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

• The Elephant in the Room is LSD (Lucid News)

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

• What’s the Best Way To Take 5-MeO-DMT in a Clinical Trial? (Technology Networks)

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

• Exploring Ketamine’s Antimicrobial Effects & Fungal Sources: Part 1 (Psychedelic Science Review)

• The 'normalised' drug that the UK takes more of than any other country (Liverpool Echo)

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

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• Two psychedelic-related initiatives may be on the 2022 Colorado ballot (The Denver Channel)

• Alliance launches to advance psychedelic healthcare in Europe (Psychedelic Health)

• After Six-Decade Hiatus, Experimental Psychedelic Therapy Returns to the V.A. (The New York Times)

• States are embracing psychedelics, paving the way for FDA approval (DoubleBlind)

• Rabbi Ben Gorelick Plans to Use Religious Freedom Against an 8-Year Minimum Psychedelic Charge (High Times)

• Numinus Applies for International Patent Filing of Psychedelics Production Process (Psychedelic Alpha)

• The New Psychedelic Plot (The Wall Street Journal)

• Efforts to Decriminalize Psychedelics Can Extend to Rural Places, Too (The Daily Yonder)

• Recreational psychedelics remain far behind on legalization path (Pique Newsmagazine)

• Psychedelic Therapy Will Not Save Us (Mad in America)

• Mummies who mushroom: The mums using psychedelics to take the edge off modern parenthood (Harpers Bazaar)

• Extending the Reach of Psychedelic Therapy With Psychoplastogens (Technology Networks)

• The Great Microdosing Debate (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• Celebrating the Psychedelic Dawn (Lucid News)

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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.

This Week in Psychoactives - 2.15.19

CANNABIS

• Senator Files '420' Marijuana Bill To Legalize It Federally (Forbes)

• Mexican Senate Report Lays Out Marijuana Legalization Considerations (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Legalization Bill At Committee Hearing (Marijuana Moment)

• Oregon has more legal cannabis than the state can consume in six years (Quartz)

• States With Legal Medical Marijuana Have Lower Teen Use Rates, Large-Scale Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Why CBD Works Better With a Little THC (Even If You Don’t Want to Get High) (Leafly)

• Study Shows How Marijuana Component CBD Can Help People With Substance Use Disorders (Marijuana Moment)

• Veterans Medical Marijuana Access Legislation Introduced In House and Senate (NORML)

• European Parliament Approves Medical Marijuana Resolution (Marijuana Moment)

• Bill to Provide Greater Access for Virginia Medical Cannabis Patients Succeeds (NORML)

• Missouri Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Expungement Bill For Medical Cannabis Patients (Marijuana Moment)

• Kamala Harris Got So High Smoking Weed in College She Thought She Was Listening To Snoop Dogg and Tupac (Reason)

• Where Presidential Candidate Amy Klobuchar Stands On Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• Michigan’s First Cannabis Lounge Is the Chill Alternative to Bars (Leafly)

• Marijuana possession bill reintroduced in state Senate (Winston-Salem Journal)

• Maury Povich Smoked A Marijuana Strain Named After His Wife, Journalist Connie Chung (Marijuana Moment)

• Dan Bilzerian's Weed Company Is Keeping Sexist Cannabis Ads Alive (VICE)

• If you support marijuana legalization, you should support safe injection sites (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Here's How New Mothers are Using CBD to Combat Baby Brain (Civilized)

• Aurora Cannabis earnings show big growth in pot sales, but worrisome profit trend (MarketWatch)

LSD

• The Man who Mapped LSD (OUPblog)

• Microdoses of LSD change how you perceive time (Big Think)

• Amanda Feilding: ‘LSD can get deep down and reset the brain – like shaking up a snow globe’ (The Guardian)

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

• $1m kicked into campaign for magic mushroom therapy (The Sydney Morning Herald)

• Push to legalize psychedelic mushrooms gains traction in Eugene (KEZI)

• Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Are Having a Moment. Here's What It's All About. (Cheddar)

• Magic Mushrooms Show Promising Results for Treating PTSD and Depression (San Diego Entertainer Magazine)

MDMA

• MDMA Users May Have a Social Advantage Over People Who Use Other Drugs (Inverse)

• Israel's Health Ministry Approves Compassionate Use of MDMA to Treat PTSD (Haaretz)

