This Week in Psychedelics - 2.18.22

Cannabis

• Virginia Senate Votes To Start Recreational Marijuana Sales This September Through Current Medical Dispensaries (Marijuana Moment)

• Sha’Carri Richardson, Suspended Over Marijuana, Suggests Racist Double Standard After Olympics Lets Russian Skater Compete Amid Doping Scandal (Marijuana Moment)

• Israel Announces New Cannabis Decriminalization Plans (High Times)

• Apple Secretly Joined Amazon In Advancing Commercial Cannabis Reform (Forbes)

• New York Lawmakers Send Marijuana Licensing And Equity Bill To Governor’s Desk (Marijuana Moment)

• South African Government to Fast Track Cannabis Reform Regulations (High Times)

• D.C. Mayor Signs Bill To Let Older Patients Get Medical Marijuana Without Doctors And Create 4/20 Cannabis Tax Holiday (Marijuana Moment)

• Marijuana for trauma: Report shows positive effects of medical cannabis (The Jerusalem Post)

• Hawaii Senate Committee Approves Bill To Legalize Marijuana For Senior Citizens 65 And Older (Marijuana Moment)

• Bill To Create State-Run Marijuana Shops In New Hampshire Approved By House (Marijuana Moment)

• Alabama Senators Approve Marijuana Decriminalization And Expungements Bill In Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• South Dakota Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Legalization And Taxation Bills In Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• WA researchers look at potential to use medicinal cannabis for weight loss (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

• GOP Missouri Lawmaker Unveils Wide-Ranging Marijuana Legalization Bill As Others Pursue 2022 Ballot (Marijuana Moment)

• Kentucky Democrats File Bills To Legalize Marijuana (Marijuana Moment)

• Lawmakers, Cops Consider Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization in Pennsylvania (NORML)

• Wyoming Legislators Introduce Cannabis Decriminalization Bill (High Times)

• Maryland Lawmakers Take First Step To Putting Marijuana Legalization On 2022 Ballot With Hearing On Two Bills (Marijuana Moment)

• New York Senate OKs bill to allow hemp farmers to grow adult-use marijuana (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Majority Of Arkansas Voters Back Cannabis Legalization (High Times)

• IRS Official Clarifies That Medical Marijuana Is Not Tax-Deductible Under Federal Law After Misstatement (Marijuana Moment)

• Proposed Bill Could Protect Employees in Colorado who Use Cannabis (High Times)

• Hemp-Reinforced Bobsled and Luge Tracks Debut at Winter Olympics in Beijing (High Times)

LSD

• Another trial finds no evidence LSD microdosing does anything (New Atlas)

• LSD, afterglow and hangover: Increased episodic memory and verbal fluency, decreased cognitive flexibility (Beckley Foundation)

• New study addresses the question; ‘Can LSD boost creativity?’ (leafie)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depression Effective for Up to a Year for Most Patients, Study Shows (Johns Hopkins)

• Top Italian Court Blocks Marijuana And Psilocybin Referendum From Going Before Voters (Marijuana Moment)

• Psilocybin use associated with lowered odds of having been arrested, study finds (PsyPost)

• Oklahoma Lawmakers Approve Psilocybin Decriminalization And Research Bill In Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• Mushroom rabbi grows ceremonial psilocybin for Denver congregation — but is that legal? (The Denver Post)

• Hawaii Senators Approve Psilocybin Task Force Bill In Committee, With Decriminalization Measures Still Pending (Marijuana Moment)

• Oregon proposes only using one type of mushroom for new psilocybin system, and no pills (OPB)

• Nova Mentis Study Confirms Oral Microdose Psilocybin Treatment of Autism (Psilocybin Alpha)

• These Four Companies Want to Take You on a Psychedelic Voyage in Oregon (Willamette Week)

• No Need for Magic Mushrooms? Producing Synthetic Psilocybin from Bacteria and Yeast (Truffle Report)

