This Week in Psychedelics - 11.13.20

Cannabis

• House will vote on cannabis legalization bill in December (Politico)

• Mexican Senators Will Vote On Revised Marijuana Legalization Bill This Week (Marijuana Moment)

• Can Marijuana Help Biden Heal a Divided Nation? (Bloomberg)

• Marijuana Reform Omitted From Biden Transition Plan On Racial Equity Despite Campaign Pledges (Marijuana Moment)

• Gallup: Record Percentage of Americans Say “Marijuana Should Be Made Legal” (NORML)

• New Jersey Committees Cancel Marijuana Sales Bill Votes Amid Disputes Over Provisions (Marijuana Moment)

• Virginia: Legislation Barring Police from Using Marijuana Odor to Stop or Search Takes Effect Early 2021 (NORML)

• Texas Lawmakers Pre-File Marijuana Bills For 2021 Session (Marijuana Moment)

• People around the country keep voting for marijuana. Here's why that's unlikely in NC. (The News & Observer)

• Montana Marijuana Opponents File New Lawsuit To Overturn Legalization Vote (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis May Have Negative Effects On Sperm, Review Finds (Benzinga)

• Marijuana Regulators From 19 States Form Group To Coordinate Legalization Implementation (Marijuana Moment)

• After heart attack, pot smoking raises post-op dangers (Medical Xpress)

LSD

• Free Love and LSD: Photos of Life in a 70s Commune (VICE)

Magic Mushrooms

• Bill to decriminalize marijuana in N.J. passes in committee — and is amended to include hallucinogenic mushrooms (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

• Revive Therapeutics Provides Update on Oral Thin Film Product with Psilocybin (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Niños Santos, Psilocybin Mushrooms and the Psychedelic Renaissance (Chacruna)

• NeonMind Obtains Health Canada Approval to Advance Psilocybin Research (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• MDMA does not increase trust or cause a hangover, study says (New York Post)

DMT

• Meet the Man Who Brought DMT to the Masses (VICE)

Ayahuasca

• The Ayahuasca Afterglow Phenomenon: Exploring Its Significance and Limitations (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Jordi Riba and the Challenges of Studying Ayahuasca (Psychedelic Science Review)

Ketamine

• New Program Brings Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy to Canadian Vets (Lucid News)

• Silo Wellness Announces the First-of-Its-Kind U.S.-Legal Psychedelic Wellness Nature Retreat in Oregon (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Microscopes, Telescopes, and Ketamine (The Third Wave)

Miscellaneous

• California Could Decriminalize Psychedelics Under New State And Local Proposals (Marijuana Moment)

• What happens when psychedelics make you see God (Popular Science)

• Psychedelics Won the Election—Except the Psychedelic that is Donald Trump (DoubleBlind)

• Can Microdosing Make You a Better Athlete? (Playboy)

• DEA Pursues Vast Expansion of Patient Surveillance (Filter)

• The Cost of Exclusion in Psychedelic Research (Bill of Health)

• Here’s why Black people in the UK are turning to psychedelics (gal-dem)

• Psychedelic Scientists Should Honor Indigenous Plants and Traditions (Chacruna)

• Europe's Teenage Drug Use Hotspots Revealed By New Study (VICE)

• A Handful of Start-Ups Is Developing Psychedelic Drugs for Mental Illnesses. It Could Be a Bad Trip for Investors. (Barron's)

• Banned Lecture of Getting Higher (Psychedelic Press UK)

• The Cost of Omission: Dr. Valentina Wasson and Getting Our Stories Right (Chacruna)

• Cybin Goes Public on the NEO Exchange Under Symbol CYBN (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Silo Pharma, Inc. Launches Scientific Advisory Board with Appointment of Dr. Matthew Johnson of John Hopkins University (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Can Psychedelics Treat Eating Disorders? (DoubleBlind)

• Growing Up with Sacred Plants (Chacruna)

• Entheon Biomedical Corp. Commences Trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (Psilocybin Alpha)

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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 catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

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.

Book Review - Getting Higher

Whether you are an experienced psychonaut or a first-time tripper, absorbing understandable and accurate advice about the psychedelic experience before embarking on an entheogenic journey can be extremely valuable. Although I have several years worth of personal experience and tips and tricks that I have picked up from many sources along the way, I was pleasantly surprised to find Julian Vayne's book Getting Higher: The Manual of Psychedelic Ceremony to contain plenty of suggestions and ideas that were new to me, which I will gladly be able to bring to my own psychedelic practice.