• MDMA Expanded Access is almost here. What’s it all about? (Psymposia)

• Use of Ecstasy spreading in Cebu: PDEA 7 (Sun.Star)

• Police issue a warning for yellow octopus ecstasy pills (Mixmag)

• Daniel Eades, 19, took MDMA at Halo and Wetherspoon (Bournemouth Echo)

• Young dad dies after taking ecstasy on New Year's Eve (Derbyshire Live)

AYAHUASCA

• The First Indigenous Ayahuasca Conference (Yubaka Hayrá) in Acre Demonstrates Political, Cultural and Spiritual Resistance (Chacruna)

• Ayahuasca Shows Huge Potential As a Treatment For Severe Depression (Reset.me)

• What Ayahuasca is Trying to Teach Us: An Interview with Dennis McKenna (Reality Sandwich)

• Mindful Eating as a support for Ayahuasca Dieta (Tam Integration)

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS

• Severe bleeding associated with use of tainted synthetic cannabinoids (AAP News)

• Colorectal cancer: Scientists halt growth with cannabinoid compounds (Medical News Today)

• Children as young as THREE are treated in hospital after taking Spice as Britain's synthetic drug crisis deepens (Daily Mail)

NITROUS OXIDE

• Laughing gas now an option for women giving birth (Everything Lubbock)

• Residents 'disgusted' after piles of 'hippy crack' canisters dumped outside Cambridge home (Cambridgeshire Live)

• Everything you need to know about nangs, the worrying craze growing amongst Aussie teens. (Mamamia)

KETAMINE

• Taking Ketamine Can Feel a Lot Like a Near-Death Experience (Tonic)

• F.D.A. Panel Recommends New Depression Treatment (The New York Times)

• Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles Commemorates Five Years of Patient Success Stories (New Kerala)

PCP

• Man who killed USA Today reporter in PCP-fueled crash sentenced to six years in prison (The Washington Post)

OPIATES/OPIOIDS

• When the Cure Is Worse Than the Disease (The New York Times)

• Mapping the Opioid Epidemic (New America)

• Overdose remedy naloxone now carried by all Ventura police officers (Ventura County Star)

• Mass. Issues Guidelines After Boston Nurse Was Denied Life Insurance For Carrying Naloxone (WBUR)

• Even in best-case scenario, opioid overdose deaths will keep rising until 2022 (Los Angeles Times)

• Opioid-Related Deaths Decreasing in Iowa, Report Shows (WHO-TV)

• Veterinarian sentenced to 6 years for stitching heroin into puppies and turning them into drug mules (INSIDER)

• Why the Rural Opioid Crisis Is Different From the Urban One (CityLab)

• Opium cultivation business squeezed by market shift towards meth (Myanmar Times)

• Vet saves Victoria puppy with naloxone injection (Maple Ridge News)

• Offer: help solve the opioid crisis, have your student loans forgiven (Rooster Magazine)

• Indy coffee shop is the newest place to offer life-saving drug naloxone (Fox 59)

• Coroner: No carfentanil spike locally, but OD deaths are up (Dayton Daily News)

• 'Church Of Safe Injection' Offers Needles, Naloxone To Prevent Opioid Overdoses (NPR)

• It's too late to save my son's life, but this drug can save others (The Sacramento Bee)

• Houston Cop Involved in Deadly Drug Raid Relieved of Duty Due to 'Ongoing Questions' (Reason)

• Naloxone training could help save numerous lives (KVAL)

METHAMPHETAMINE

• Crystal Meth Is North Korea's Trendiest Lunar New Year's Gift (The New York Times)

• Officials: Iowa sees higher-quality meth, increased drug use (The Daily Nonpareil)

BENZODIAZEPINES

• The Deadly Worst Case Scenario for America's Xanax Obsession (VICE)

ALCOHOL

• Beer before wine, you'll feel fine? Not according to a new study (CTV News)

• More than 100 dead after drinking bootleg alcohol in India (Reuters)

• Man 'under influence of alcohol' allegedly beats stepdaughter to death (Jakarta Post)

• How heavy drinking might boost your appetite for alcohol (Health24)

• Alcohol Problems Grow as Booze Gets a Bigger Kick (WebMD)

• Alcohol’s effects on the brain (The Ithacan)

• Plan to raise alcohol limits in beer at Utah stores approved (Cache Valley Daily)