• Psyched Wellness Announces Key Findings from the 90-Day Oral Toxicity Study on AME-1 (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• Bar-Goers Were Poisoned by Ecstasy-Laced Champagne, German Police Say (Gizmodo)

DMT

• The Latest in DMT Research: Leading Companies and Key Studies (Truffle Report)

• What is DMT therapy? (Drug Science)

Ayahuasca

• Deontay Wilder contemplates using ayahuasca to help decide his boxing future (leafie)

• When Is Drinking Ayahuasca a Religious Experience? (Reason)

5-MeO-DMT

• More Companies Embrace 5-MeO-DMT to Create Therapies (Lucid News)

Peyote

• Calling on Federal, State, and Local Governments to Protect and Respect Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and its Byproducts (Chacruna)

• How peyote — used as a ceremonial, legal medicine — helped heal one family’s grief (Rocky Mountain PBS)

Novel Psychoactive Substances

• Mydecine Announces MYCO-005 Family of Improved Safety Microdose Novel Molecules (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Awakn Files Patent For A New Class Of Entactogen-Like Molecules (Psilocybin Alpha)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• Report finds too many New Zealanders are dying from preventable drug overdoses (Newshub)

Nitrous Oxide

• Doctors warn of emerging public health issue from recreational use of laughing gas (Irish Examiner)

Ketamine

• Ketamine No Better Than Placebo for Reducing Suicidal Ideation in Depression (Mad in America)

• Ehave, Inc. Launches KetaDASH, Its In-Home Ketamine Therapy In The San Francisco And Sacramento Market (GlobeNewswire)

• FDA: Safety Concerns With Compounded Ketamine Nasal Spray (MPR)

• PharmaTher Announces Grant of U.S. Patent on Ketamine Formulation (Psilocybin Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Judge Grants Hearing for Opposition to DEA Proposal to Criminalize 5 More Psychedelics (Psychedelic Spotlight)

• MAPS Accepts $500,000 Donation From Atai Life Sciences’ Philanthropy Arm (Forbes)

• Maryland Senators Propose Free Psychedelics for Veterans with PTSD (Truffle Report)

• Psychedelics Open Opportunity to Study Synesthesia (Lucid News)

• Trauma and Vulnerability to Suggestion: Redefining How We Understand Consent (Psychedelics Today)

• The Psychonaut’s Guide to Kabbalah and Spiritual Journeying (DoubleBlind)

• What Are the Prospects for Canada’s Federal Drug Decriminalization Bill? (Filter)

• Maryland Lawmakers Work To Decriminalize Drug Paraphernalia (Marijuana Moment)

• The 5 Craziest Places On Earth to Do Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

• The Religious Uses of Licit and Illicit Psychoactive Substances in a Branch of the Santo Daime Religion (Chacruna)

• “Largest-Ever” Harm Reduction Ad Campaign Demands Services, Honors the Dead (Filter)

• Naming and shaming drug users is focus group fodder – Labour must do better (LabourList)

• Co-Creating a Psychedelic Commons: A Commoner’s Guide (Chacruna)

• Meet the 16 Most Influential Women Shaping the Future of Psychedelics (Business Insider)

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 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 Month in Psychedelics - January 2021

We’re only one month into the new year but it’s safe to say that January is already the craziest month of 2021. And judging from last year, it’s pretty likely that this trend will continue well on into the rest of the year, so we need to properly set our expectations, buckle our seat belts, and enjoy the ride as much as we possibly can.

In this month’s recap we’ll be taking a look at the biggest psychedelic news stories that took place, including a cautionary tale about magic mushrooms, the psychedelic guru who stormed the U.S. Capitol, a city in Massachusetts that decriminalized natural psychedelics, a new psilocybin church in Salt Lake City, and much more.

Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

There’s a lot to get through this month, so without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Magic Mushrooms Grew in a Man’s Veins After He Injected Psilocybin Mushroom Tea

If you’ve ever thought about injecting magic mushrooms into your veins, you might want to give up on that idea after finding out what happened to a man who did just that.

A new case report published this month shared a frightening story about an opioid user who attempted to self-medicate his depression and drug dependence by injecting homemade mushroom tea into his body. The experiment caused a life-threatening infection that prompted psilocybin to grow inside of him and resulted in a month-long hospital stay.

Fortunately he survived, but this should serve as a cautionary tale for others to avoid this route of administration for magic mushrooms. After all, simply eating them or drinking mushroom tea has already stood the test of time for psychonauts all around the world.

A Self-Proclaimed Psychedelic Guru Known as the “QAnon Shaman” Stormed the Capitol

The United States underwent a traumatic event on January 6th when a diverse group of insurrectionists stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election, resulting in five deaths and the evacuation of Congress.

Among them was a self-appointed psychedelic guru who goes by the name “QAnon Shaman.”

Advocating for psychedelic shamanism to heal the world while also taking part in a violent act, Jake Angeli is a living example of the wide spectrum of psychedelic users that includes not only left-leaning hippies but also alt-right conspiracy theorists.

Angeli has a long strange history in the psychedelic community, offering courses and consultations on woo-woo topics like ascension and ESP, protesting against the Black Lives Matter movement, and supporting conspiracy theories like the idea that COVID-19 is a hoax and the far right QAnon hogwash.

If you’re interested in learning more about the mysterious symbols tattooed on Angeli’s chest, be sure to check out Psymposia’s guide explaining what each one means in context.

Somerville, Massachusetts Decriminalized Natural Psychedelics

Somerville, Massachusetts hopped on the psychedelic policy reform bandwagon by decriminalizing natural psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and iboga.

A coalition including Bay Staters for Natural Medicine and Decriminalize Nature Massachusetts presented the legislation to the Somerville City Council which unanimously voted 9-0 to approve the decriminalization bill.

The resolution will prompt the city’s legal department to work with community activists to finalize an ordinance and asks the local police and district attorney to deprioritize the enforcement of use and possession charges.

A Former Mormon Politician Started A Psilocybin Church Called “The Divine Assembly”

A former Latter-day Saint politician with some impressive cajones formed a psilocybin church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dubbed “The Divine Assembly”, the church serves magic mushrooms as a sacrament that enables its members to commune with the divine.

Since The Divine Assembly provides an illicit substance to its congregation, the church’s faith may eventually be tested in court to see if its members have a “sincerely-held religious belief” as required by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act if they want to continue using psychedelics as a religious group.

Until then, the church plans to continue serving its psilocybin sacrament without the federal government’s blessing.

Will Marijuana Be Legalized This Year?

Now that there is a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, stoners all over the country are asking whether we’ll see weed get legalized this year. Combined with Joe Biden’s recent presidential victory, the new Congress means that federal cannabis reform might finally be a possibility within the next two years.

When it comes to statewide reforms, several states have the potential to legalize cannabis this year: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wisconsin. And to sweeten the pot, Alabama, Kentucky, and South Carolina might legalize medical marijuana.

It’s too early to tell how many of these reform efforts will succeed, but one thing’s for sure—it’s shaping up to be a progressive year for cannabis policy.

New Psychedelic Reform Group Sets Its Sights on Federal Decriminalization

A new psychedelic reform group known as the Plant Medicine Coalition has set its sights on lobbying Congress to federally decriminalize natural psychedelic medicines. The group is a women-led, non-profit, grassroots advocacy organization, showing that women are leading the charge in this area of drug policy reform.

The Plant Medicine Coalition’s leader also founded the campaign that got psychedelic decriminalization passed in Washington, D.C. during last November’s election, so they are certainly experienced enough to make significant waves toward decriminalizing natural psychedelics across the United States.

