Psychology

Follow one gram… along… twisted path from seed to sale

Occam’s razor tells us that the actual answer is usually the simplest one and that is they likely just got too greedy at all of our expense. [A naturally-occurring psychoactive example related to psilocybin mushrooms, is cannabis]; when you add it all up, our sample gram of cannabis will be taxed up to 45% of…

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Politics

Supporting the decriminalization of entheogenic plants [at the American city and county level]

American cities have long possessed an inferred constitutional right to regulate commerce and public safety within their jurisdictions, a principle acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Justice Cole Memorandum that permitted states and localities to deprioritize law enforcement of cannabis charges… That the City Council hereby maintains it should be the policy of the City…

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Anthropology

…behind history… [some] far-right tattoos

Many people have… tattoos [Norse world tree, etc.] which express their neo-pagan belief, Scandinavian heritage, or interest in the myths. But there is no doubt that these symbols have also been co-opted by a growing far-right movement; [the] sonnenrad, or sun-wheel. [The Anti-Defamation League states that because sonnenrad imagery is used by many cultures around…

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Science

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

…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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Psychology

…psychedelic… health…

…work, in part, in a similar way to traditional antidepressants ­- they affect the chemical pathways in the brain involving serotonin (the hormone that influences mood and can make us feel good). However, they also have a range of other beneficial biological activities, like anti-inflammatory effects… our analysis shows that medicinal psychedelics have a statistically significantly…

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Biography/Memoir

…‘largest illegal darknet marketplace’ has been shut down

The 5,000-square-meter bunker, which was fitted with iron doors and went five floors underground, secretly housed a so-called “bulletproof hosting” service provider… [used to] buy and sell drugs, forged money, [etc.] German investigators collaborating with US, Australian, British, Danish, Swiss, Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities. The FBI, DEA narcotics and IRS from the US, along with…

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Modern Culture

Michigan prosecutor won’t pursue most marijuana or psychedelics cases, ‘regardless of the amount’

A county prosecutor in Michigan announced on Tuesday [Jan 12, 2020] that his office will not be pursuing charges over possessing marijuana or entheogenic substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca — “regardless of the amount at issue.” For entheogenic substances, [Prosecuting Attorney] Savit’s notice similarly says it is ending prosecutions for possession or use of the…

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Science

CDC [United States Centers for Disease Control] recommends drug-checking services

The CDC appears to be moving, at least in part, past a major barrier currently obstructs local harm reductionists interested in providing drug-checking and similar services: drug paraphernalia criminalization.  Currently, the range of institutionalized US drug-checking services pales in comparison to what’s offered by organizations in Canada and some western European countries. The Centre for Drug Policy…

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Modern Culture

Ethical concerns about psilocybin intellectual property

It is critical to reconsider the neoliberal pharmaceutical approach, including basic science to clinical science, and the implications of its stated goals. In the case of psilocybin, for which there are now at least 24 registered patent processes… bioprospecting and biopiracy often cause conflicts, tensions, disconnection, poverty, and suffering in the communities… Depression is considered…

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