• Report says Utah has lowest alcohol consumption per capita in country (KUTV 2News)

• Thousands sign petition to stop ban of alcohol on some Michigan rivers (WXYZ)

• I Stopped Drinking For 30 Days — & My Skin Got So Much Better (Refinery29)

• Giving up alcohol made our lives better — and turned us into terrible guests (The Washington Post)

ABSINTHE

• Does absinthe really make drinkers hallucinate? (Fox News)

NOOTROPICS

• Brain‑Enhancing 'Smart Drugs' Promise a Boost in Creativity, Memory (The Swaddle)

• Seven Mental and Athletic Performance Benefits of Nootropics (Youth Health Magazine)

• Noopept: one of the most potent brain boosters on the market (London Post)

KRATOM

• Kratom Is A Drug, But Indonesia Really Wants It To Remain An Unlicensed Supplement (Science 2.0)

• The FDA is wrong about kratom (The Washington Post)

• Regulations Are On Hold as Kratom Debate Rages (WebMD)

• Kratom No Longer Allowed In Columbus (WCBI)

• What Is Kratom & Why Is It Being Used For Opiate Self-Detox? (Psychology Today)

• Miracle treatment or dangerous drug? (The Star Online)

MISCELLANEOUS

• El Chapo, the Notorious Drug Kingpin, Has Been Found Guilty in His U.S. Trial (TIME)

• 'Kitty Flipping' and the Psychonaut Obsession with Mixing Drugs (VICE)

• FDA explores using blockchain to track drug supplies (Engadget)

• How Brexit Will Shape Britain's Drug Supply (VICE)

• GOP Iowa lawmaker proposes decriminalizing psychedelic drugs for medical use (The Hill)

• Sri Lanka hiring hangmen, inspired by Philippines' war on drugs (Reuters)

• Will El Chapo's conviction change anything in the drug trade? (The Guardian)

• Victoria city councillors call on B.C. to provide safe-inhalation sites for drugs (Times Colonist)

• Tennessee bill would charge pregnant women using drugs if baby born addicted (KMPH)

• Students Turn To Study Drugs And Alcohol To Cope With Campus Life (Forbes)

• Is there something divine about gender and psychedelics? (The Psychedelic Scientist)

• Microdosing Hallucinogens Has Positive Effects—but Not What You Might Suspect (Pacific Standard)

• Riverstyx: A Small Family Foundation That Funds Psychedelic Research and Other Fringe Causes (Inside Philanthropy)

• Sex On Drugs (PSU Vanguard)

• The case for drug decriminalization in Baltimore (The Baltimore Sun)

• Japan managed to win its war on drugs, why can’t we? (The Spectator)

• Trip Sitters and Conscious Bachelorette: Interview with Chi of Truffles Therapy (Psychedelic Times)

• Psychedelics Live Up to Early Promise (Discover Magazine)

• How 'Russian Doll' flirts with psychedelic therapy (The Outline)

• Becoming an Entheogen (Medium)

• Psychedelic Meditation (The Third Wave)

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On the Monday following each edition of “This Week in Psychoactives,” I post a “Last Week in Psychoactives” video recap to my YouTube channel. After that is done, I retroactively add the video to the corresponding blog post. Here is this week’s video recap:

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

Image by Psychedelic Astronaut.