Florida and Hawaii Could Legalize Psilocybin Therapy

A lawmaker in Florida is planning to introduce a psilocybin therapy legalization bill that could put the state on the map as the first in the Southeast—and the first red state—to approve a non-cannabis-related psychedelic reform bill. The legislation is modeled after the recently-approved voter initiative that passed in Oregon during last November’s election, so it would not allow recreational users to possess or consume magic mushrooms but would instead set up a legal framework for psilocybin therapy.

Hawaii's Senate is one step ahead of Florida because it already filed a new bill that would establish designated treatment centers and deschedule the psychedelic from the state's list of Schedule I controlled substances.

Meanwhile, recreational users in Colorado might have the option to trip on shrooms from the comfort of their own home in the near future. Kevin Matthews, who led Decriminalize Denver’s successful 2019 campaign to decriminalize psilocybin in the city, is beginning work on an effort to decriminalize magic mushrooms all across Colorado.

The Third (and Likely Final) Season of Hamilton's Pharmacopeia Is Out

Fans of the show Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia, where host Hamilton Morris explores the history, chemistry, and social impact of psychoactive substances, have a reason to rejoice because the third season of the popular docuseries is out now.

The new season’s reception has been favorable, with the first four episodes that have been released so far focusing on 5-MeO-DMT, methamphetamine, Xenon, and the extraordinary alkaloids of Africa. This is likely to be the show’s final season, so be sure to soak it all up while you can.

Mount Sinai Launched a New Center for Psychedelic Research

There still aren’t a whole lot of centers that are dedicated to researching psychedelics in the world, but a new one opened up this month. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai launched a new center that is going to explore using psychedelics for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other stress-related conditions.

And Mount Sinai isn’t wasting any time—they’ve already published a study that found that repeated IV injections of ketamine significantly reduced the severity of symptoms in people with chronic PTSD.

Hopefully we’ll eventually get to a point where there are such a plethora of psychedelic research centers that it’s not big news when a new one opens, but until that happens I’m going to keep highlighting new ones in these updates.

Additional Top Stories

• Iceland is considering decriminalizing all drugs.

• UFC and Johns Hopkins to study using psychedelics to help fighters’ brains heal.

• Lawmakers and medical organizations in South Dakota, Montana, and Mississippi are trying to overturn voter-approved cannabis policy reforms.

• A new method capable of analyzing drug residue found in tooth tartar could uncover the drug habits of ancient people.

• The mayor of Amsterdam is trying to ban tourists from the city’s famous coffeeshops.

• A new study found that classical music may not be as superior for psychedelic therapy as was once thought.

• Activists in Washington, D.C. and a Michigan dispensary are giving out free cannabis to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

Think Wilder is reader-supported. If you enjoyed this month’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.

This Week in Psychedelics - 1.22.21

Cannabis

• France launches public consultation on legalising cannabis (France24)

• UFC ditch marijuana ban but fighters warned to ‘temper enthusiasm’ after Usada rule change (The Independent)

• Biden Taps Marijuana Legalization Supporter To Lead Democratic National Committee (Marijuana Moment)

• American Medical Association Asks Court To Overturn Medical Marijuana Vote In Mississippi (Marijuana Moment)

• Arizona: Adult Use Marijuana Sales On Track to Begin This Month (NORML)

• This Michigan marijuana dispensary is giving free weed to anyone who got the COVID-19 vaccine (Detroit Metro Times)

• Trump Grants Clemency To Marijuana Prisoners On Last Day In Office (Marijuana Moment)

• Study: Nearly Half of Medical Cannabis Users Cease Using Opioids for Pain After Twelve Months (NORML)

• Congressman Files First Federal Marijuana Reform Bill Of 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Could Medical Cannabis Help with the Treatment of Movement Disorders? (Canex)

• Latest Canadian cannabis recalls include melting vape pens, moldy bud (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Virginia Marijuana Legalization Bill Approved By Senate Committee, With Home Cultivation Provisions Intact (Marijuana Moment)

