psychosis-like symptoms, according to new research (PsyPost)

  • Utah Lawmaker Files Bill To Explore Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics (High Times)

  • Psychedelics ‘Train Has Left the Station’ Says Federal Drug Official as More States Seek Access (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Sydney Researchers Awarded Over $2.2 Million By Australian Government To Study MDMA, Psilocybin (Forbes)

  • Missouri Lawmaker Files Bill To Decriminalize Low-Level Drug Possession (Marijuana Moment)

  • Psychedelic legalization now (The New Amsterdam Psychedelic Law Blog)

  • Psygen Receives Dealer’s Licence To Become Canada’s First Dedicated Psychedelics Manufacturing Facility (The Dales Report)

  • Allowing psychedelic assisted therapy is an enlightened move, medical experts say (National Post)

  • Majority of Mental Health Patients Support Access to Psychedelics, Survey Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Psychedelic Company Highlights in 2021 (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • Talking Drugs Updates from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (TalkingDrugs)

  • Pandemic Tripping With Psychedelics (Green Market Report)

  • What are the potential risks of microdosing psychedelics? (Leafly)

  • Cybin Set to Measure Psychedelic Effects on the Brain Using Kernel Flow’s Revolutionary Technology (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • Peek Inside Philadelphia’s Psychedelics Revolution (Philadelphia Magazine)

  • Psychedelic Science Leader Eleusis to Become Public Company in Merger with Silver Spike Acquisition Corp. II (Psilocybin Alpha)

  • How Port Townsend, Washington, Decriminalized Psychedelics (Filter)

  • Athletes and Psychedelics: Mental Health and Performance (Truffle Report)

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 Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalog how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.