Weekly Psychedelic Links - June 2022

6.3.22

Cannabis

  • Virginia: Approved Budget Recriminalizes Public Marijuana Possession Over Four Ounces of Marijuana (NORML)

  • Connecticut Gov. signs bill to crack down on weed gifting (Leafly)

  • North Carolina Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study Finds THC Detected in Blood or Breath Does Not Indicate Impairment (High Times)

  • Medicinal cannabis reduces pain and the need for opiate painkillers among cancer patients (PsyPost)

  • North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Make Hemp Permanently Legal (High Times)

  • With veto, path to marijuana legalization in Delaware still open but fraught with unpredictability (WHYY)

  • FBI Marijuana Arrest Data May Be Critically Flawed, And DOJ Is Being Asked To Investigate (Marijuana Moment)

  • Louisiana Senate Approves Bill Allowing Public Employees to Use Medical Pot (High Times)

  • New York Senate Passes Gray Market Cannabis Bill (High Times)

  • Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

  • Texas Activists Say They Collected Enough Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization On Another City Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

  • Gen Z Prefers Weed Over Booze (High Times)

  • Marijuana Research Has Exploded In Recent Years Despite Barriers Caused By Prohibition, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • Peru Issues Draft Law to Allow and Regulate Patient-Grown Medical Cannabis (High Times)

  • New York Senate Approves Bill To Mandate Medical Marijuana Health Insurance Coverage (Marijuana Moment)

  • Austria Imports Record Amount of Medical Weed While Constitutional Challenges Loom (High Times)

  • Weed Joke on Jeopardy! Triggers Viewers (High Times)

LSD

  • Neuroscientists gain a deeper understanding of how LSD affects molecular brain activity (PsyPost)

  • Ceruvia Lifesciences to Supply LSD to Qualified Researchers at No Cost (PR Newswire)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Oregon Officials’ Rejection Of Rules For Spiritual And Religious Psilocybin Use Called Into Question (Marijuana Moment)

  • In Algeria, Ancient Cave Art May Show Psychedelic Mushroom Use (Atlas Obscura)

  • New studies shed light on the mysterious process by which psilocybin can rapidly improve depression symptoms (PsyPost)

  • B.C. company opens Canada's largest licensed psychedelic mushroom growing facility (CBC)

  • Policy and Legal Considerations for Religious and Community Use of Psilocybin Mushrooms under Oregon Measure 109 (Chacruna)

MDMA

  • A Balm for Psyches Scarred by War (The New York Times)

  • 'Highly unusual': Methamphetamine found in MDMA tablets for the first time in New Zealand (Stuff.co.nz)

Peyote

  • The Navajo Nation to Protect the Sanctity of Azeé – Peyote Medicine from Legalization and Commercial Use (Chacruna)

Nitrous Oxide

  • Warning over climate threat from laughing gas used during childbirth (Sydney Morning Herald)

  • Linking nitrous oxide to climate risk is yet another example of the disdain shown to women’s pain (The Guardian)

Ketamine

  • Ketamine can treat depression — but teletherapy could make it accessible (Inverse)

Miscellaneous

  • Canada to decriminalize some drugs in British Columbia for three years (The Guardian)

  • Maryland Bill To Fund Psychedelics Research And Access For Veterans Takes Effect Without Governor’s Signature (Marijuana Moment)

  • DARE 2.0 is "Keepin' it Real" in US schools (Substance)

  • Indigenous and drug policy groups seek to preserve traditional approaches as psychedelic markets open in Oregon (OPB)

  • Michigan Activists Give Up 2022 Push For Psychedelics Legalization Ballot Initiative, Shifting Focus To 2024 (Marijuana Moment)

  • The Intertwined Prohibitionist Histories of Psychedelics and Kratom (Psychedelics Today)

  • Why this startup is encouraging employees to microdose psychedelics at work (Fast Company)

  • From Psychedelic Pharma To Crop Gene Editing - The UK’s Big Opportunity (Forbes)

  • Don’t Count on RFRA to Protect Psychedelic Churches (Lucid News)

  • Tripping over the potential of psychedelics for autism (Spectrum)

  • Understanding the Current Legal Status of Psychedelics in the United States (JD Supra)

  • Can you take the trip out of psychedelics and still treat depression? (New Scientist)

6.10.22

Cannabis

  • Thailand legalises cannabis trade but still bans recreational use (BBC)

  • Prescription cannabis products with more THC may ease chronic pain, at least a little, study finds (CNN)

  • North Carolina Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill To House, But Questions Loom About Further Action This Year (Marijuana Moment)

  • Delaware: Lawmakers Decline to Overturn Cannabis Legalization Veto (NORML)

  • Voters In Five Texas Cities Will Decide On Marijuana Decriminalization In November, Activists Say (Marijuana Moment)

  • Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill to Protect State Workers from Termination for Medical Cannabis (Ganjapreneur)

  • Portugal Group Demands Freedom to Vote for Personal Use of Cannabis (High Times)

  • The Rapidly Expanding Cannabis Industry Needs To Get Its Marketing Act Together, A New Report Finds (Forbes)

  • If you’re high your love life might not be as great as you think (New York Post)

  • Ukraine to Legalize Medical Cannabis, Health Minister Says (High Times)

  • Illinois Governor Signs Bill To Close Marijuana Expungement ‘Loophole’ (Marijuana Moment)

  • Inflation’s so insane Snoop Dogg gave his blunt roller a raise (Leafly)

  • Legal Cannabis Use Could Disqualify White House Intern Applicants (Forbes)

  • West Virginia Activists Are Collecting Signatures To Put Marijuana Decriminalization Measures On Local Ballots (Marijuana Moment)

  • Medical Cannabis & Sleep Disorders: What Do We Really Know? (The Fresh Toast)

  • Is the word ‘marijuana’ racist? (Leafly)

  • Opening the Curtain on Cannabis in the Opera (High Times)

LSD

  • LSD microdosing does not appear to improve mood or cognitive ability, according to new placebo-controlled study (PsyPost)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Clinical Trial in South Africa to Study Efficacy of Psilocybin on Women with HIV and Depression (High Times)

MDMA

  • Colorado Governor Signs Bill To Legalize MDMA Prescriptions Pending Federal Approval (Marijuana Moment)

  • Brexit helping cause harmful increase in fake ecstasy, study warns (The Guardian)

Ayahuasca

  • I Tried Everything. Then I Tried Ayahuasca. (Esquire)

Miscellaneous

  • Psychedelic Pharma’s Big Spin (Lucid News)

  • The Nationwide Reach of Harmful Drug “Paraphernalia” Laws (Filter)

  • Tracing The History of Hallucinogens in China (TalkingDrugs)

  • How psychedelic drugs might treat depression (BBC)

  • Bosses want to feed psychedelics to their staff (The Economist)

  • The Great Cannabis Microdosing PR Conspiracy (High Times)

6.17.22

Cannabis

  • Germany set to legalise sale of cannabis in licensed shops (Metro)

  • Study Finds Weekly Cannabis Use Has Minimal Impairment on Physical Health (High Times)

  • How cannabis-fed chickens may help cut Thai farmers’ antibiotic use (The Guardian)

  • Analysis: Cannabis Retailers Drive Economic Growth, Are Not Magnets for Crime (NORML)

  • Maine’s Legal Marijuana Stores Are Effectively Displacing Illicit Market, State Report Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Zealand Leaders Demand Cops Stop Spraying Chemicals on Cannabis (High Times)

  • Study: Regular Cannabis Consumers Perform Better Than Occasional Users on Distracted Driving Tasks (NORML)

  • Kentucky Governor Issues Medical Marijuana Executive Order Creating Advisory Committee To Study Patient Access Options (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study Shows Medical Cannabis Enrollment Has Quadrupled (High Times)

  • EPA Warns Workers They’re Banned From Using Marijuana Or Investing In The Industry In New Memo (Marijuana Moment)

  • DEA Reports Significant Uptick in Marijuana-Related Seizures, Arrests (NORML)

  • Athens, Georgia on Cusp of Major Decriminalization Ordinance (High Times)

  • Teen Marijuana Use Dropped Dramatically In Colorado In 2021, State Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

  • New Mexico Lawsuit Seeks Insurance Coverage for Medical Cannabis (High Times)

  • GOP Senate Candidate Pushes ‘Pot For Potholes’ Marijuana-Funded Infrastructure Plan In Hilarious Campaign Ad (Marijuana Moment)

  • Superior Court in Brazil Affirms Right to Cannabis Home Grow (High Times)

  • Federal Court Sides With Nebraska Medical Marijuana Activists In Lawsuit Over Ballot Requirements (Marijuana Moment)

  • West Virginia Advocates Collecting Signatures for Decriminalization Ballot Measures (High Times)

LSD

Magic Mushrooms

  • Psilocybin-induced mystical experiences linked to lasting positive psychological effects (PsyPost)

  • Anticipating Legalization: Making Psilocybin Accessible (Cannabis Science and Technology)

  • Could magic mushrooms in care homes help curb fear of death? Psychedelic drugs could 'revolutionise' end-of-life treatment, expert says (Daily Mail)

MDMA

  • Paraguay May Be Shifting from Producing LSD and MDMA to Consuming Them (InSight Crime)

5-MeO-DMT

Iboga

  • Ibogaine Isn’t a “Cure” for Addiction—But It Can Be a Useful Detox Tool (Filter)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