• “Game changer” for the sector: First cannabis company expected to list on LSE next month (Cannabis Health News)

• Police Find 1st 'Cannabis Factory' In London's Financial District, Destroy 826 Plants (NPR)

• Hash landing: New Zealand police ditch annual helicopter hunt for cannabis dens (The Guardian)

• Phytol cited as potentially dangerous cannabis vape ingredient (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Study: Cannabis Use Associated with Reduced Alcohol Intake Among Treatment-Seeking Drinkers (NORML)

• Research establishes antibiotic potential for cannabis molecule (ScienceDaily)

• Women who use cannabis may have harder time conceiving (Healio)

• How Some THC Is Legal — For Now (Rolling Stone)

Magic Mushrooms

• Florida Lawmaker Introducing Psilocybin Mushroom Legalization (Forbes)

• Unique magic mushroom microdosing study to begin in Australia (New Atlas)

• How Mixing Mushrooms and MDMA Affects Your Body and Brain (VICE)

• Patient hopes Canada will introduce regulations for treatment with 'magic mushrooms' (CTV News)

• BC Craft Supply Co Announces Letter of Intent with Psilocybin Research and Development Company Ava Pathways (Globe Newswire)

MDMA

• MindMed Announces the Start of the First-Ever Clinical Trial Combining MDMA and LSD (Psilocybin Alpha)

Ayahuasca

• Insight into Ayahuasca’s Antidepressant Effects (Psychedelic Science Review)

5-MeO-DMT

• New Toad Venom Compound Synthesized for Clinical Use: 5-MeO-DMT Succinate (Psychedelic Science Review)

Synthetic Cannabinoids

• NCSA: Synthetic cannabis a cause for concern (Loop Barbados)

Ketamine

• Ketamine Clinicians Publish Ethical Guidelines to Raise Treatment Standards (Lucid News)

• Colorado officials resume review of ketamine program after Elijah McClain's death (CNN)

• PharmaTher Signs Exclusive Worldwide License Agreement for Patented Ketamine Formulation Targeting Mental Health, Neurological and Pain Disorders (Psilocybin Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Icelandic Government Proposes Drug Decriminalisation (The Reykjavik Grapevine)

• Peter Thiel-backed psychedelics start-up targets schizophrenia ahead of IPO (CNBC)

• Psychedelic Therapy Schools Are Popping Up Like Mushrooms (Bloomberg)

• The Biden Administration and Drug Policy: Expectation Versus Reality (Filter)

• North American Psychedelics Index Published: Which Companies Will Be in the First Psychedelic ETF? (Psilocybin Alpha)

• A New Supreme Court RFRA Ruling May Be a Boon to Psychedelic Religions (Chacruna)

• Senator wants to 'lock in' 2020 drug laws (Idaho Press)

• NeonMind Lists on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Is Psychedelic Medicine the Antidote to Anti-Black White Racism in the US? (Chacruna)

• The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelics and Nature Explored in New Study (Lucid News)

• Psychedelic Authoritarianism Harm Reduction: “QAnon Shaman” Edition (Psymposia)

• Here’s What’s Missing From Conversations About Psychedelic Integration (DoubleBlind)

• Attorney General Merrick Garland a Disheartening Prospect (Filter)

• Dopamine Release and Duration of Action: Rules of Thumb to Predict Addictive Potential of Phenethylamines (Spirit Pharmacist)

• Ergot in Canada: A Lost Tradition? (Chacruna)

• BetterLife Pharma Is Developing Second Generation Psychedelics: Drugs That Leave Out The Trip (Forbes)

• Former Defence Force chief Chris Barrie supports increased accessibility of psychedelic drugs (The Canberra Times)

• Could Biden Make His Country’s Global Drug War Even More Imperialist? (Filter)

• What Will The Psychedelics Space Look Like In 2021? Experts Weigh In (Yahoo! Finance)

