Science

‘Hangxiety’: why alcohol gives you a hangover and anxiety

Alcohol, he says, targets the Gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor, which sends chemical messages through the brain and central nervous system to inhibit the activity of nerve cells. Put simply, it calms the brain, reducing excitement by making fewer neurons fire. “Alcohol stimulates Gaba, which is why you get relaxed and cheerful when you drink,” explains…

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Experts are concerned that kratom will become the next marijuana

*[will governments continue to] deny the entourage effect of whole plant botanicals, ban home-grown plants, force consumers to pay for synthetic pills, or go into the black market if they are low-income and/or have no health insurance coverage, increase profits for the treatment industrial complex A ban wouldn’t just impact the estimated 3 to 5 million Americans who use…

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Science

The hallucinogenic tree that cures addiction in one dose

Why, in an age when nearly every party drug is being pushed into federal trials for addiction and mental illness, when drug tourists who fetishize the mysticism associated with indigenous hallucinogens are in the market for ever-bigger thrills, and when the opioid epidemic is killing tens of thousands each year, have so few Americans heard…

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The many colors of kratom explained

Some leaves have red stem and vein, while others can have white or green ones. Each color has a different chemical composition and different concentrations of alkaloids. Kratom comes in a variety of colors, and one often thinks if all the colors of Kratom are same. Many people think that just because different types of Kratom are…

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Science

Testing drugs at festivals is ‘a lifesaver’, study finds

Drug-related hospital admissions down 95% after onsite testing at festival in Cambridgeshire, UK … An alarming rise in drug-related deaths at music festivals can be countered by testing illicit substances onsite, according to the first academic study of its kind, which has triggered calls for similar services to be rolled out at all major events. The Durham…

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A chronic low dose of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) restores cognitive function in old mice

Scientists at the University of Bonn and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel) have now achieved this in mice. These animals have a relatively short life expectancy in nature and display pronounced cognitive deficits even at twelve months of age. The researchers administered a small quantity of THC, [one of many] active ingredient[s] in ……

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MDMA helps people build trust and get over betrayal

The study [Neuroscientists at King’s College London and Oxford University and published in the Journal of Neuroscience] aimed to investigate the effect of MDMA on decision-making behaviour.  MRI machines were used to scan the brains of the participants, finding that MDMA can help people to become more cooperative by creating greater activity in specific areas of the brain such…

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Alleged magic mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) test as ergosterol, a compound present in ergot and many other fungi

“We’re not sure what to say about this result. Plant-based and fungal materials pose special challenges. Ergosterol is a substance that is present in the cell membranes of fungi.” EcstasyData entry shows a brown, yellow and off-white dried fungal matter that was sourced in Dallas, TX as “Psilocybe cubensis grown with DiPT,” but which tested as nothing more…

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