This Week in Psychedelics - 5.18.18

Cannabis

• Historic House Appropriations Committee Vote On Marijuana (NORML)
• YouTube's cannabis content purge "a huge loss of cultural history" (Straight Cannabis)
• U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer Says Cannabis May Be De-Regulated Nationwide Within Four Years (Willamette Week)
• Legalising cannabis ‘would save £900m’ (The Times)
• State Democrats plan to endorse marijuana legalization (New York Post)
• State Marijuana Laws Dodge Supreme Court Bullet (Marijuana Moment)
• Doctors Want More Information on Medical Cannabis, Study Finds (Leafly)
• Texas Health Department Considers Cracking Down on CBD (Reason)
• Many U.S. Oncologists Recommending Medical Marijuana (Hemp Gazette)
• 4 Must-Read Quotes on Marijuana From DEA Head Robert Patterson (The Motley Fool)
• California Cannabis Regulations May Make Weed Shippers Report Themselves to the Feds (WIRED)
• Drugs Minister banned from talking about pot — as hubby runs giant cannabis farm (The Sun)
• Canadian pot growers say marijuana byproduct a wasted opportunity for industry (ChatNewsToday)
• These Experts Say Weed Could Help Ease Your Endometriosis Pain (POPSUGAR)
• On marijuana and opioids — the DEA has no clue what it’s talking about (The Hill)
• Marijuana Users Don't Mind Being Labeled Stoners And Potheads (Forbes)
• The Legacy of Stop-and-Frisk in New York's Marijuana Arrests (The New York Times)
• Chittenden, Windsor set plans to erase marijuana convictions (VTDigger)
• Cannabis use up among parents with children in the home (Science Daily)
• Oregon Cannabis Growers Turning to Hemp as CBD Extract Booms (Leafly)
• Cannabis Advocates Defend Cynthia Nixon's 'Reparations' Comments (Forbes)
• Marijuana Could Be A $3.1B Business In New York, Report Finds (Patch)
• Cannabis Cup At Cal Expo Will Have Marijuana After City Council Vote (CBS Sacramento)
• We Can’t Avoid Menopause But Cannabis Makes It Easier (Leafly)
• Chart: Putting the $55 billion US retail cannabis market in perspective (Marijuana Business Daily)
• Cannabidiol significantly reduces seizures in patients with severe form of epilepsy (PsyPost)
• Weed legal states often have fewest drug problems (Rooster Magazine)
• Cannabis bills get mixed reception from Legislature (Colorado Springs Independent)
• Can Massachusetts become a leader in marijuana research? (MassLive)
• Arizona veterans hope federal bill clears path for cannabis research in the VA (Arizona's Family)
• Part 3, How to Start a Cannabis ‘Mother Plant’ (Leafly)
• Marijuana-Growing Nuns Documentary ‘Breaking Habits’ Sells to Cranked Up (Variety)
• California Today: A Start-Up Steps Up to Help Sweep Away Old Pot Convictions (The New York Times)
• Medlab kicks off cannabis spray trial for cancer patients at Royal North Shore hospital (Stockhead)
• Two District Attorneys May Stop Prosecuting Most Marijuana Offenses (The New York Times)
• Most Georgians want legal recreational cannabis, poll shows (Marijuana Business Daily)
• New Study Highlights The Social Impacts Of Cannabis Legalization In California (Forbes)
• Medical Cannabis Is So Expensive, This Mum Might 'End Up On The Street' (Ten Daily)
• What Do Cannabis Entrepreneurs Owe Victims of the Drug War? (Reason)
• Should Florida let patients smoke medical marijuana? A judge will now decide (Miami Herald)
• He lost his daughter, his future, all because of something that's now legal (Rooster Magazine)
• Big Opportunities In Europe's Cannabis Market Come With Big Risks (Forbes)
• Medical cannabis should be legalised, says Royal College of Nursing (The Telegraph)
• California cannot afford to wait on banking for cannabis businesses (The Sacramento Bee)
• Meet the New Faces of Cannabis—10 People Now Shaping Legal Weed in Oregon (Willamette Week)
• Bill Shorten Says Conservative Politicians Need To "Get Out Of The Way" Of Medical Cannabis Patients (BuzzFeed News)
• BDS Analytics, a Boulder-based cannabis data leader, lands $3.5 million investment (The Denver Post)
• RAND Study Says Cannabis Ads May Increase Underage Use (Leafly)
• How One Chocolatier Wants to Bring Luxury Cannabis to a Mall Near You (Eater)
• Nina Fern: "The Highly" Intellectual Cannabis Periodical (Forbes)

LSD

• Might LSD be good for you? (The Spectator)
• Silicon Valley's long obsession with LSD (Big Think)
• Take a hit of acid and call me in the morning (The Boston Globe)
• Webb: Indiana lawmakers to 'study' medical marijuana. They should look at LSD, too. (Evansville Courier and Press)
• LSD to make a comeback? (Swissinfo)
• Will LSD cure my Brexit obsession? (The Spectator)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Denver And Oregon Now Want To Legalize Psychedelic Mushrooms (The Fresh Toast)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• Brieing is the new cheese and MDMA drug craze middle class women are trying (Metro)
• The College Student’s Guide To MDMA, Aka Molly (Study Breaks)
• Dutch researchers find ecstasy and cocaine are getting stronger (Mixmag)
• MDMA Opens Door for PTSD Patients to Work Through Trauma (UConn Today)
• DanceSafe Warns Against Super-Strong UPS Shaped Ecstasy Pills (Your EDM)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• What It's Like to Take Ayahuasca at a Psychedelic Healing Retreat (VICE)