A section titled "Setting Out" describes a variety of things that someone may consider doing before embarking on a psychedelic journey, including cleansing the body with a bath or shower, fasting or making other intentional dietary changes, carefully choosing the clothes they are going to wear, cleaning and decorating the physical space, saying prayers or setting an intention, and lighting candles or incense. Additionally, choosing a group of people to trip with that have mutual trust and respect should be a priority. The end of a psychedelic ceremony can involve a formal conclusion to the session. For example, you could give thanks to the spirits of the medicine, extinguish a fire that has been burning through the night, or open the curtains to let the light in, if the experience has happened inside.

The next chapter introduces the concept of practices that can be done outside of psychedelic ceremony that will help you navigate the psychedelic experience. These include breathwork, meditation, various activities involving sound (such as listening to pre-recorded music, making music, drumming, singing, chanting mantras), and a vast array of different types of movements (synchronized or freeform spontaneous dancing, checking in on one's posture and balance, gestures, sensual and sexual activities, etc.).

Another chapter focuses on activities that can be done while high that will guide or intensify the experience for the psychonaut, such as artistic explorations like drawing or painting, consciously consuming content, holding or observing objects that are significant to the tripper, playing games, going on a journey in nature, venturing into a museum on a "museum level" dose, participating at a rave or music festival, experimenting with divinatory practices like tarot or the I Ching, and creating an environment of sensory deprivation like with a float tank. Vayne also goes into great detail about how to plan, organize, and execute an effective medicine circle, which is a way to have a structured—yet highly meaningful—psychedelic experience in a group setting. In fact, there are several descriptions of ceremonies scattered throughout the book that are provided so the reader can gain ideas and inspiration for creating their own unique practice.

Although there can sometimes be a feeling in the psychedelic community that it is imperative to the success of the movement for its members to approach and speak about psychedelics exclusively in a serious manner, Vayne suggests that strict divisions between the concepts of using psychedelics for spirituality, play, and enjoyment are not needed. I tend to agree.

While it is not a primary focus of the book, it does include some scientific research. For example, there is a small section regarding the effects that psychedelics have on the physiological health of the human brain. Research has shown that psychedelics may enhance organic brain processes such as neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain cells to form new connections), and the compounds found in some psychedelics have been demonstrated to cause neurogenesis (the formation of neurons from neural stem cells) in vitro. There are a few more scientific snippets in the book, but it mainly looks at what one can do to create the most optimal conditions for a psychedelic experience.

I was ultimately extremely impressed by Getting Higher, which contains plenty of legitimate advice for psychonauts wishing to take their trips to new levels of intensity or learn how to move through the psychedelic space more effectively. This book is certainly worth reading, regardless of one's skill level with psychedelics, but I do feel like it may be appreciated more by people who have had a few trips under their belt than by complete novices. Perhaps this will even increase the re-readability of this book—for me at least. Only time will tell. However, I am confident that the suggestions in Getting Higher that I highlighted and/or wrote down in my own notes will be helpful for my own psychedelic practice for years to come.

4/5 stars. 135 pages.

This Week in Psychedelics - 1.12.18

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Cannabis

• Vermont State House Passes Marijuana Legalization (NORML)
• More Americans Want to Legalize Marijuana Than Ever Before (TIME)
• New Hampshire House Votes to Legalize Marijuana Possession and Cultivation (NORML)
• Australia to Allow Export of Cannabis-Based Medicines (Voice of America)
• A Top Cannabis Lawyer on What Losing the Cole Memo Means (Leafly)
• 'Sorry Bro.' Coachella Bans Marijuana Even Though California Just Made it Legal (TIME)
• Democrats and Republicans Reject Recent Action by AG Sessions (NORML)
• Kansas Rep. Steve Alford Apologizes for Racist Comments Linking Black People to Marijuana (TIME)
• Fear of Mexicans, Not Blacks, Led Kansas to Ban Marijuana (Reason)
• Will New York Finally Consider Legalizing Cannabis This Week? (Forbes)
• The challenge of showcasing weed tech at CES (Engadget)
• CHP Seizure of Legal Cannabis Outrages California Farmers (Leafly)
• Oklahoma: Voters To Decide In June On Sweeping Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative (NORML)
• 4 Things Congress Can Do to Stop a Cannabis Crackdown (Reason)
• Here's Why a Marijuana Crackdown Could Spell Disaster for Republicans (TIME)
• This Marijuana Reform T-Shirt Cost Iowa Taxpayers Half a Million Bucks (Reason)
• Cannabis Crunch Monthly – What's In Store For Marijuana In 2018 (Psychedelic Times)
• Unregulated sales of cannabis oil spike in Iowa (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Light-sensitive THC: Intoxicatingly light-sensitive (ScienceDaily)
• NORML Endorses SQ 788: Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Access Initiative (NORML)
• Canopy Growth: Best Way To Play The Cannabis Industry (Seeking Alpha)
• Federalists Can't Support a Cannabis Crackdown (Reason)
• In the Fight Over LA Weekly, Cannabis Companies Are Caught in the Middle (Leafly)
• SF cannabis stores open for city's first day of recreational pot sales (SFGate)
• Cannabis Insiders Share 2018 Industry Wishes (Forbes)
• 'Breeding Is an Art Form': An Interview with Cannabis Cup Champion, Exotic Genetix (Leafly)
• California Cannabis Rush May Not Bring A Fortune For Stock Investors (Seeking Alpha)
• Elderly Christmas Cannabis Couple Arrested Again, Facing New Drug Charges (NPR)