  • Oregon ban on synthetic cannabis products will be nation’s first (Oregon Live)

Ketamine

Miscellaneous

  • Mind-Altering Drug Docuseries Lined Up At Netflix From Alex Gibney & Michael Pollan (Deadline)

  • Malaysia Ends Mandatory Death Penalty for Nonviolent Drug Crimes (High Times)

  • Is drug testing going to become a regular part of UK festivals? (iTV)

  • Missoula City Council measure would decriminalize hallucinogenic plants (Missoula Current)

  • Local Psychedelics Decriminalization Measure Stalls In Amherst, Massachusetts (Marijuana Moment)

  • The abuse of power in psychedelic retreats (leafie)

  • Psychedelics Can Help Boost Scientific Creativity, Review Finds (Analytical Cannabis)

  • NFTs Are Getting Psychedelic. Is It Worth the Trip? (Lucid News)

  • Michigan moves to outlaw fake urine as marijuana popularity soars (MLive)

6.24.22

Cannabis

  • Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick (The New York Times)

  • California may require labels on cannabis products to warn of mental health risks (OPB)

  • Vets And Medical Cannabis: It’s The Least We Can Do (Forbes)

  • Louisiana: Multiple Marijuana Reform Bills Signed Into Law; Measures Take Effect August 1 (NORML)

  • Spain Approves Medical Cannabis Reform: Pharmacy Dispensation Planned for End of 2022 (High Times)

  • Medical Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Drunk Driving And Safer Roads, Study On Auto Insurance Data Suggests (Marijuana Moment)

  • Switzerland to Lift Ban on Medical Cannabis (High Times)

  • DEA Marijuana Busts Increased In 2021, Seizing Over 5.5 Million Plants (Marijuana Moment)

  • U.S. English Teacher Sentenced to 14 Years in Russia for Pot ‘Smuggling’ (High Times)

  • North Carolina House Republicans Block Senate-Passed Medical Marijuana Bill (Marijuana Moment)

  • Cannabis ‘Very Promising’ as Opioid Replacement, Early Study Results Show (High Times)

  • U.S. Supreme Court Denies Medical Marijuana Workers’ Compensation Cases (Marijuana Moment)

  • Study Shows Cannabis Use Could Lead to Increased Kindness and Empathy (High Times)

  • Senate Committee Votes To Let People Who’ve Used Marijuana Work For CIA, NSA And Other Intelligence Agencies (Marijuana Moment)

  • Analyses: Drug Interdiction Efforts at US Borders Typically Yield Only Small Quantities of Marijuana (NORML)

  • MLB Teams Can Now Be Sponsored By CBD Companies, Baseball League Official Says (Marijuana Moment)

  • Mississippi Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Weed Possession (High Times)

  • Scientists find little evidence to show cannabis oils help end pain, according to major study (Daily Mail)

  • District of Columbia: Council Advances Legislation Prohibiting Most Employers from Discriminating Against Cannabis Consumers (NORML)

  • New Gene Technology Allows Growers To Boost THC Levels In Cannabis (Forbes)

LSD

  • ‘I’m happier now and nowhere near as intense’: GoDaddy.com’s founder pivots to LSD (The Daily Dot)

Magic Mushrooms

  • Judges Deny Challenge to Psilocybin Patent (VICE)

  • COMPASS Pathways presents largest ever study of psilocybin therapy, at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting (Psychedelic Alpha)

  • Pa. bill to study of psilocybin – the drug in magic mushrooms – as mental health treatment languishes in Harrisburg (PhillyVoice)

  • Oregon County Considers Banning Legalized Psilocybin Therapy (Filter)

  • How an NHL Enforcer Broke His Body — and Turned to Psychedelics to Heal His Brain (Rolling Stone)

MDMA

  • MDMA trials under review in Canada over alleged abuse of study participants (The Guardian)

  • Canadian Firm Seeks Approval to Manufacture MDMA and Other Psychedelics (High Times)

DMT

  • DMT is Effective at Treating Depression, New Study Finds (Psychedelic Spotlight)

  • What do we see when dying? How a psychedelic trip can trigger at life’s end, and why we need to be better prepared for it (South China Morning Post)

Ayahuasca

  • An Ayahuasca Retreat Claims to Sell 'Miracles.' Former Workers and Guests Say It's Unsafe and Abusive. (VICE)

  • Another Phoenix Church Sues DEA Over Religious Use of Ayahuasca (Phoenix New Times)

  • The Ayahuasca King's Last Tour (The Texas Observer)

Ketamine

  • Tripping Through Motherhood: How Some Women Are Using Ketamine to Treat Postpartum Depression (Glamour)

  • Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 2 (Psychedelic Science Review)

Miscellaneous

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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.