Salvia Divinorum

• Salvia and Sage: Nature’s Elixir of Health (The Sun-Gazette)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• 'Spice epidemic in jails risk to nurses' (BBC)

Dissociatives

• Intranasal Ketamine Succeeds for Resistant Depression in Phase 3 Trial (Medscape)
• Specific Features in Mood Disorders May Affect Outcome of Ketamine Treatment (MD Magazine)
• Lily Allen kicked out of awards after accidental ketamine trip (Daily Star)

Opiates/Opioids

• This ‘cure’ only makes the opioid crisis worse (New York Post)
• The Challenge of Ensuring Accessibility to Naloxone for Those Who Need It Most (The American Journal of Managed Care)
• Opioid Death Rates Are Not Correlated With Prescription Rates Across States (Reason)
• Would Naloxone Training Save Lives? (TechnoStalls)
• The County’s Sitting on Thousands of Doses of Naloxone (Voice of San Diego)
• FDA Head Acknowledges Suffering Caused by Opioid Crackdown (Reason)
• Naloxone Reverses Deadly Overdoses, But Then What? (North Carolina Health News)
• Nevada Records Show 'Opioid-Related' Deaths Usually Involve Illicit Drugs or Mixtures (Reason)

Kratom

• Kratom Legalization! Explore What New Research States About It (Kratom Guides)
• Why Is Kratom So Much Controversial? (Kratom Guides)
• Lawmakers urge Louisiana Department of Health to study kratom: why? (Best of New Orleans)
• Kratom: A dangerous opioid or natural panacea? (WTVD)
• Drug expert says ‘kratom’ substance seized from two Edmonton stores helped wean him off opioids (The Star)

Kava

• Kava Is the Alternative High You Need to Know About (The Manual)
• Vanuatu confident of meeting kava target (Radio New Zealand)

Khat

• Why Ethiopian farmers choose Khat over coffee (Reuters)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Michael Pollan: ‘I was a very reluctant psychonaut’ (The Guardian)
• Global Study Finds Tobacco, Alcohol More Harmful Than Illicit Drugs (High Times)
• The struggle to turn psychedelics into life-changing treatments (WIRED)
• Can Psychedelic Drugs Be Medically Useful? (The Wall Street Journal)
• The case for legalising drugs is overwhelming – so why won't governments listen? (The Telegraph)
• Britain's first ever city centre recreational drug testing facility opens in Bristol (ITV News)
• Michael Pollan Opens Up About His Powerful Psilocybin Trip on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show (Psychedelic Frontier)
• Drug Use by State: 2018’s Problem Areas (WalletHub)
• Introduction to Cognitive Enhancement, Microdosing, and Nootropics (Psychedelic Times)
• Carl Jung on Why You Should Be Wary of Psychedelics (Psychedelic Frontier)
• How Often Should Psychedelics Be Done? (Psychedelic Heaven)
• Completed suicide among methamphetamine users: A national study (Drug and Alcohol Research Connections)
• My Adventures With the Trip Doctors (The New York Times)
• How to meditate on psychedelics with Vincent Horn of Meditate.io (Psymposia)
• Northern Ireland drug offences rise by 20% (BBC)
• After the Ceremony Ends: An Interview with Dr. Katherine Coder Pt. 1 (Psychedelic Times)
• Review shows lack of evidence supporting use of antidepressants for insomnia (Medical Xpress)
• Breaking Free From Prohibition: A Human Rights Approach to Successful Drug Reform (Julian Buchanan)
• Movement to Legalize Drug Use Gains in a Former Soviet Republic (The New York Times)
• Oliver North Worked With Cocaine Traffickers to Arm Terrorists. Now He'll Be President of the NRA. (The Intercept)
• Is the ‘war on drugs’ preventing a second revolution in mental health treatment? (WikiTribune)
• After decades of dormancy, psychedelic research makes a comeback (The Globe and Mail)
• With governments asleep, a music festival is leading the world on drug policy (The Canary)
• Thanks to Psychedelic Drugs, "Treatment-resistant" Depression is No Longer a Thing (Andrew Joseph)
• Take it from someone who spent years taking heroin and crack: addiction isn't a physiological problem. It's a mental health one (The Independent)
• When will politicians quit the war on drugs? (UnHerd)
• Walking Backwards, or, The Magical Art of Psychedelic Psychogeography by Greg Humphries & Julian Vayne (Psychedelic Press UK)