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 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 Psychedelics - 1.15.21

Cannabis

• South Dakota: Republican Governor Officially Backing Litigation to Reject Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Initiative (NORML)

• Montana Lawmakers Reject Funding To Implement Voter-Approved Marijuana Legalization Program (Marijuana Moment)

• Mississippi: Medical Organizations Join Legal Fight to Overturn Election Result Legalizing Medical Cannabis Access (NORML)

• Amsterdam doubles down on plans to restrict tourist access to cannabis coffee shops (CNN)

• New Jersey Is ‘On The Verge’ Of Implementing Marijuana Legalization, Governor Says In State Of The State Speech (Marijuana Moment)

• Mexico releases long-awaited medical cannabis regulations (Marijuana Business Daily)

• Activists Give Out Free Marijuana To Encourage COVID Vaccination With ‘Joints For Jabs’ Campaign (Marijuana Moment)

• USDA Releases Final Rule For Hemp, Two Years After Crop Was Federally Legalized (Marijuana Moment)

• UK grants second only licence to grow medical marijuana (Financial Times)

• Virginia Governor Unveils Bill To Legalize Marijuana As Lawmakers Schedule First Hearing (Marijuana Moment)

• New Mexico Governor Says Marijuana Legalization Is A 2021 Priority (Marijuana Moment)

• Kansas Lawmakers Push To Legalize Medical Marijuana In 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Colorado authorities issue recall of contaminated cannabis (Marijuana Business Daily)

• USDA Approves Hemp Regulatory Plans From Rhode Island And Another Indian Tribe (Marijuana Moment)

• The Future of Fully Legal Cannabis (Playboy)

• Top Texas Lawmakers Say Medical Marijuana Expansion Is On The Table For 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Survey: Most Americans Say Marijuana Possesses Less Abuse Potential Than Alcohol (NORML)

• North Dakota Activists Submit 2022 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative (Marijuana Moment)

• North Dakota Lawmakers File Bill To Significantly Expand Marijuana Decriminalization Law (Marijuana Moment)

• Legalizing marijuana boosts junk food sales (The Academic Times)

• Medical Marijuana Leads To Reduced Opioid Use, New Study Finds (Marijuana Moment)

• Cannabis dispensaries struggle to find financial support amid pandemic (KRON4)

• FDA Unveils Plan To Fill CBD Research Gaps With ‘Real-World Data’ In 2021 (Marijuana Moment)

• Introducing Mode: The world's first smart cannabis dosing device (KVVU-TV)

• Arizona Prepares To Accept Marijuana Applications Next Week As New Draft Legalization Rules Are Issued (Marijuana Moment)

LSD

• LSD Could Be the Key to Alleviating the Mental Health Crisis—if Government Allows It (Foundation for Economic Education)

• MindMed Expands Psychedelic Microdosing Division, Adds Groundbreaking Study Evaluating LSD Microdosing Through Next-Gen Digital Clinical Markers (Psilocybin Alpha)

Magic Mushrooms

• Psychedelic Mushrooms Grew in a Man's Veins After He Injected Them (Gizmodo)

• NeonMind Engages Dr. C. Laird Birmingham to Develop Protocols for Phase 2 Clinical Trial Using Psilocybin to Treat Obesity (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Psilocybin is Being Studied to Help Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (Baystreet)

• Psilocybin produces an immunology-related genetic response in the prefrontal cortex of pig brains (PsyPost)

• CBDV Begins Research on Psilocybin with Section 56 Exemption from Health Canada (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Core One Labs Announces Breakthrough in Solving Psilocybin Dosing Problems by Introducing Biosynthetic Psilocybin to its Patented Thinstrip Delivery Method (AccessWire)

• Silo Pharma Provides Details of Patent License Agreement for Psilocybin and Cancer Applications (GlobeNewswire)

