Politics

Govt pressed for new law on marijuana and kratom

 “The Narcotics Act was drafted and first enforced in 1985, so we can see it’s not only out of date but also restricts people’s rights too much, especially considering the enormous benefits in healthcare that could come from medical cannabis and kratom,” Paisal said. Paisal Limstit of Thammasat University’s Faculty of Law concurred that extensive…

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Psychology

This is why there’s a push to make MDMA legal

He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. An estimated 24.4 million people have PTSD. Most of the patients are prescribed anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication to treat symptoms. However, nothing gave Virgil relief. But then, he discovered an article on social media about treating PTSD with MDMA, which is known as Ecstasy. Of those in the…

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Psychology

Anxiety, meet magic

Hallucinogens as anti-anxiety medications are part of a research renaissance. Within the last 30 years, researchers… and other institutions have been doing quiet work around the potential benefits of psilocybin mushrooms, particularly their potential use for therapy. This could lead to an exciting new era in the field of mental health, especially in battling anxiety-based disorders and conditions…

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Politics

California approves statewide social equity program for cannabis industry

Provide loans or grants to local equity applicants or licensees for startup and ongoing costs, such as rent, application and licensing fees, equipment, capital improvements and workforce training. …signed legislation this week that will set up a state-run program aimed at widening participation among minorities and economically disadvantaged individuals in the marijuana industry, either as…

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Psychology

Can psilocybin make people feel more empathy to nature?

Therefore, in the context of the ideals, values, and constructs of the time we are presently living in, it would be useful to frame the imminent threat to our planet’s natural ecology and to humankind, radically, as something along the lines of an “anti-nature personality disorder,” medically sanctioning judgment on individual or group behavior that pathologically…

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Modern Culture

5 myths about psychedelics that we need to stop spreading

Psychedelics can make almost any idea feel like a life-changing epiphany, but these ideas need to be scrutinized post-trip to separate the gemstones from the fool’s gold … In order to use psychedelics to their full potential both individually and collectively, we need to be brutally honest about what they are, and what they aren’t. (eg. some people simply…

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Anthropology

União do Vegetal, Looking Glass Peyote Church, Santo Daime

In the União do Vegetal (UDV), leadership is elected.  UDV is organized across a four-tier hierarchical structure, the upper level is not accessible to women. ​In Looking Glass Peyote Church, peyote requires a DNA test previous to use.​Santo Daime, political power is based on the charisma of their leaders, with the succession going to their kin. From…

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Medicine/Healing

Many ex-opioid addicts credit [iboga plant] with cure, but it’s “illegal” in US

*Even though methadone is used in addiction treatment, it is still an opioid, meaning that it fosters physical dependence.​ “A lot of serious psychiatrists who wanted to use drugs — like ecstasy — to augment psychiatric treatment were shot down brutally. They could not get support or funding.” To be sure, ibogaine has triggered seizures and heart-related…

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Medicine/Healing

First clinical trial of MDMA treatment for autistic adults sees success

“These findings show that MDMA and psychotherapy can help people, maybe by giving people a whole new set of experiences with social interactions,” said Dr. Jerome. “MDMA isn’t giving people something they didn’t have already, it’s helping them use what they had all along.” The study participants who were given MDMA reported an improvement in their…

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