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This Month in Psychedelics - September 2021
September was another busy month in the world of psychedelics. Some of the highlights include Hamilton Morris ending his show and joining a notorious psychedelic company, the FDA and CDC issuing scary warnings about delta-8 THC products, Scotland decriminalizing all drugs, the looming threat that nitrous oxide might become illegal in the UK soon, and a study finding that young adults are using a lot of psychedelics during the pandemic.
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
Every month activists and politicians work feverishly toward reforming drug policies all over the world, and this month was no exception. Among some of the victories, the possession of Class A drugs is now set to be effectively decriminalized in Scotland, which means people who are caught with substances like MDMA and LSD will be given a warning instead of facing prosecution.
A recreational cannabis trial in Zurich is slated to begin in 2022. The Swiss pilot program will run for three-and-a-half years and may influence other European countries to follow suit.
Future
There are several drug policy bills and initiatives coming down the pike. Michigan has multiple efforts to decriminalize psychedelics, including Senate Bill 631, which would decriminalize the possession and use of many psychedelics across the state, and there are also local efforts to decriminalize psychedelics in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Hazel Park.
Meanwhile, authorities in the UK are so concerned about the trash that is generated from public nitrous oxide use that they’re pushing to ban the drug outright.
Just a couple months after the suspension of runner Sha’Carri Richardson from competing in the Olympics due to a positive THC test, the World Anti-Doping Agency is going to conduct a scientific review of cannabis next year to figure out whether to continue the international ban of marijuana use by athletes.
Industry
If you haven’t already heard of him, Hamilton Morris is a very well-known figure in the world of psychedelics. He’s a research scientist, journalist, and filmmaker who gave the world the brilliant TV show Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia, which explores the chemistry, history, and cultural impact of various psychoactive drugs.
However, his show is coming to an end after three seasons, as he has been hired as a full-time consultant for COMPASS Pathways, the mental healthcare company notoriously attempting to profit off of medicalizing psilocybin.
Research
Published Studies
The annual Monitoring the Future survey looked at the recreational use of psychedelics by young people and found that it is on the rise in the United States. This increase in psychedelic exploration by U.S. college students and other young adults has risen in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic but also because psychedelics are more accepted today than they used to be.
Yale researchers found that a single dose of psilocybin can promote structural changes in the brains of mice that fight against symptoms of depression. The scientists discovered that psilocybin triggered a 10% increase in neuron size and density in the animals’ frontal cortex, which occurred within 24 hours and lasted for one month, indicating that psilocybin engendered long-lasting changes in the brain.
A first-of-its-kind study published in Psychopharmacology found that synthetic cannabinoid users experience more severe withdrawal symptoms than traditional cannabis users. During a period of abstinence, adverse side effects like insomnia, irritation, moodiness, heart palpitations, and appetite were significantly worse in the synthetic cannabis-using group.
Future Studies
Looking ahead, a study looking to treat tobacco addiction with psilocybin will receive federal funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, making this the first time an investigation into the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelics has received funds from the federal government since the War on Drugs began in the 1970s.
Researchers at the University of California San Francisco will determine how effective Fireside Project’s psychedelic hotline and app actually are at helping people navigate their psychedelic experiences.
A study has been given the fitting name of “Desire Project” because it will look at treating female hypoactive sexual desire disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
The first participant in a psilocybin trial for a rare headache disorder named short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks (SUNHA) received an initial low dose of the drug to kick off the study. The disorder involves short, incredibly painful headaches that can occur many times a day, and there are not currently any approved treatments for it. This proof-of-concept Phase 1B trial will enroll 12 patients and is expected to generate results in early 2022.
The Heroic Hearts Project UK announced a study with Imperial College London that will investigate the physiological and psychological effects of psilocybin on veterans with traumatic brain injury. The researchers hope to add additional weight to the mostly anecdotal body of evidence suggesting that the drug may help people heal from this sort of ailment.
Harm Reduction
The FDA and CDC issued warnings to consumers about potential risks involving delta-8 THC, a relatively new psychoactive cannabinoid that has grown in popularity due to its widespread legality but remains essentially unregulated at this time. Apparently there has been a significant increase in reported adverse health effects from people using this drug.
However, before you go ahead and toss any of these products you may already own out of the window, it may be helpful to know that it’s not like people are getting poisoned. In fact, it’s far more likely that they are unintentionally getting high after using delta-8 THC because of misunderstandings, bad labeling, and a lack of experience.
Miscellaneous
Following up on the case involving the death of unarmed 23 year-old Elijah McClain after being administered a fatal dose of ketamine by first responders in Aurora, Colorado back in 2019, the police officers and paramedics involved have all been charged with criminally-negligent homicide and manslaughter.
New forensic science techniques have been developed that will enable law enforcement agencies to recover human DNA from the surfaces of pills and capsules, which authorities hope will help them identify who has handled illicit substances that are seized by police. This means that anyone touching an MDMA capsule or ecstasy pill for as little as 15 seconds during their production, assembly, or distribution could be identified using this new technology.
A new Hulu show called Nine Perfect Strangers is the latest mainstream production to feature psychedelic use, and apparently it’s fairly problematic. I haven’t watched it yet myself but from what I’ve read, the plot involves a wellness guru who runs a retreat where she gives attendees microdoses of psilocybin without their knowledge or consent. It should go without saying that this is not cool and dosing others without them knowing it is unethical and potentially extremely dangerous. I’m going to reserve any judgment on this show until I make time to check it out myself, but now you’ll have at least a little bit of an idea about it in case anyone you know mentions it to you.
There is an update on the story involving Jake Angeli, AKA the “QAnon Shaman” who participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th of this year. Earlier this month Angeli plead guilty to one of the most serious of his six charges and could face a maximum of 20 years in prison, although his lack of a criminal record will likely mean he will serve much less time.
The ongoing global labor shortage means that employers around the world are finding it difficult to hire employees, and screening them for drug use is making things even harder. As a result, many companies are getting rid of drug tests in an effort to attract more applicants, fill vacancies, and keep their existing workers.
Hiring wasn’t the only thing that was impacted during the pandemic—it turns out that cannabis arrests in the U.S. declined significantly during 2020, according to data released by the FBI. Still, more than 350k marijuana-related arrests were made last year, mostly in states that have not yet decriminalized or legalized possession and use of the plant.
Wrapping up this month’s recap is a story out of Canada where a group of drug users and drug policy reformers are so fed up with the drug war that they are suing the government. The non-profit organization is known as the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs and they are claiming that the Canadian government is responsible for fatal overdoses because it requires users to go to the illegal market and purchase unsafe drugs from a toxic drug supply.
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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