• Revive Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration with North Carolina State University for Natural Biosynthesis Enzymatic Platform To Develop Psilocybin (Psilocybin Alpha)

MDMA

• Should You Say “I Love You” While on MDMA? (DoubleBlind)

• Awakn Life Sciences Appoints CRO to Conduct Phase II Study of MDMA as a Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (Psilocybin Alpha)

Peyote

• Inside a Massive, Illicit Peyote Ceremony During Mexico's COVID Lockdown (VICE)

Iboga

• Ibogaine vs. Iboga Alkaloids for Treating Addiction (Psychedelic Science Review)

Nitrous Oxide

• Police investigation launched after cargo of nitrous oxide canisters discovered in Ribble Valley (Burnley Express)

Ketamine

• A Deadly ‘Ketamine Cocktail’ Is Causing Overdoses on the Streets of Bangkok (VICE)

• Novamind Expands Psychedelic Medicine Access in Utah (Psilocybin Alpha)

Miscellaneous

• Somerville, Massachusetts Decriminalizes Naturally Occurring Psychedelics (DoubleBlind)

• COMPASS Pathways establishes Centre of Excellence with Sheppard Pratt to accelerate research and improve patient experience in mental health care (COMPASS Pathways)

• New York, Virginia And Other States Consider New Drug Decriminalization Bills (Marijuana Moment)

• The World's ‘Largest Illegal Darknet Marketplace’ has Been Shut Down (VICE)

• UFC looks into Johns Hopkins study on psychedelic drugs as potential therapy for fighters (ESPN)

• Michigan Prosecutor Won’t Pursue Most Marijuana Or Psychedelics Cases, ‘Regardless Of The Amount’ (Marijuana Moment)

• DEA Agents Report Agency’s Lack of Basic COVID-19 Safety Measures (Filter)

• When Getting High Is a Hobby, Not a Habit (New York Times)

• How This Black-Led Psychedelic Collective Is Combining Anti-Racism With ‘Sacred Plant Medicine’ (Vogue)

• Eleusis Accelerates Psychedelic Drug Discovery and Development Team with Appointment of David Nichols, Ph.D., as Director of Molecular Pharmacology (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Coping with Antidepressants and Psychedelics (Spirit Pharmacist)

• Psychedelic Illusions are Not Pathological, and May Even Help You See Better (Chacruna)

• Engineering Psychoplastogens: Toward a Safer Alternative for Treating Depression (Psychedelic Science Review)

• Silo Pharma Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement for Potential Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Approach with University of Maryland, Baltimore (Psilocybin Alpha)

• Revealing Trends in Russia’s Dark-Web Drug Markets (TalkingDrugs)

• Numinus Wellness Forges Forward into Psychedelic Discovery Research with the Orbitrap Exploris 120 Mass Spectometer (Cision)

• Having A Bad Trip On Psychedelics: Is There Some Value? (Healing Maps)

• The Emerging Revival of Psychedelics in Neuroscience (Psychology Today)

• Mental Health Demand For Development Of Psychedelic Drug Therapies Is Increasing (PR Newswire)

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 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.

UFC to Explore Using Psychedelics as Therapy for Fighter’s Brains

Marc Raimondi, writing for ESPN:

The UFC is looking to get involved with research into psychedelic drugs as a therapy for fighters' brain health.

The promotion has been in contact with Johns Hopkins University about its psychedelics studies with an eye toward seeing if the drugs can be helpful for fighters dealing with brain issues, UFC president Dana White told MMA Junkie on Wednesday.

Here’s yet another interesting area for psychedelic research to explore. After listening to two recent Psychedelics Today podcast episodes (“PT223 – Daniel Carcillo – Life After Sports“ and “PT224 – Dr. Dan Engle – The Concussion Repair Manual“), I am more convinced than ever that it’s plausible to use psychedelics to heal the brain after it has experienced physical trauma. I highly suggest you check out both of those episodes if you want to learn more about this topic.

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