LSD

• Wormwood review – LSD, the CIA and the mysterious death of an army scientist (The Guardian)
• Nixon's Manhunt For The High Priest Of LSD In 'The Most Dangerous Man In America' (NPR)
• Kacey Musgraves Says a Moving LSD Trip Inspired New Song (Wide Open Country)
• California Man's Plot To Dump Tons Of LSD In L.A. Water Supply Thwarted By Police Is Fake News (Business 2 Community)
• Viktor Ivanelo death: Former Croydon student was found hanged in tunnel after taking LSD (Croydon Advertiser)
• Man who was Tasered while on LSD in 2012 loses lawsuit against Harris County (Chron)

Psilocybin/Magic Mushrooms

• Magic mushroom compound might treat depression by reviving emotional responsiveness in the brain (PsyPost)
• A Spore No More: Magic Mushroom Use Reveals Effective Clinical PTSD Treatment (Sputnik International)
• Hunting for Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Eastern Europe (VICE)

MDMA/Ecstasy

• Quarter of 'MDMA' pills tested turn out to be something else (Newshub)
• Secret bitcoin philanthropist backs research of ecstasy as treatment for PTSD (Stripes)
• Dangerously strong batch of ecstasy going around (Newshub)
• Bank clerk, 29, who 'rarely went out drinking' died from an Ecstasy overdose after mixing the drug with alcohol, inquest hears (Daily Mail)
• Tragic teenager died after taking ecstasy at Leeds Festival: Coroner warns taking illicit drugs like playing 'Russian roulette' (Yorkshire Evening Post)

Ayahuasca/DMT

• How Ayahuasca Made This CEO Unplug from the Matrix (High Existence)
• I Took Ayahuasca and It Did Nothing (Tonic)

Iboga/Ibogaine

• The Ibogaine Conversation Pt 11: Is ibogaine the cure for opioid addiction? It's not that simple. (Psymposia)

Salvia Divinorum

• Salvia Leads Chemists on a Psychedelic Existential Journey (Wired)

Synthetic Cannabinoids/Psychoactive Research Chemicals

• Drugs tested at festivals found to be 'much more potent' (Radio New Zealand)
• More festival-goers testing drugs as MDMA substitutes plague black market (TVNZ)

Dissociatives

• Ketamine May Represent an Effective Treatment for the Management of Chronic Noncancer Pain (Clinical Pain Advisor)
• Ketamine shots are a 'powerful' treatment for depression, doctor says (Metro)

Opiates/Opioids

• Scientists Just Solved a Major Piece of the Opioid Puzzle (Wired)
• Could Prescription Heroin And Safe Injection Sites Slow The Opioid Crisis? (KAZU)
• Doctor Had Wife Killed to Keep Her Quiet About Opioid Drug Ring, Police Say (TIME)

Kratom

• Using Kratom To Get Off Alcohol And Withdrawal Symptoms (Kratom Guides)
• CBD Kratom's Customers Swear By Its Product. The Feds Want to Make It Illegal (Riverfront Times)
• Kratom And 5-HTP: Best Supplements To Use For Your Positive Mood And Relaxation (Kratom Guides)

Miscellaneous Psychedelics/Psychoactives/Drug Policy

• Continuing Further Education with Psychedelics (Psychedelic Times)
• Google makes millions from plight of addicts (The Times)
• The Joy of Psychedelic Healing: Interview with Julian Vayne (Psychedelic Times)
• Hamilton's back to use his body as a test subject for the world's craziest drugs (SBS)

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.