There’s no getting around it—this was yet another monumental month for psychedelic news. With progress in a variety of areas—including a few big drug policy reform wins and losses, updates on the psychedelic industry, innovative approaches in psychedelic research, and a newly-identified molecule in cannabis—there is a lot to cover. I’ve sifted through the onslaught of psychedelic news and picked out the juiciest stories for your reading pleasure. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage or pack a bowl of your favorite herb and sit down to take it all in.
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:
Ann Arbor Decriminalizes Psychedelics
Following a growing trend of psychedelic reform victories sweeping across the country, this month Ann Arbor became the third city in the United States to decriminalize natural psychedelics, making them the lowest priority for local law enforcement.
While these plant medicines have not been made legal per se, people in the city of Ann Arbor are now at lower risk for cultivating, purchasing, and using plants and fungi like psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline-containing cacti, iboga, and the plants used to brew ayahuasca. However, the approach that local police will take toward sales and the commercial manufacture of natural psychedelics will remain unchanged, and state and federal law enforcement will not follow the city’s new guidelines.
House Postpones Vote on Federal Cannabis Legalization Bill Until Election
While the U.S. House of Representatives was originally slated to vote on a federal cannabis legalization bill this month, the vote was postponed at the last minute and won’t occur until at least after the upcoming election in November.
Although there was considerable support for the bill it seems that the moderate Democrats in the House were concerned that voting on a cannabis legalization bill while coronavirus relief legislation remains unresolved might have negatively impacted their chances of reelection. This is as good a time as any to remind you to verify that you are registered to vote and to get out and make your voice heard by voting in this year’s election.
Usona Institute Submits New Psilocybin Synthesis Method to Public Domain
Amidst a growing legion of for-profit psychedelic companies that operate with the goal of maximizing profits, the non-profit organization Usona Institute flipped the script when it put its new psilocybin synthesis method in the public domain, where it cannot be patented.
Usona’s new approach to manufacturing high-purity psilocybin is more efficient, less expensive, and will generate more consistent yields than previous synthesis methods were capable of producing. And rather than keep their innovation to themselves, now anyone who chooses to will be able to use this method to synthesize psilocybin. This is a win for open science and alternatives to cutthroat capitalism and Usona should be celebrated for its achievement and good-hearted contributions to the field.
COMPASS Pathways Becomes First Psychedelic Company to IPO on the Nasdaq
COMPASS Pathways made history by becoming the first psychedelic company to go public on the the U.S. stock market. While many psychedelic companies have joined the Canadian stock exchange, this is the first time that one has made its way to the NASDAQ.
And now that the floodgates are open, it won’t be long before other companies become tradeable in America too—in fact, MindMed has already applied to list on the NASDAQ so they might be next.
Nebraska’s Medical Marijuana Measure was Removed from November Ballot
This month yet another drug policy reform effort bit the dust as Nebraska’s medical marijuana measure was removed from the November ballot by the state’s supreme court.
Although activists turned in enough signatures back in July to qualify the measure, Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner filed a lawsuit to keep the proposal off the November ballot, arguing that it violated the state’s single-subject rule for ballot initiatives and would confuse voters.
While Nebraskans will no longer be looking forward to voting to legalize medical marijuana in the state later this year, they have already refocused their efforts on a 2022 ballot measure.
UC Berkeley Launches New Psychedelic Science and Education Center
UC Berkeley is not only opening a Center for the Science of Psychedelics that will conduct psychedelic research, but the center will also include a program for educating the public about the field, which is a unique aspect of this particular center.
The initial experimental studies will focus on psilocybin and the center hopes to eventually explore how psychedelics impact psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, religion, anthropology, art, and even computer science and artificial intelligence.
Australia Might Be the First Country to Legalize Psychedelic Medicine
The race for the first country to legalize psychedelic medicine is on. The non-profit organization Mind Medicine Australia surprised the world by submitting a proposal to reschedule psilocybin and MDMA from prohibited substances to controlled medicines.
People had until this Monday to send their support for the proposal to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA). If the proposal is accepted, Australia will become the first country in the world to allow the use of these substances for therapeutic purposes. The TGA will announce an interim decision on the matter in February, and the final decision will be confirmed in April, after a second round of submissions is considered.
UK National Health Service Rejects Esketamine
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has rejected the nasal esketamine spray known as Spravato from being incorporated into the country’s healthcare system as a treatment for hard-to-treat depression.
This isn’t the first time the spray has been rejected—the first rejection occurred in January. Both refusals were due to concerns about Spravato’s cost effectiveness and how well it works at treating depression in the long run.
Canada Approves of Another Ayahuasca Church
Although many newer ayahuasca churches in America are finding it difficult to gain approval from the U.S. government to practice their religion involving the psychedelic tea, religious groups in Canada are having a much easier time. A church in Winnipeg became the sixth group to receive a government exemption to legally import and use ayahuasca.
The Centre for Universal Illumination Luz Divina is the latest church to obtain a federal exemption from Health Canada which will allow its members to freely use the Amazonian brew without facing any legal consequences. Now if only governments around the world were to follow Canada’s lead…
Get High Without Paranoia or Anxiety With Delta-8 THC
Cannabis is an amazing plant containing a ton of different psychoactive compounds with varying degrees of effects. A newly-identified form of THC found within marijuana is being sold as a way to get high without experiencing the paranoia or anxiety that can come with consuming Delta-9 THC.
The difference between the two compounds, which can both be found in cannabis, is the location of a bond between two of the atoms that form each THC molecule. Although the science is still in its infancy at this point, it does appear that this alternative to Delta-9 THC may be capable of delivering a pleasant high without negative side effects. Stoners in locations with legal cannabis markets can keep an eye out for this compound by looking for shops carrying products like vape cartridges, gummies, and tinctures that contain Delta-8 THC.
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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