Science

Scientists are finally set to mass-produce the active compound found in magic mushrooms

August 18, 2018By 0 comment

“Our findings set the stage for heterologous production of [psilocybin] in a controlled place for pharmaceutical purposes, using engineered microbial hosts, should the re-discovered pharmaceutical value lead to increased demands,” the researchers write in their report. After four decades of virtually ignoring the science of psychedelics, researchers tentatively returned to investigating how substances such as…

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Medicine/Healing

Hallucinogens: potential mental health benefits

August 17, 2018By 0 comment

Throughout the symposium presenters discussed need for additional research to gain better understandings of the implications of using such psychedelics as an adjunct to psychotherapy as well as legal and ethical issues needing to be considered. Traditionally psychedelics drugs are thought of as relics from hippie generations or taken by music festival and rave goers,…

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Psychology

Magic mushrooms can help quit smoking

August 16, 2018By 0 comment

The active compound found in magic mushrooms is called psilocybin and was administered to a handful of smokers. The six-year study aimed to uncover the mechanism in the brain that makes it so difficult to kick the habit ‘Cigarette smoking is today a huge public health scourge and there are no effective reliable treatments,’ said…

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Politics

Groundbreaking drug policy bills reintroduced in Maryland

August 16, 2018By 0 comment

Maryland Delegate Dan Morhaim, M.D. – also a practicing physician in emergency and internal medicine for more than 30 years – has introduced [H.B. 484],[H.B. 515], and [H.B. 519] to transform drug policy in the state.  H.B. 484 [Drug Use and Possession Penalty Changes] = This bill [is designed to keep] some drug users – those possessing minimal amounts – out…

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Biography/Memoir

‘It is taking people out’: More than 70 people overdose… in a single day in New Haven

August 16, 2018By 0 comment

Some patients treated at the Green did not initially respond to naloxone, and needed a higher concentration of the overdose reversal drug once they arrived at hospitals, Bogucki [New Haven’s director of emergency medical services​]said. Police and fire officials said the K2 was potentially laced with some type of opioid [in this case perhaps fentanyl, synthetic…

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Psychology

Can psychedelic drugs heal?

August 16, 2018By 0 comment

Adele Lafrance, PhD, of Laurentian University, highlighted a study of 159 participants who reported on their past use of hallucinogens, level of spirituality and relationship with their emotions. Using hallucinogens was related to greater levels of spirituality, which led to improved emotional stability and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and disordered eating, the study found.…

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Politics

Keeping kratom legal

August 16, 2018By 0 comment

We ask the DEA to Follow the Science to protect access to [whole-plant botanical] kratom by those Americans who exercise their freedoms to safely use kratom as a part of their personal health and well-being regimen. The claims of deaths “associated with the use of kratom” made by the FDA have been discredited and now requires a complete reanalysis of actual risks that may exist for…

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Medicine/Healing

New kratom “purported-death” reports still leave more questions than answers

August 15, 2018By 0 comment

The government’s data has previously failed to make a compelling argument that kratom actually kills people, and the new cases don’t offer much support… [Jane Babin, an attorney and molecular biologist who’s been investigating kratom death reports.] expressed concern [however] that confusion [and misleading news reports are] leading health officials to blame kratom for any death where mitragynine…

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