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

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

This Week in Psychedelics - 12.1.17

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• Canada: House Members Overwhelmingly Pass Adult Use Regulation Bill (NORML)
• The Swiss cannabis farm aiming to supply 'legal weed' across Europe (The Guardian)
• How Does Cannabis Help PTSD Patients? (High Times)
• New Mexico Study Suggests Medical Cannabis Helps Chronic Pain Patients Reduce Opioid Use (Reason)
• Bipartisan Letter To Congressional Leadership Urges Continued Protections For Medical Marijuana Programs (NORML)
• Inside Paraguay's illegal cannabis plantations (Al Jazeera)
• NIDA Study Finds Underage Cannabis Use Alters Brain Connectivity (Leafly)
• Study Explores Chemical Links Of Cannabis, Exercise, And Sexual Bliss (Forbes)
• Marijuana Can Replace Sleeping Pills (ATTN:)
• Supporters Turn in Petition to Legalize Cannabis in North Dakota (Leafly)
• Cannabis Crunch – Marijuana Tops Conflict Minerals, Florida Ignoring MMJ Law, And We Need More Weed Scientists (Psychedelic Times)
• State Courts Say Early-Morning Pot Raids Were Gratuitous and Illegal (Reason)
• If You Fear Having a Panic Attack From Smoking Weed, Read This Before Lighting Up (POPSUGAR)
• Cannabis could be a boost for state farmers (The Virginia Gazette)
• Sacramento to Consider Greenlighting Jan. 1 Cannabis Sales (Leafly)
• Octavia Wellness Launches "Healing without the High" Cannabis Starter Kit Tailored for Seniors (GlobeNewsWire)
• PBS Travel Host Urges Illinois to Legalize Cannabis (Leafly)
• Rick Steves Testifies In Illinois In Support Of Legalization (NORML)
• Two New Import Deals Hurry Medical Cannabis Into Australia (Leafly)
• Setting The Record Straight (NORML)
• Proposed Tax Amendments Would Benefit Cannabis Industry (Leafly)
• Hawaii, Which Registers Guns and Medical Marijuana Users, Starts Disarming Patients (Reason)
• Here's Why VR and Cannabis Are a Match Made in Heaven (Leafly)
• Medicinal cannabis: Health Minister signs licence for Ava Barry (BBC)
• Cannabis plants destroyed (The Hindu)

LSD

• Could LSD Be the Right Prescription for the Terminally Ill? (The Daily Beast)
• Why It Feels Like You Can Communicate with Nature on LSD (VICE)
• LSD modulates effective connectivity and neural adaptation mechanisms in an auditory oddball paradigm (ScienceDirect)
• Applying to Law School on LSD (Psymposia)
• 'It isn't for everyone and I respect that': Byron Bay hipster Mitch Gobel triggers drug debate on social media after comparing 'freedom' to 'LSD' (Daily Mail)
• NEW: Judge approves hiring expert to determine LSD's role in stabbing death of Leah Marie Adams (The Winchester Star)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Could These Magic Mushrooms Help Improve Our Political Climate? (The Alternative Daily)
• After marijuana, are magic mushrooms next to be decriminalised in California? (The Guardian)
• US Mayoral Runner-Up Says Magic Mushrooms Can Help Deal With 'Trump, Brexit' (Sputnik News)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• New figures show steadily increasing use of cocaine in Auckland, spike in MDMA usage (New Zealand Herald)
• Killer ecstasy pill warning: These car-themed 'turbo' drugs contain DEADLY MDMA levels (Daily Star)
• Son of former Chilworth council leader dies of ecstasy overdose (Daily Echo)
• Lad, 24, found dead in bed by his mum after taking two MDMA tablets at party (The Scottish Sun)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• Brazil is giving prisoners ayahuasca as part of their rehab (Salon)
• What Is Ayahuasca? Psychedelic Drug Used by Ancient Religions Is Trendy but Could Have Serious Benefits (Newsweek)
• Ayahuasca Helped Me Get Over My Divorce (Tonic)
• Amazon Jungle Drug Could Be Potential Treatment for Depression (Healthline)
• The day I drank ayahuasca, the illegal brew (The Times)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• 'Legal highs' posing a big challenge to Bengaluru's NCB sleuths (Deccan Chronicle)

