Science

Spontaneous and deliberate creative cognition during and after psilocybin exposure

April 24, 2021By

Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design, we demonstrated that psilocybin (0.17 mg/kg) induced a time- and construct-related differentiation of effects on creative thinking. Although usually opposing neural processes, the DMN and FPN have been found to interact during creative cognition, suggesting a dynamic shift between these networks facilitates the shift between idea generation and evaluation across…

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Science

Psilocybin produces an immunology-related genetic response in the prefrontal cortex of pig brains

April 2, 2021By

In the study [University of Copenhagen]… examined brain tissue from pigs, the researchers first conducted tests to establish the proper dose to produce psychoactive effects in the animals. Pigs were used because their brains are anatomically similar the brains of humans. Immune-related genes constituted the largest group of genes impacted one week after psilocybin administration,…

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Science

Psychedelic use linked to 20% decreased hypertension risk, study finds

April 2, 2021By

New research from the University of Oxford found a link between use of psychedelics and a decreased risk of hypertension. The findings are published in the recent issue of the journal Hypertension. “These findings may prove valuable for understanding the physical health outcomes of classic psychedelic use, with rigorous randomized controlled trials warranted to investigate…

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Science

Why mental health researchers are studying psychedelics all wrong

March 6, 2021By

Supposedly, we are living through a “psychedelic renaissance.” Psychedelic science portrays itself as a vanguard revolutionizing mental health care, while remaining firmly focused on developing treatments defined within these same antiquated models. As psychedelic advocates and practitioners with decades of experience, having worked with thousands of people, we believe we need a serious examination of…

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Modern Culture

The public’s perception of the harms of magic mushrooms is in line with science – but not with the law

February 2, 2021By

The study, which appears in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that psilocybin-containing mushrooms are considered less dangerous than alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. For their study, the researchers asked 151 participants to rank the dangerousness of ten different substances: alcohol, tobacco, prescription opiates, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, cannabis, LSD, and GHB… participants considered magic…

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Science

An elusive pathogen is damaging cannabis crops…

February 2, 2021By

Viroids are not viruses but, rather, a plant-specific pathogenic RNA. HpLVd was first publicly announced in cannabis in California in 2019… testing for HpLVd is still not common practice in the marijuana or hemp industries. The biggest challenge in controlling hop latent viroid is the “latent” nature of the viroid. It is possible for the…

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Science

Is hempcrete the future of construction?

February 2, 2021By

Hemp insulation is a special niche in the construction market that is yet to be fully maximized. A meager 0.5% of the whopping 3.3 million tons of insulation done each year pertains to hemp. For the future of hempcrete to grow in the industry, players in the construction industry must be educated on the material.…

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Science

…study shows cannabis reduces inflammatory ‘storms’…

January 23, 2021By

…offers data that some cannabis strains help reduce a specific type of inflammatory distress – called a “cytokine storm” – that proceeds severe cases of acute respiratory distress… One of the studies’ main researchers, University of Lethbridge’s Department of Biological Sciences’… team has studied the anti-inflammatory potential of cannabis for years. Were they surprised by…

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Science

When getting high is [adult] hobby, not a habit

January 12, 2021By

…offers the information in a spirit of radical transparency because he believes that if “grown-ups” like him would talk freely about the role of drugs in their lives, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in… [Dr. Carl Hart, a tenured professor of psychology at Columbia University, an experienced neuroscientist, a father] argues that…

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