Science

The problem at the heart of modern psychedelic clinical research

For around half a century the randomized controlled trial (RCT) has been considered the gold standard in evaluating the effectiveness of any new medical intervention…. …does not suggest we need to abandon RCTs for psychedelic research … at least not yet… he calls for more rigor and transparency in the ways psychedelic trials are designed…

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Medicine/Healing

Study suggests psychedelic users reframe “bad trips” into positive experiences through detailed narratives

…published in the International Journal of Drug Policy asked psychedelic drug users to share their experiences with drug use, and particularly, their experiences with “bad trips.”… intense negative reactions that can include anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, and frightening hallucinations… despite describing these highly distressing experiences, many participants seemed to look back on bad trips with gratitude, suggesting…

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Spirituality

California advances decriminalizing psychedelic substances [through Assembly Public Safety Committee]

[The bill SB 519’s sponsor states] “people will be able to cultivate for personal use… some like mushrooms… it will allow, just like we did for cannabis, cultivation of small amounts for personal use.” California has moved another step closer to decriminalizing psychedelics amid a debate over whether their prohibition is an outdated remnant of the…

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Anthropology

Mexico’s supreme court strikes down marijuana prohibition… [US supreme court…]

The U.S., conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas… denounced the federal government’s inconsistent approach to marijuana policy and suggested that it may necessitate a reevaluation of an earlier ruling that upheld prohibition. [In Mexico] the 8-3 vote means that marijuana possession and cultivation for personal use will be legal nationally. The Ministry of Health would still…

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Science

Microdosing psychedelics and its effect on creativity… three double-blind placebo controlled longitudinal trials

In the final analyses we found that active microdosing increased the ratio of original responses (originality/fluency)… First, independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests were conducted on demographic data to see whether randomization to placebo and active condition was successful and groups were comparable before the start of the interventions. Next, the subjective effects of microdosing…

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Modern Culture

A… magic mushrooms legal guide

…magic mushrooms. Some countries are debating overturning decades-old psilocybin bans in favor of a policy of decriminalization… legalization… Magic mushrooms are a general term for any mushroom with hallucinogenic properties. These mushrooms can be found naturally. In many countries, magic mushrooms are technically illegal, although these laws are loosely enforced. Law enforcement may have a…

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Anthropology

Psychedelic mushroom shops reach the americas

The Western hemisphere is getting its… brick and mortar psychedelic and functional mushrooms store a la Amsterdam’s “smart shops.” This… will help make mushroom-based wellness more accessible to consumers. …build and operate a “smart shop” retail store offering tinctures, capsules, topicals, edibles and other mushroom-based products… and related accessories…. functional and psychedelic mushroom retail outlet… Original Article…

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Anthropology

Psychedelic mushrooms: where and how…

Despite being a Schedule I drug by federal laws, several states in the United States have taken steps to ease laws on possession of psilocybin mushrooms. Movements to decriminalize “shrooms” started in the USA in May 2019 with Denver, Colorado becoming the first city to decriminalize. Two cities in California, Oakland and Santa Cruz followed…

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Biography/Memoir

Why a University of North Carolina professor is on a quest to remove the ‘trip’ from psychedelic drugs

If Bryan Roth… has his way, psychedelics could change forever… “There are plenty of psychedelics out there,” he added. “We don’t need any more psychedelics.” … “They want to transform the treatment of depression, with a pill, basically,” Roth said of DARPA… brought together a “dream team” of scientists to work on the project, including…

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Biography/Memoir

Former head of psychiatry products at FDA joins psychedelic drug developer…

…the company is also developing novel molecules based on other psychedelic compounds. The company has filed 12 provisional patent applications for novel psychedelic molecules… Thomas Laughren, a medical doctor who served as the director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s division of psychiatry products for nearly three decades… …left his post at the FDA…

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