Oregon has the opportunity to serve as a model for the country in treating drug use for what it is—a public health issue. Similar legislation would allow Oregon to adopt proven, evidence-based, and data driven approaches to best help drug users, their families, and the community. An emergency room physician in Maryland, USA, Dan Morhaim, MD…
Findings from a study presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association suggested that symptoms of social anxiety in autistic adults may be treatable with a combination of psychotherapy and MDMA … Research discussed also explored how LSD, psilocybin (known colloquially as “magic mushrooms”) and ayahuasca (a brew used by indigenous people of the…
Throughout the symposium presenters discussed need for additional research to gain better understandings of the implications of using such psychedelics as an adjunct to psychotherapy as well as legal and ethical issues needing to be considered. Traditionally psychedelics drugs are thought of as relics from hippie generations or taken by music festival and rave goers,…
The government’s data has previously failed to make a compelling argument that kratom actually kills people, and the new cases don’t offer much support… [Jane Babin, an attorney and molecular biologist who’s been investigating kratom death reports.] expressed concern [however] that confusion [and misleading news reports are] leading health officials to blame kratom for any death where mitragynine…
Dr. Williams wondered if the drug could be helpful for black and brown people suffering from PTSD. She notes how the most currently accepted treatment — prolonged exposure (PE) — can be difficult for many patients, and especially for racial or demographic minorities. Even in the field of psychedelic research, her study stands out as…
Working backwards, they discovered that psychedelic-users were not at an increased risk of developing eleven key indicators of serious mental health problems. A second study done at the University of Alabama and Johns Hopkins confirmed this finding. This study used the National Survey as core data, but examined responses from 2008 to 2012. Here too,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a request from an anti-legalization group to place marijuana and its derivatives on a list of restricted substances that are not “generally recognized as safe and effective.” The organization had filed its petition requesting the cannabis crackdown in December 2017, writing that the move would “send…
“One way to think about that is, it’s not the drug that’s having the useful effect for the addict… it’s the experience that the drug is giving them.” -Michael Pollan One Pollan tidbit that’s grabbed attention on his press tour is a revelation about Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Wilson partially credits his…
“I don’t know a mom or dad in their right mind who is going to change what’s already working,” said Heather Jackson, CEO of Realm of Caring, a charitable group affiliated with Colorado-based CW Hemp, one of nation’s largest CBD companies. “I really don’t think it’s going to affect us much.” Jackson’s group estimates the…
In its pure form, however, MDMA is not only a relatively safe drug, but also one that could provide surprising mental health benefits. In a 2018 paper, researchers describe how American veterans and first-responders who suffered from PTSD showed improved conditions after undergoing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy over a long-term period. The results encouraged the Food and…
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