Dissociatives

• Ketamine effective as migraine treatment (Healio)
• Intranasal Ketamine or Fentanyl for Children: Similar Analgesia, Disproportionate Side Effects (Anesthesiology News)
• Entertainment Outlets Busted For Serving Ketamine-Drug Flavoured Ice Tea Drinks (Malaysian Digest)
• 'Party drug' may be a lifesaver to many (Boston Herald)
• Suspect in fatal Springfield fire was naked, high on PCP and claimed 'she was god', arrest report says (MassLive)

Opiates/Opioids

• This Country Could Soon Legalize Cannabis And Opium (High Times)
• U.S. strikes on Taliban opium labs won't work, say Afghan farmers (Reuters)
• Bring Back the Opium Den, Say Drug Campaigners (Gizmodo)
• The Justice Department's New Opioid 'Tools' Are All About Escalating the Drug War (Reason)
• Management of Suspected Opioid Overdose With Naloxone in Out-of-Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review (Annals of Internal Medicine)

Kratom

• Reader: Big Pharma Would Lose Billions If People Knew the Truth About Kratom (Westword)
• National Expert: No Cases Show Deaths Solely From Coffee-Like Herb Kratom, Which Should Be Handled No Differently Than Other Substances (PR Newswire)
• Can Kratom Be Patented? (Pain News Network)
• Oregon's Public Health Officer Says Kratom Buyers Beware (OPB News)
• If Kratom Sales Are Banned, Advocate Says, Users May Go Back to Heroin (Westword)
• Locals react to FDA advisory citing kratom dangers (WTSP)
• Kratom sales continue despite FDA report on dangers (KOIN)

Kava

• Kraving Kava? Carrboro's first kava bar provides a relaxing experience (The Daily Tar Heel)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• What It's Like to Smoke the World's Strongest Psychedelic Toad Venom (VICE)
• Drug Checking – How People Use It And What Do They Learn (VolteFace)
• Scientists Have Built a 'Hallucination Machine' For a Drug-Free Brain Trip (ScienceAlert)
• How Should Plant Medicines Be Regulated? (Chacruna)
• Transformational Tripping (High Times)
• The Psychedelic Gospels: Interview with Jerry Brown, Ph.D. (Psychedelic Times)
• Science Says: Psychedelic Users Less Likely To Commit Violent Crimes (Dance Music Northwest)
• Can psychedelics help cancer survivors shake death anxiety? (Salon)
• How Zendo Training Taught Me To Calm Freaked-Out Festival Fans (Leafly)
• How a little bit of drugs can make your boss a better boss (TNW)
• Drug Overdoses Claimed More American Lives Than the Vietnam War (ATTN:)
• Can Psychedelics Make Us More Content? (Big Think)

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

Weekend Thoughts - 12.17.16

Image by Mydhili Bayyapunedi, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all! Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. Disinfo dedicated an article to 2016 as the "year of disinformation". From England voting to leave the European Union to Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. 2016 Presidential Election, myriad global events were affected by "fake news". Influential companies like Google and Facebook are planning to develop filtering systems that will reduce or eliminate "fake news" stories, but that brings to mind many questions. Who will assess whether a story is legitimate or not? Will non-mainstream news sources be at a disadvantage? And ultimately, these companies may be more focused on making money than accurately identifying a true journalistic attempt versus clickbait. Although "fake news" has been around for a long time, it may be more prevalent than ever. That means that we must be personally accountable and stay vigilant—don't believe everything you read, see, or hear, and don't share any news without verifying its veracity first.

2. Along a similar vein, Edward Snowden was interviewed by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Periscope. Their conversation covered the proliferation of "fake news", the issues with metadata surveillance, an imbalance in privacy (private citizens increasingly have no privacy while public officials have maintained their levels of privacy), and some feature suggestions for Twitter to consider implementing. It's an excellent interview and definitely worth viewing.

That's all for this week's edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.